I’d reconsider the timing for the first Chateauneuf-du-Pape. In general, I do like them with plenty of age, but if you’re willing to check in on other regions/varieties closer to release I so no reason not to do the same here.
I base this on having spent a week tasting there last year, across 10+ producers. All except one (Mont Olivet, which was a wall of tannin) was drinking well on what they had open (usually '22s, sometimes 21s and 20s). It kind of blew my mind how drinkable they were really, given that I’m someone who on paper likes wines with way more age. There were tannins, but they were in check, and the fruit was just right as well.