2017 Château de Vaudieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Moving to the 2017s and starting with the base Châteauneuf Du Pape, it's a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah that was brought up mostly in demi-muids. Revealing a ruby/purple hue as well as notes of black raspberries, kirsch, garrigue, incense, and loamy soil and earth, this beauty hits the palate with beautiful depth of fruit, a layered, rounded, sexy texture, no hard edges, remarkable purity, and just tons of charm. Drink it any time over the coming decade or more. The team at Château du Vaudieu, led by Laurent Bréchet as well as consultant Philippe Cambie, is firing on all cylinders and continues to produce a bevy of truly world class wines in every vintage. The estate is located not far from Rayas and the wines are rich and powerful, yet never show any signs of rusticity or coarseness. These are elegant, seamless, singular wines. Looking at the two vintages reviewed here, the 2017s showed brilliant with most rating at the upper end of their barrel reviews, which is always a good sign. These are incredibly Provençal, sexy, balanced wines that make the most of the vintage. All the 2018 reds were tasted out of barrel and shows beautifully, with the ripe yet pure style of the vintage. These will certainly be approachable in their youth, yet I suspect also age gracefully given their inherent balance. While 2018 was a difficult year for the whites, you wouldn’t know it by tasting at this estate and along with Saint Prefert and Beaucastel, I think Château De Vaudieu are fashioning some of the greatest whites of the region.

The full-bodied 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape is a pleasure-giving mouthful of wine, a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre. Tasted on two different occasions (once blind), I scored it consistently, although one occasion I found it more tannic. Cherry and black raspberry fruit abounds; the tannins are ripe and silky in texture; and the finish lingers, adding hints of crushed stone and brine. I noted chocolate on one occasion, which makes me think it might not be terribly long-lived, so my aging estimate is conservative.