The star of my visit was the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape. Produced from 3.5 hectares in three parcels, it's sturdy and muscular in style but shows concentrated Grenache fruit to match the ample tannins. It should start to shine in about five years.

Lafond's 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 80% Grenache and 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre. It has a deeper ruby color, with hints of purple, as well as an exuberant nose of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, and licorice. A ripe, concentrated 2015, it has a great mid-palate, moderate tannin, and a great finish, and it's a gem in this vintage that's going to drink nicely for a decade.

Vivid ruby. Ripe blackberry, cherry compote, garrigue and peppery spices on the perfumed nose. Plush, gently sweet dark berry and fruitcake flavors coat the palate, showing good clarity and spicy lift. A smoky flourish appears on the persistent finish, which is given shape by velvety, harmonious tannins. This wine definitely shows the richness of the vintage but not oppressively so.