2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Signature

Bright magenta. Heady, spice-accented boysenberry and cherry aromas are complicated by suave lavender and Asian spice nuances. Seamless, deep and appealingly sweet, offering intense, mineral-laced red and blue fruit liqueur, spicecake and floral pastille flavors underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Finishes smooth and impressively long, displaying harmonious tannins and persistent florality.

Previously released as the Cuvée Signature, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Julien Barrot checks in as a blend of 60% Grenache, 19% Mourvèdre, 14% Syrah, and the rest Cinsault, Vaccarèse and other varieties. It's another elegant, seamless wine that has a touch of Burgundy in its texture as well as length and offers notes of ripe black cherries, blackberries, crushed flowers, and ground pepper. Pure, medium-bodied, silky, and finesse-driven, it has a wonderful sense of freshness and purity. Drink it over the coming 15 years or more. The 2017s from this terrific estate are slightly less impressive than I’d hope after tasting them from barrel last year. The wines are certainly pure and elegant, with a distinct Burgundian vibe (which is even more apparent in the 2018s) yet don’t come close to matching prior vintages in depth and richness. Nevertheless, these wines have a habit of putting on weight in bottle so here’s hoping for the best. It’s also worth pointing out that the Signature Cuvée is now being releases under the name Cuvée Julien Barrot.