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The French wine region known as the Rhone straddles the Rhone river valley from just south of Lyon and ending 125 miles later just south of Avignon near the Mediterranean. There are well over 20 grape varieties used in the production of Rhone wines with each appellation having rules permitting the use of only certain grapes. The major red grape variety in Southern Rhone wines is Grenache followed by Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre. The major white grape varieties in white wines of the Rhone are Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier.
The major appellations (or AOC's) in the Southern Rhone wine region are: Cotes du Rhone (the lowest classification and allowed for use in all 171 communes in the Northern and Southern Rhone), Cotes du Rhone Villages, Cotes du Rhone Villages (with the name of the particular village placed after), Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras, Rasteau, and Gigondas. Most of the red wines in the south are dominated by the Grenache grape. The sweet wines called Beaumes de Venise or Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, and dry rose; wines of Tavel should also be noted.
The major appellations (or AOC's) in the Northern Rhone are: Condrieu, Cornas, Cote-Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, and Saint-Joseph. The major red grape variety in all Northern Rhone wines is Syrah.
JD90+90–92 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 8/28/2018 The old vine cuvée is the 2017 Rasteau Vieilles Vignes, based on 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre that’s brought up in older barrels. Blackberries, toasted spice, smoked earth and licorice notes all flow to a rich, powerful, concentrated Rasteau that has ripe, present tannins and a great finish. It’s certainly going to be an outstanding wine. (Jeb Dunnuck)WE8787 pts. - Wine Enthusiast - 12/31/2020 Densely concentrated plum and black cherry flavors are muted by savory notes of crushed earth and tobacco and in this full-bodied blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. It’s a rounded, open-knit wine that’s showing glimpses of maturity, so it’s best to enjoy now–2024. (Anna Lee C. Iijima)Premier SelectPremier Select wines are handpicked by our staff from amongst thousands of wines for their exceptional quality. They're made by a top producer and comparable to wines at twice the cost.
JD9292 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 8/16/2019 The Lirac from this estate is the 2017 Lirac Clos de Sixte. It’s another deep purple-colored effort offering powerful notes of ripe black cherries, melted licorice, violets, and pepper. Full-bodied, forward, ripe, and flamboyantly styled, it’s packed with fruit and texture. Drink it over the coming 4–6 years. (Jeb Dunnuck)RP90+90–92 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Oct 2019 Aged in a mix of tanks (70%) and barrels (30%), the 2017 Lirac Domaine du Clos de Sixte is a blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre. Hints of vanilla and licorice accent dark, cola-like notes and plummy fruit fruit in this full-bodied, plush, velvety-textured wine. It should drink well for 5–6 years. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes. (Joe Czerwinski)JS9090 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Friday, October 11, 2019 Attractive violet flowers and a fresh and juicy feel with a ripe-tannin core that has real punch and weight on the palate. Bold wine here. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.
JD9595 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 10/6/2020 Lastly, and tasted from bottle, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Réservée showed brilliantly, with the beautiful, Provençal character of the vintage as well as classic Pegau notes of red and black currants, smoked herbs, cured meats, new leather, and ground pepper all front and center. More in the style of the 1999 or 2005 than say the 2007 or 2009, it’s medium to full-bodied, has beautiful concentration, ample structure and tannins, and a focused, backward mouthfeel that’s going to benefit from bottle age. This beauty will evolve for 30 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)
SP9595 pts. - Wine Spectator - Web only – 2019 Juicy in feel, with a compact, well-built core of blackberry, black currant and plum paste flavors, infused liberally with licorice snap and apple wood notes. A tarry hint underscores the finish, though the fruit stays dominant and driven throughout. Very solid. Grenache and Syrah. Best from 2021 through 2038. 200 cases made, 90 cases imported.JD9595 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - August 16, 2019 The two special cuvées are some of the gems in the vintage. The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Gallimardes comes from one of the great sites in the southern part of the appellation and is just about all Grenache (there’s some very old vine Syrah, which struggles in this hot terroir). While not up to the out of this world 2016, it has a beautiful bouquet of cassis, kirsch liqueur, black raspberries, garrigue, and peppery herbs. Deep, full-bodied, and powerful on the palate, it has ultra-fine tannins as well as loads of character. It’s going to drink brilliantly for 15 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)VN94+94–95 pts. - Vinous - Dec 2019 Youthful violet. Highly perfumed, sharply detailed aromas of black raspberry, cherry liqueur, floral oils, smoky minerals and exotic spices. Juicy, seamless and energetic on the palate; sweet red and blue fruit, lavender pastille and spicecake flavors display a suave marriage of power and finesse. Delivers a serious punch of flavor but comes off lithe. The floral and mineral qualities linger on a sappy, wonderfully long finish shaped by smooth tannins.RP93+93+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Aug 2019 More tightly coiled than last year, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Gallimardes now seems more herbal than floral, with greenish streaks running through the crisp red berry fruit. A 90-10 blend of Grenache and Syrah from the lieu-dit les Gallimardes, the Syrah spent a year in new oak, while the Grenache aged in tank. It’s full-bodied yet taut and racy, but it should relax in a couple of years and then drink well for at least a decade.
