Tasting notes for Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds from the 2018 vintage. For a guide to our coverage of the Rhône 2018 vintage, see this article. For a more in-depth look at the vintage, see Lifting the lid on 2018 in the Rhône.
Downy mildew at flowering meant that the 2018 crop of Châteauneuf-du-Pape was severely depleted, and while some very good wines have been made from the fruit that remained, they don't reach the heights of 2017 and 2016. Even so, Clos des Papes and La Bastide St-Dominique are two names to look out for.
Stylistically, the hot summer of 2018 produced wines...