In August Jeb Dunnuck released his in bottle scores for 2017 Southern Rhone with a glowing report.
Hailing the vintage ' a classic vintage for the region, and the wines ooze Provençal charm and sunny characters with their spicy, peppery, garrigue-laced aromas and flavors'.
His scores and notes back up this sentiment and we too think the wines are utterly superb. With that in mind we have recommended some of both Jeb Dunnuck's and our favourite wines below.
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2017 Clos du Papes - £336 per six bottles IB
98+ Points - Jeb Dunnuck
One of the strongest wines in the vintage is the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape from Vincent Avril. This beauty has everything you could ask for. As with the 2018, the blend is heavily shifted toward Mourvèdre, and it offers a mammoth bouquet of black cherries, graphite, cured meats, Asian spices, and assorted garrigue-like nuances. Deep, full-bodied, and concentrated, it stays straight and focused on the palate (whereas the 2016 is more expansive and voluptuous), with a stacked mid-palate, ripe, silky tannins, and fabulous length. You’re going to want bottles of this in the cellar, and comparing the 2007, 2010, 2016, and 2017 over the coming two decades is going to be a treat.
2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Classique, St Prefert - £148 per six bottles IB
93 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
All the 2017s from this estate are brilliant wines, and the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape should be purchased by the case. It offers a ripe, sexy style as well as complex notes of ripe red and black currants, graphite, melted licorice, and incense. With ripe tannins and a layered, elegant texture, it’s a terrific example of the style of the vintage and will keep for 10-15 years.
2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis, St Prefert - £425 per six bottles IB
97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Tasted out of bottle, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Colombis is a thrilling Grenache that offers both richness and elegance. Awesome notes of currant, blackberries, garrigue, and crushed flowers all flow to a full-bodied wine that has ultra-fine tannins, not a hard edge to be found, incredible purity, and a great, great finish. It’s a riveting example of Grenache that can be drunk today or cellared for 10-15 years.
2017 Chateauneuf du Pape, Vieux Telegraphe - £260 per six bottles IB
95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
As always, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape sees a small amount of stems, and the blend is 60% Grenache, 15% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, and the rest an assortment of varieties. Red currants, lavender, salty minerality, nori, and plenty of peppery garrigue notes emerge from the glass. It's medium to full-bodied, has the sunny, sexy style of the vintage, yet also builds nicely on the palate, with ripe yet present tannins. It's going to require 4-5 years of bottle age to hit price time, but it will keep for two decades.
2017 Coudoulet de Beaucastel, Magnum £150 per six magnums IB
91 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel is a textbook example of this cuvée, and while it tends to be a relatively expensive Côtes Du Rhône, it merits the price. Complex garrigue, ground pepper, and earthy dark fruits all flow to a medium to full-bodied wine that has a polished, elegant texture as well as the sunny, Provençal style of the vintage. It’s capable of lasting for 15 years or more.
2017 Gigondas Clos des Tourelles, Perrin - £170 per six bottles IB
95-97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
I think a small step up over the Vieilles Vignes release in the vintage, the 2017 Gigondas Clos Des Tourelles offers more blue fruits as well as hints of wild strawberries, spice box, and violets. This full-bodied, rounded, super-sexy Gigondas has ripe tannins, terrific balance, and is just a sensational, thrilling wine that’s going to keep for two decades.
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