RP95+95–97 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Aug 2018 The 2017 Gigondas le Poste is just super: super purple, super concentrated and super tannic. Really intense, it’s not a wine for the shy, steamrollering along with dark fruit and powerful notes of licorice on the lengthy finish.VN9595 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2020 Deep lurid ruby. Highly fragrant suggestions of ripe red berries, cherry preserves, exotic spices and candied flowers are accompanied by a smoky mineral element that builds steadily with air. Smooth and seamless on the palate, offering intense black raspberry, cherry cola, spicecake and candied lavender flavors that convey a suave mix of power and delicacy. Closes smooth, gently tannic and impressively long, leaving sappy red fruit and floral pastille notes behind.JD94+94–96+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - September 26, 2018 More full-bodied, with incredible purity in its aromatics and fruit, the 2017 Gigondas Le Poste is another 100% Grenache cuvée that’s from a slightly higher elevation, terraced vineyard near the domaine. As with all the cuvées here, it’s not destemmed and is brought up mostly in used barrels. Offering lots of black currants, spice box, graphite, and licorice, it builds beautifully on the palate, has great concentration and intensity, and a blockbuster finish. (Jeb Dunnuck)
JD9191 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - August 16, 2019 As to the reds, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape is a terrific classic cuvée that has loads of sweet red and blue fruits, crushed pepper, violets, and sappy garrigue aromas and flavors. A blend of 45% each of Grenache and Mourvèdre, with the balance Syrah, it’s medium-bodied, has a fresh, lively texture, terrific balance, and a good finish. It has an old-school vibe, terrific purity, and is well worth seeking out. (Jeb Dunnuck)RP90+90–92 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Aug 2019 Fortia’s 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 45% each Grenache and Mourvèdre, plus 10% Syrah. Full-bodied and harmonious, it shows considerably more richness and character than the very good 2016, while remaining supple and easy to drink. Cherry fruit dominates, picking up hints of dried spices on the silky finish. It should drink well for a decade.
JD9292 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - September 26, 2019 Another brilliant wine from this estate is the 2017 Cairanne La Brunote. It’s made from 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, and 10% Carignan that spent 18 months in concrete tanks followed by six months in bottle. Blackberries, black cherries, applewood, garrigue, and floral notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied Cairanne that has loads of Provençal charm, notable complexity, fine tannins, and a great finish. (Jeb Dunnuck)RP90+90+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Oct 2019 Low yields in the Grenache means the 2017 Cairanne la Brunote is only 50% Grenache, with the balance 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Carignan. There’s a slight green-peppercorn note on the nose, which accents the red-raspberry fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it’s crisp and a bit tannic at the moment, so let it mellow for a year or two if you can, then drink it over the next 5–6 years.
