Rhône 2016 – Châteauneuf Tradition bottlings

Succulence is the keyword for Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 2016. Not only is the fruit character consistently juicy and generous, but there is also a winning combination of approachable tannin and bright acidity making the structure succulent too. 

The wines clearly reveal that the vintage was naturally well balanced and uniformly ripe. That has been the cause of some pitfalls too, however. As ever for Grenache grown in warm climates, high alcohol levels risk upsetting the balance, although this is a more pronounced problem with special cuvées (reviewed tomorrow) than it is for these regular Tradition bottlings...