In 1309 the French-born Pope Clement V decided to pack up in Rome and move to Avignon in France and so the papacy was based there until 1377.

Clement’s successor decided that he had to have a special place to live and this is how the area became known as “new castle of the Pope” or in French, “Chateauneuf du Pape”.

The Pope decided that the garnacha grape of nearby Spain might thrive in the climate and rocky soils and so he obtained some vines and planted them. In France they called this vine grenache.

AOC stands for appellation d'origine contrôlée and it refers to standards set for wines made in France. There are 363 AOCs for wine and spirits in France and Chateauneuf du Pape had the honour of being the very first, when it was signed into law on May 15, 1936.

It allowed for 13 grape varieties to be used and now, with a 2018 change, winemakers can use 18. This AOC was also unique in that its minimum alcohol requirement of 12.5 per cent was the highest in the land.

With more than a dozen listings for this much-loved wine, Burrows Lightbourn has a far larger selection than I had at “my day” at the helm. These are beautiful wines and I would like to tell you about a few. We will stick to the red, as white only accounts for 7 per cent of the total produced in the appellation.

Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2016 is dark, deep and the inky colour shows immediately the concentration of the vintage. The nose of blackcurrants, black tea and dried flowers, definitely stands out. The blend is 37 per cent grenache noir, 29 per cent syrah, 27 per cent mourvèdre and 7 per cent cinsault.

Critic Jeb Dunnuck scores it 94/100 and writes: “With classic notes of currants, ripe black cherries, new saddle leather, and peppery herbs, it's rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, with a pure, focused style that's going to age gracefully for 15 to 20 years. It's one of the finest classical cuvées I can remember.” $63 (Stock #8405). For the same price the 2017 and 2018 vintages are also available.

The Wine Spectator rates 2018 Delas Haute Pierre Chateauneuf du Pape 93 points and offers this: “Alluring, with a range of dark plum, raspberry and boysenberry compote flavours that have a slightly mulled edge, showing hints of dried garrigue and juniper.” The blend is 90 per cent grenache and 10 per cent syrah. $58 (Stock #7909).

The 2014 Domaine du Pegau Cuvée Laurence Châteauneuf-du-Pape is flirting with perfection as the 98/100 score by the Wine Enthusiast magazine indicates: “This wine shows complexities of cocoa, leather, rose petal and earth that juxtapose mouth-watering blackberry and plum flavours. Its fruit is at the forefront but anchored by a mineral undertow that should intensify with age. It's a beauty already, framed by fine, chalky tannins.” $92 (Stock #5931).

The 2018 Domaine du Pegau Cuvée Réservée Châteauneuf-du-Pape is no slouch either with 96/100 from Decanter and this opinion: “Grown on varied lieux-dits around the appellation on a mix of soils, this was fermented in concrete then aged for 24 months in foudre. All whole bunch, which is evidenced by the pleasantly stemmy aromatics. Very full-bodied and concentrated, savoury despite the oak, with bay leaf and thyme. Very tannic, quite hard on the palate in fact. It's well balanced despite the alcohol, thanks to its concentration and intensity.”

I will tell you that “foudre” is a large wooden tank but will leave it up to you to Google “lieux-dits” and find out for yourself. $62 (Stock #7903).

A new arrival is 2019 Chapoutier Facélie Collection Bio Chateauneuf du Pape that is mainly made with grenache, as were the original wines of this AOC. The crop is hand-harvested and sorted out when maturity is at its optimum level. The wine is vinified in concrete tanks and then aged in vats and in big wooden casks for 15 to 18 months. The colour is bright, deep, dark garnet and the nose offers notes of ripe fruit (blackcurrants/raspberries). On the palate it has a lot of fatness and strength with spicy aromas developing into leather. Chapoutier was one of the first to follow biodynamic farming and winemaking methods in France. He is a perfectionist. $48.70 (Stock #9453).

For as far back as I can remember La Bernadine has been stocked and we offer the 2019 Chapoutier Chateauneuf du Pape La Bernadine. Their winemaker has this to say: “Intense crimson red. Nose is complex and subtle, blackcurrant and plum followed by roasted coffee and cinnamon, cherry, Morello cherry. Opening into spicy (liquorice) and fruity aromas. Pair with tuna fish carpaccio, all meats (marinated or in sauces), large game and cheese.”

Up until quite recently this wine copied the historic practice of only using grenache grapes, but they now add a small portion of syrah and mourvèdre. The Wine Spectator comments: “Solidly built, with a well-formed core of plum, blackberry and black cherry compote flavours supported by warm earth, anise, plum pit and black tea. The focused finish lets the fruit play out, keeping an underlying freshness in the process. 93/100.”

James Suckling writes, “Very meaty and savoury with discreet red-fruit aromas, this is quite a traditional style of Chateauneuf with some spice. The well-crafted, gentle tannins support the full body without stepping into the foreground and that makes this very easy to enjoy right now. Mellow finish. Drink or hold.” $50. Magnums are available for $98. (Stock #9423).

Check your bottle out as it should be embossed with its traditional logo showing a Papal three-crowned tiara above the keys of St Peter’s and the words Chateauneuf-du-Pape Contrôlé, in Gothic letters.

• This column is an advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. Contact Michael Robinson at mrobinson@bll.bm. Burrows Lightbourn has stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554) and Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355). Visit www.wineonline.bm