JD96+96+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - August 16, 2019 Lastly, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Grenaches de Pierre offers slightly more purity and elegance, yet certainly doesn’t come up short on power or concentration. Stunning black cherries, currants, underbrush, ground pepper, and earthy, rocky mineral notes all give way to a deeper, darker, rich, concentrated wine that’s going to benefit from 2–4 years of bottle age. It will see its 20th birthday in fine form. (Jeb Dunnuck)RP9595 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Aug 2019 Drawn from sandy soils in the lieux-dits of La Crau and Pignan, the all-Grenache 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Grenaches de Pierre features wiry, herbal threads sewn into a fabric of tart cranberries and raspberries. It’s full-bodied and tannic, needing a few years to loosen up. Ultimately, it should reward the patient with a complex, silken tapestry of flavors.VN94+94–95 pts. - Vinous - Dec 2019 Deep shimmering ruby-red. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, exotic spices and candied flowers, and a smoky mineral nuance emerges as the wine opens up. Alluringly sweet and open-knit, offering juicy Chambord, boysenberry and lavender pastille flavors, along with hints of star anise and bitter chocolate. Smooth and seamless in texture, showing superb finishing energy, harmonious tannins and sharp delineation.SP9494 pts. - Wine Spectator - Web only – 2019 This is packed with steeped raspberry and blackberry fruit flavors, laced with hints of mulling spice, incense and rooibos tea. The fine-grained finish reveals alder and garrigue echoes. Shows a lovely mouthfeel throughout and latent depth on the finish. Best from 2021 through 2036. 200 cases made, 90 cases imported.
JD98+98–100 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - August 28, 2018 The usual blend of 60/40 Grenache and Mourvèdre, the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud is unquestionably the more powerful and concentrated in the lineup and gives up a rocking bouquet of chocolaty dark fruits, ground pepper, earth, licorice, and cured meats. Massively concentrated and opulent, yet also layered and nuanced, with polished tannins, it should be reasonably approachable on release, yet be at its best with 2–4 years of bottle age and cruise for 10–15.VN95+95–96 pts. - Vinous - Dec 2019 Saturated ruby. Explosive, smoke- and mineral-accented black raspberry, cherry cola, exotic spice and candied lavender aromas show outstanding delineation and pick up a succulent herb nuance with air. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated red and dark berry preserve, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors and hints of star anise and musky rhubarb. The strikingly long, energetic finish shows strong minerally cut, an echo of sappy blue fruit and molten tannins that sneak in late.
JD9999 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - December 12, 2019 Reminding me of the 2009 La Chapelle (which is a personal favorite), the brilliant 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle knocks it out of the park with its massive, opulent personality. Notes of smoked black fruits, scorched earth, burning embers, and graphite as well as subtle background meatiness flow to a monster of a Hermitage that has full-bodied richness, incredible depth of fruit, and an overwhelming, sexy style that’s already impossible to resist. Do your best to hide bottles for 4–5 years, but it’s going to evolve for 40 years or more. There are roughly 2,000 cases of this elixir, and every Syrah lover out there should have a bottle (or more) in their cellar. (Jeb Dunnuck)JS9898 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Tuesday, December 3, 2019 The icon is in dangerously seductive form. Such pristine dark cherries, blackberries and dark plums, dark chocolate, finely crushed spices and plenty of crushed dark stones on offer. The palate is very intense, very slick and fine tannins deliver an almost playfully soft impression. The oak is super integrated. Like La Maison Bleue, this approachability is an aberration, as it has immense power, concentration and length with such regal and alluring swagger at the finish. But there is so much more to come. Try from 2024, better after 2030.RP97+97–99 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Oct 2018 In need of serious air to open up, the 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle became more and more impressive the longer I kept it in the glass. At first it seemed a bit simple, if admirably plummy and rich, but by the time ten minutes had elapsed, it was showing off elegant notes of crushed stone, pencil shavings and cassis, while remaining full-bodied, rich and concentrated. It’s velvety and long on the finish, but something left me wanting a bit more. It’s surely a great La Chapelle, but will it reach that elusive triple-digit score?VN95+95–96 pts. - Vinous - Jul 2019 Brilliant magenta. A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, cherry liqueur, incense and potpourri, while olive and exotic spice nuances build in the glass. Displays intense, alluringly sweet black/blue fruit, spicecake and violet pastille flavors that show sharp delineation and are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Closes extremely long and precise, displaying a smoky, intensifying mineral quality and youthfully gripping tannins that build steadily.
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Domaine Grand Nicolet Rasteau Vieilles Vignes
Domaine du Clos de Sixte Lirac
Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Giraud Les Galimardes Châteauneuf-du-Pape
