Château La Nerthe : Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2017

The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape features gentle herb shadings, ripe stone fruit and berry flavors, and a long, clean finish. It's full-bodied but somewhat delicate and silky in feel. I'd opt for drinking this blend of 35% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault over the next 7-8 years.

This pumps ripe raspberry, plum and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors through, with anise, fruitcake and Christmas pudding notes adding range and detail along the way. Flash of bay on the finish. A not-shy wine. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Best from 2022 through 2032. 9,485 cases made, 1,250 cases imported.

Shimmering magenta. Perfumed aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, cola and garrigue expand with aeration. Palate-staining black raspberry and boysenberry flavors are accompanied by a floral pastille nuance and hints of cola and licorice. Rich but lively as well, showing impressive finishing thrust and smooth tannins that add shape and discreet grip.

Smoke, plums, cherries and herbs get things off to a nice start. On the palate, the fruit is round, sweet, fresh and soft, with an easygoing, peppery and olive note, along with kirsch on the finish.

Suave and caressing, with superb freshness, the substance is deftly supported by a gourmand élevage. The whole is harmonious. It hasn’t revealed everything yet...

Still very young, with aromas of freshly cut grass and an almost Italian character that evokes the wine’s southern origins. The palate is well structured, with sunlit brightness and particularly velvety tannins. The indulgent finish, with notes of mocha, unequivocally calls for a second glass—and more. Majestic, even if for now one can wait patiently.

A very vibrant array of ripe raspberry, red-plum and berry-pastry aromas with mulberries, too. Very fresh. There’s a very rich and ripe, dark-fruit core here with a wealth of super plush and languid tannins that are dense yet soft. This is a hallmark of the vintage. A blend of 45% grenache, 30% syrah, 15% mourvedre and ten additional varieties. Drink over the next decade and more.