One of my joys in life is going to the cellar and pulling out something special on an average weekday evening. Why? Just because. We don’t need a special day to drink something spectacular. There aren’t enough of those days but there is always more than enough great wine to go around. So, Monday evening I pulled out this 2017 Domaine De La Janasse Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Was it a special day? No. Was it a special wine? Absolutely, and by allowing myself this simple pleasure it turned an ordinary evening into something to remember.
Wine does that for me. It can make the ordinary, extraordinary and the extraordinary, lifechanging. So, tonight is Wine Wednesday, my friends. Dig deep in your stash and make it one to remember. Cheers and, as always, happy hunting!
2017 Domaine De La Janasse Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes
In my opinion, one of the hottest properties in CDP right now!
Over the last two decades they have risen to the apex of CDP with wines like this: 60-110+ year old vines of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah producing an otherworldly experience! This wine delivers a very full bodied palate loaded with red and black fruits complemented by herb, smoke, leather, and earth as well as violet and lavender aromatics!
With 2017 production levels down nearly 50%, this was a real treat to treasure.
Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
“The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is another killer effort from this estate. Coming from the La Janasse and La Crau lieux-dits and brought up in foudre, its deep purple color is followed by blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, blackberries, chocolate, graphite, and earthy, rocky, mineral-like nuances. It’s deep and full-bodied, with a ripe, powerful yet balanced style and a great finish. A classic example of this cuvée. it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for two decades or more.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 97 Points
“The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes derives from parcels planted on classic clay and galets roulés soils. It’s 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% other varieties. Tight, intense, even clenched, it’s in need of several years’ cellaring before it becomes truly enjoyable to drink. For now, those gorgeous black cherries are restrained behind a firm wall of tannins. Full-bodied and rich, this is ripe, it just requires patience.”
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