2021 Chateau Mont Redon Lirac, Rhone Valley

A deeply hued and surprisingly concentrated 2021, the 2021 Lirac has lots of ripe cherry and Provençal herb and spice notes to go with a medium-bodied, layered, elegant style on the palate. It's a terrific 2021 that readers will love.

I love seeing Pierre Fabre bring Mont-Redon back to its prior glory. I think this estate is unquestionably producing some of the top wines of the appellation today, and that should be no surprise given the incredible terroir of this estate. Looking at the Châteauneuf du Pape releases, there’s a classic cuvée and a Le Plateau cuvée, both in red and white. The classic cuvée is, as you would expect, a classic expression of the appellation and brought up in tank and used oak. Both Le Plateau releases come from the prime upper plateau terroir (think La Crau, only in the northwestern portion of the appellation) and see more new oak. In general, these Le Plateau releases are serious, concentrated wines that demand bottle age. In addition to the Châteauneuf du Pape, this estate produces a bevy of releases from throughout the Southern Rhône, all of which merit attention.

90 points jebdunnuck.com