The only 2019 white I was able to taste (the 2018s were also reviewed last year), the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Boisrenard Blanc is a richer effort, yet still stays chiseled and focused, with classy notes of pear, white flowers, crushed citrus, and hints of honeysuckle. It shows a kiss of salinity on the palate and is medium-bodied, has bright acidity, and a beautiful finish. This is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and will keep for a couple of decades or more in cool cellars.

A smaller production cuvée, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Boisrenard Blanc offers more richness and depth, with terrific notes of tart pineapple, mulled stone fruits, spice, and a touch of caramelized peach. With medium to full-bodied richness, a touch of background oak, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it’s beautifully done and capable of evolving for over 15 years or more. My money is on it being one of the longest-lived whites in the vintage.

A classic beauty, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape has textbook notes of red and black currants, black cherries, scorched earth, and roasted garrigue to go with a medium-bodied, lively, elegant style on the palate that’s very much in the mold of the vintage. With solid mid-palate depth and moderate tannins, it’s already approachable, yet this wine will certainly have 10-15 years of prime drinking ahead of it. It’s a terrific, classic cuvée that I would be happy to have in the cellar.

The more limited-production flagship cuvée is the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Boisrenard, which is based on two-thirds Grenache, with the balance mostly Syrah and Mourvèdre. Not far off the style of the classic cuvée, only deeper and richer, it has a smoking bouquet of ripe redcurrants, smoked blueberries, roasted garrigue, ground pepper, and scorched earth. Beautifully concentrated, medium to full-bodied, with building tannins and a great finish, this is one seriously good 2018. It’s worth giving it 2-3 years of bottle age then enjoying over the following 15 years or more.

There are just 4,000 bottles of the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Boisrenard, which comes from 70- to 100-year-old vines. It's mainly Clairette and Roussanne, but includes the other four white varieties authorized in the appellation as well. Vinified and matured in large-format oak, it does show some classy hints of cedar shavings on the nose and a wonderfully slinky, silky texture on the medium to full-bodied palate, both serving to highlight the wine's restrained melon and citrus flavors. Impressively concentrated and balanced...

Hints of roast meat and espresso are backed by plummy notes on the nose of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape. It's a dense, concentrated and somewhat sturdy wine, full-bodied and muscular yet svelte, with blackberry and chocolate notes emerging on the long, silky-textured finish. Solidly built and nicely balanced, it should drink well for at least a decade.

Cedary overtones appear on the nose of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Boisrenard, a portion of which is aged in new oak. That said, it's not overdone, with plenty of cola, plum and spice notes coming through on the full-bodied palate. Velvety and supple in the mouth, this seductive offering should drink well for a decade.

While based in Châteaneuf du Pape, this biodynamically run estate's 2018 Rasteau is a solid alternative for much less money. A blend of 80% Grenache, 17% Syrah and 3% Mourvèdre, it offers scents of sun-warmed stones, hints of garrigue and bold flavors of black cherries and blackberries. It's medium to full-bodied and supple, with a round, silky feel on the palate. Hints of dark chocolate and a cocoa powder-like texture mark the lengthy finish.

Attractively complex with red plums and berries ,as well as meaty notes and darker fruit aromas. The palate has a very open-knit, fleshy and attractive feel with a wealth of ripe, succulent fruit on offer. Drink or hold.

A second consecutive winner from this fine estate, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape is 66% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 6% Cinsault and 3% of the other permitted varieties. Grilled red plums lead off, fleshed out by other ripe stone fruits. Full-bodied and plush, it's creamy in texture through the mid-palate, then long and silky on the finish, where it picks up hints of Asian five spice powder.

Tasted blind. Banana, apple, lemon juice adding a vein of freshness on the finish. Slight salinity gives moderate complexity on the length.

Fresh, with quinine, lime, peach, honeysuckle and star fruit notes streaming through. Offers a bright, mouthwatering finish. Very fresh now, but will broaden out a little with moderate cellaring. Drink now through 2021. 400 cases made, 75 cases imported.

The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Boisrenard is inky in color, with aromas that hint at toasted coconut, black cherries and chocolate. It's a rich, decadent, full-bodied sexpot of a CdP that possess admirable concentration, a wonderfully creamy-silky texture and a long, long finish.

Lively and expressive red cherries and berries on the nose here. This has a very plush and vibrant, darker fruit feel to the palate with some sturdy fruit tannin and a nicely played oak frame to the finish. Drink or hold.

Tasted blind. Thick, ripe black bramble fruits on the palate. Carries the density well thanks to bright acidity and soft, fine tannic texture. The finish has a slight burn to it, but the fruit intensity almost keeps up.

Pure preserved cherry aroma. Tough tannic power on the palate. Very chewy. Some liquorice and leather character on the finish, but the flavour range can't soften the fearsome structure.

Beaurenard's top white—and one of the best in the appellation—is the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Cuvee Boisrenard, a wood-aged blend of 42% Clairette, 32% Roussanne, 11% Bourboulenc, 10% Grenache Blanc and bits of Grenache Gris, Picardan, Picpoul Blanc and Picpoul Gris. Subtle toast elements (it's fermented and aged in a mix of foudres and used barrels) frame ripe citrus and pineapple in a wine that's round, ripe and full-bodied, plush yet long and crisp on the finish.

Tasted blind. Sweetcorn, tropical fruit, honey and preserved lemon on the palate. Fairly brief in persistence, but the primary fruit might evolve somewhat with time.

Offers a broad, creamy feel, with macadamia nut, piecrust, glazed pear and creamed yellow apple notes, backed by flashes of ginger and brioche on the finish. A lush, seductive wine. Drink now through 2021. 250 cases made, 20 cases imported.

Could the 2017 Rasteau Argiles Bleues be even better than the excellent 2016? It's certainly a big step up from the regular 2017 bottling. Ripe notes of cola, plum and dried spices lead into a full-bodied, expansive palate that's rich and velvety in texture, finishing long and layered. It should drink well for at least 6-7 years.