Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition 2016

If you want to know what all the fuss about the 2016 vintage was, this is the bottle. It’s Pierre Usseglio’s ‘entry-level’ wine, but calling it that feels like a bit of an insult. It is a total rockstar. A blend of roughly 80% Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, it captures the incredible ripeness of the 2016 sun without sacrificing an ounce of freshness.  It’s lush, it’s juicy, and it’s packed with kirsch liqueur and that lovely peppery spice that makes your mouth water. Even though it’s a big, powerful wine, it’s so polished that you don’t get any of those scratchy tannins.