| 2013 |
Mas d'en Gil Priorat |
Coma Vella |
Plenty of savory and balsamic character on the nose, then rather fleshy on the palate with good balance and enough vitality to make this an attractive food-wine. Very harmonious finish. Drink now or hold. |
James Suckling |
92 |
 |
2018-08-31 |
| 2015 |
Bodegas Jorge Ordonez-Montsant |
Zerran |
Intense black-cherry nose with just a whiff of smoke. Good depth on the ample body. Bright and straight, thanks to the crisp acidity. If the dry tannins were a bit less strident, then this would rate higher. Drink or hold. |
James Suckling |
91 |
 |
2018-08-29 |
| 2016 |
Domaine Jean Royer |
Chateauneuf du Pape - Prestige |
The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Prestige is the only wine to include significant portions of Mourvèdre (85% Grenache and 15% Mourvèdre), partially destemmed and aged in a mix of demi-muids, barrels, and concrete tanks. It has a darker, slightly more reserved bouquet of blackberries, peppery herbs, graphite, and scorched earth. It's rich, powerful, concentrated and textured, yet also beautifully balanced and pure, with fine tannin. Give bottles a year or three, and it's going to cruise for a decade. |
Jeb Dunnuck |
93+ |
 |
2018-08-29 |
| 2016 |
Domaine Jean Royer |
Chateauneuf du Pape - Sables de la Crau |
Also deeply colored, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Sables de La Crau is 100% Grenache from sandy soils, and it was raised all in demi-muids. With a huge nose of blueberries, crushed flowers, cedarwood, and baking spice, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, silky style, no hard edges, beautiful purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. It's one of the most profound wines I've tasted from this estate. |
Jeb Dunnuck |
96 |
 |
2018-08-29 |
| 2017 |
Domaine Jean Royer |
Chateauneuf du Pape - Prestige |
Lastly, lots of black cherries, earth, peppery herbs, and graphite notes emerge from the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Prestige. It has more density than the Les Sables de La Crau, is medium to full-bodied, has ripe tannins, and plenty of length. It’s another character-filled, expressive wine from Jean Marie Royer. |
Jeb Dunnuck |
92-94 |
 |
2018-08-29 |
| 2017 |
Domaine Jean Royer |
Chateauneuf du Pape - Sables de la Crau |
More sweet red fruits, blueberries, violets, and awesome floral notes all emerge from the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Sables de La Crau, which is, as always, 100% Grenache from the sandy portions of the La Crau lieu-dit. This full-bodied, flamboyant, exotic Grenache has tons of upfront appeal, a sexy, seamless texture, and loads of personality, although it appears to lack the density and depth found in the 2016. |
Jeb Dunnuck |
92-94 |
 |
2018-08-29 |
| 2017 |
Domaine du Pegau |
Cuvee Reserve Blanc Chateauneuf-du-Pape |
Moving to the Domaine du Pégau releases, the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée Blanc is a Burgundian styled effort that has lots of mineral nuances in its wet stone, lime, citrus peel, and white flower-like aromas and flavors. With vibrant acidity, beautiful balance, and a tight, vibrant style on the palate, it opens up nicely with time in the glass and is going to evolve nicely for 4-6 years. The quality of the whites at this estate has soared over the past 4-5 years. |
Jeb Dunnuck |
92 |
 |
2018-08-29 |
| 2017 |
Domaine du Pegau |
Cuvee Reserve Chateauneuf-du-Pape |
The 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée is a terrific wine, and this is certainly another good vintage for the domaine. Giving up a classic, old-school bouquet of blackberries, currants, iron, bloody meat, and pepper, it's full-bodied, has terrific purity of fruit, serious tannins, impeccable balance, and a great finish. The cellar is going to be your friend. |
Jeb Dunnuck |
93-95 |
 |
2018-08-29 |
| 2016 |
Domaine du Pegau |
Cuvee Reserve Chateauneuf-du-Pape |
A wine that’s going to rival or surpass the 2015, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée shows the quality of this awesome vintage with its deep, powerful, concentrated style. While Laurence says her 2015s remind her of her 2010s, I find a certain 2010-like purity in this wine as well as killer notes of black raspberries, blueberries, garrigue, and pepper. Possessing both power and finesse, full body, sweet tannins, and a great finish, don’t miss this beauty. |
Jeb Dunnuck |
95-97 |
 |
2018-08-29 |
| 2015 |
Domaine du Pegau |
Cuvee Reserve Chateauneuf-du-Pape |
The 2015 Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Cuvée Réservée is a beautiful, classic wine from the Feraud family that offers powerful notes of blackcurrants, peppered meat, garrigue, and that classic Pégau spice that's hard to find outside of this iconic estate. Possessing a deep ruby/plum color, beautiful complexity, full-bodied richness, and firm tannin, it has closed up slightly since I tasted it from barrel and is going to need 6-12 months of bottle age to bounce back, but this is a concentrated, powerful vintage for this estate that reminds me a slightly improved 2005. |
Jeb Dunnuck |
96 |
 |
2018-08-29 |