94/100 Punkte Robert Parker Oct 2015
One of the wines of the vintage is easily the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Le Reine des Bois. Mostly Grenache (there#s a fair chunk of Mourvedre and Syrah) that#s raised in a combination of stainless steel and barrels, it offers tons of graphite and crushed rock to go with background blackberry, leather and pepper. Ripe, unctuous and fabulously concentrated, this beautiful Chateauneuf can be drunk today with incredible pleasure, or cellared for a decade.

90-92/100 Punkte Robert Parker Oct 2015
Looking at the wines, and a new release for this estate, the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape La Belle Voyageuse is made from 90% Grenache, 4% Mourvedre, 4% Syrah and a splash of Counoise and Vaccarese that was raised mostly in stainless steel tanks, with 15% of the blend aged in barrel. Due to the forward nature of the vintage, this cuvée functions as a second wine and is made in a more forward, charming style than the more structured and serious La Reine des Bois release. Nevertheless, while a second wine for this estate, it#s still a huge success in the vintage and offers youthful, forward, and jammy notes of cassis, sappy flowers, violets and graphite to go with a mouth filling, medium to full-bodied style the palate. It has plenty of mid-palate depth, chewy tannin on the finish, and is already hard to resist. Nevertheless, I suspect it will have upwards of a decade of longevity.

92/100 Punkte Wine Spectator Sept 2016
Ripe and mouthfilling in feel, with a core of juicy raspberry pâte de fruit and plum cake flavors kept lively by anise and violet notes. Delivers energetic, brambly structure through the finish. Best from 2017 through 2024.

90/100 Punkte Vinous June 2017
Brilliant orange. Aromas of tangerine, strawberry and fresh flowers show very good clarity and a subtle mineral flourish. Juicy and sharply focused on the palate, offering sappy red berry flavors that put on weight with air. Fleshy, smooth and dry, finishing with tight focus and minerally persistence.

91/100 Punkte Robert Parker Oct 2016
The 2014 Lirac La Dame Rousse tastes just like the Cuvee de la Reine des Bois, only slightly less concentrated and more forward, with medium-bodied richness and a silky, polished feel on the palate. It#s a smoking value that readers need to seek out.

93/100 Punkte Robert Parker Oct 2016
The 2014 Lirac Cuvee de La Reine des Bois is an incredible effort that transcends the vintage and is easily the wine of the vintage from Lirac. Possessing fabulous purity and elegance, with medium to full-bodied richness, classic notes of crème de cassis, caramelized meats, violets and licorice, sweet tannin and a great finish, I doubt it will be the longest lived example of this cuvée, but man, hats off to the team for this killer wine in a difficult vintage!

90-92/100 Punkte Robert Parker Oct 2016
Moving to the reds from Lirac, the estate releases two cuvées: the base la Dame Rousse and the flagship La Reine des Bois. The 2015 Lirac la Dame Rousse is a top effort from this appellation that has classic, mineral-laced aromas and flavors of blackberries, mulberries, crushed rocks, graphite and peppery herbs. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated, it has lively acidity, notable tannic grip and plenty of length on the finish, all suggesting it will evolve nicely.

92/100 Vinous June 2017
Limpid orange. Vibrant and expressive on the nose, displaying cherry, blood orange and floral scents and a building mineral note. Sappy red currant and bitter cherry flavors flesh out slowly with air, picking up a hint of fennel on the back half. The finish hangs on with impressive tenacity, leaving behind bitter orange pith and cherry pit notes.