2016 Domaine Olivier Hillaire Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Classique is sold out.

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One of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Hottest Producers

Wine Bottle
  • 94 pts Wine Advocate
    94 pts RPWA
  • 92 pts Wine Spectator
    92 pts WS
  • 91 pts Vinous
    91 pts Vinous
  • 91 - 93 pts Jeb Dunnuck
    91 - 93 pts Jeb Dunnuck
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2016 Domaine Olivier Hillaire Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Classique 750 ml

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  • Curated by unrivaled experts
  • Choose your delivery date
  • Temperature controlled shipping options
  • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

A Châteauneuf-du-Pape Standout

A Châteauneuf-du-Pape Standout

Our recent scouting mission to France’s Rhone Valley this past January was absolutely packed with memorable wines. From Hermitage to Gigondas, we followed France’s winding highways through rain, snow, and dormant vines to find the best reds.

Nothing stunned us more than the powerful reds of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, especially now that the 2016s are released. But even among so many monumental wines, the 2016 Domaine Olivier Hillaire Cuvée Classique Châteauneuf-du-Pape stood out. As soon as we experienced its mixed-berry exuberance, its classic Southern Rhone spice and the savoriness, and its impeccably polished tannins, we know we had to offer this.

The fact that we can do it for under $44 a bottle on a case—the best price in the nation—just makes it that much more exciting.

The 2016 Cuvée Classique is a shimmeringly delicious example Domaine Hillaire, which has become one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s standouts in the past decade. The ruby bottling is a “concentrated, flavorful and long” wine, according to Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate in its 94-point review, adding “it shows terrific balance, matching black cherries and raspberries with hints of garrigue.” Wine Spectator praised it as “ripe and lush in feel, with blueberry reduction, açai berry and plum sauce notes cruising through, enlivened by bright licorice and fruitcake details.” Even from the barrel, it was impressing the best palates in the business: Jeb Dunnuck called it “a full-bodied effort that shows the house style in its opulent, hedonistic style” in his preliminary assessment.

None of this should come as a surprise, of course, given the work of a world-class producer like Olivier Hillaire in a vintage like this. Because 2016 is already a legend in its own time, “a new benchmark” according to Wine Spectator, that resulted in reds that “are laden with fruit, yet extremely racy and fresh in feel.”

Domaine Olivier Hillaire was carved out from the top parcels of the legendary Domaine des Relagnes when it was sold just over a decade ago. The original proprietor’s son-in-law, Olivier Hillaire, snapped up the best 20% of the estate, and has been crafting some of the most honest, exciting wines in Châteauneuf ever since.

And it all led to this expressive, age-worthy bottling from Olivier Hillaire that punches so far above its weight that we had to double-check our numbers when re-visiting it in our office here in the States. But there it was in black and white: A classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape from a top producer in one of the best vintages in recent memory, and one of the most striking deals from the entire region. It’s showing brilliantly right now, and will continue to evolve for another decade-plus in the cellar.