2017 Bastide St Dominique - Chateauneuf du Pape Les Hesperides

La Bastide Saint Dominique is located in Courthézon, in the heart of the Southern Rhône, closed to both Beaucastel and Clos du Caillou. This family wine estate, directed by Eric Bonnet since 1999, now owns over 50ha of vines mainly planted to Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault, with some old vine plots over 50 years old. "Les Hespérides" is made principally from Grenache with small amount of Mourvedre and Syrah and comes from the northern hillsides of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the so-called “Les Bédines”, which offers great potential for ageing. Outscoring the fantastic 2015 and 2016 vintages, "Les Hespérides" is unequivocally one of the best value Châteauneuf-du-Papes on the market. Since 2014, the Domaine has been certified organic and Eric Bonnet believes that it is as important to be in tune with the times as it is to respect ancestral traditions. He uses the most modern equipment available whilst staying true to traditional winemaking methods and techniques to unleash the terroir from his vines. In Jeb Dunnuck’s words, “These wines fall into the progressive category and are mostly destemmed and raised in a mix of stainless steel, concrete tanks, and demi-muids. While they lead with fruit and texture, they remain classic expressions of Châteauneuf du Pape.”