Now that it's in the bottle, Beaucastel's 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape comes across as full-bodied and rich, but also a bit shut down and reticent on the nose. With air, black olives and asphalt give way to black cherries and briery spice notes, backed by velvety but substantial tannins and a long, richly textured finish. Given a few years in the cellar, I have no doubt this will drink well for the next 15-plus years. November 2020 Week 2, The Wine Advocate, 13 Nov 2020, Joe Czerwinski
The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis, sourced (as always) from three parcels of old Grenache vines, shows more oak than I would have expected and some chewy tannins on the finish. There's plenty of ripe berry fruit and ample weight and concentration, so if the wood and tannins integrate and soften, my rating could look stingy in a few years' time. Issue 244 End of August 2019, The Wine Advocate, 31 Aug 2019, Joe Czerwinski
Just a wonderfully fun, joyous expression of the appellation, Chave's 2017 Saint Joseph was set to be bottled the day after my visit. It blends lots from Chalaix, Dardouille, Les Oliviers, Bachasson, and Le Clos Florentin into a medium to full-bodied wine loaded with cherries and delicate herbal nuances. Silky and crisp on the finish, it can be enjoyed now and anytime over the next 5-6 years. The Wine Advocate, Dec 20, 2019, Joe Czerwinski
Jamet's 2017 Cote Rotie was likewise still in barrel at the time of my visit. Overall, it doesn't look quite as silky or elegant as the 2018, yet it should offer plenty of complexity and also be approachable early. Crushed stone, violet and meaty notes accent boysenberry fruit in this medium to full-bodied wine, framed by ripe but firm tannins. December 2019 Week 3, The Wine Advocate, 20th Dec 2019, Joe Czerwinski
The 2017 Saint Joseph offers up effusive notes of mint, black olives and black cherries. As usual, the Gonons have managed to combine herbal, savory and fruity elements into a compelling, harmonious whole. The wine is medium to full-bodied and fully ripe, perhaps not quite as lush and fruit-driven as the 2018, but it's still a tremendous success, capped off by gentle tannins and salted licorice on the long finish. End of January 2020, The Wine Advocate, 1st Feb 2020, Joe Czerwinski
The darkest, most concentrated and tannic of the 2016 La Las, the 2016 Cote Rotie La Landonne boasts hints of smoked meat and scorched coffee on the nose, waves of cassis fruit and hints of olives and herbs. Medium to full-bodied, this is packed with tannin, ripe fruit and intricate nuances of savory complexity. Rich and velvety, with terrific texture and impressive length, it's a sure bet to evolve gracefully for the next 20-25 years. May 2021 Week 2, The Wine Advocate, 13th May 2021, Joe Czerwinski
The 2016 Cote Rotie Cote Brune boasts fantastic aromas of violets, tea, herbs, leather, raspberries and olives—the kind of complex aromas that compel multiple nosings. I hesitated to take a sip for fear the spell would be broken, but this wine lives up to that promise. It's medium to full-bodied, but so silky, so effortless to drink, so long, elegant and complex on the finish that I was rendered speechless in the cellar. My original notes include the phrases "blown away" and "pretty [expletive] great." 239, The Wine Advocate, 1 Nov 2018, Joe Czerwinski
The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Chaupin is all Grenache, 40% whole cluster, aged in two-thirds foudre and one-third demi-muids and drawn exclusively from sandy sites. It showcases incredibly lush, silky fruit. Raspberries and cherries of incredible purity add hints of chocolate on the long finish but never seem heavy or warm. 233, The Wine Advocate, 1 Nov 2017, Joe Czerwinski
Significantly more closed and muscular than it appeared from barrel, the 2015 Cote Rotie is a long-term proposition. It's not showing a lot of charm or elegance at this juncture, but it's massively rich and ripe, with plenty of weight on the palate, chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Like I wrote last year, it might start to drink well at age 10, although it might need even longer. 239, The Wine Advocate, 1 Nov 2018, Joe Czerwinski
The 2015 Hermitage La Chapelle is one of the estate’s finest recent efforts. It’s packed with firm tannins and will need to be lost in the cellar for a decade, but it will reward those with patience. Richly concentrated and full-bodied, it hits all the expected notes—cassis, black olive, smoke, crushed stone, pencil shavings and espresso—then finishes long, with an aristocratic sense of reserve and austerity. Winemaker Jacques Devernois compares it to a woman’s black dress, meaning it speaks of elegance and class. 234, The Wine Advocate, 30 Dec 2017, Joe Czerwinski
Now that it has been in bottle a while, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee is looking even better than I projected based on last year's prebottling sample. It's all violets, cherries, subtle allspice and clove and traditional garrigue notes of lavender and thyme. Full-bodied and rich, it's crazy complex, adding hints of tar and black olives on the long, silky finish. It should evolve beautifully over the next two decades. The Wine Advocate, Sep 01, 2018, Joe Czerwinski