| Producer | Dom Jean Royer |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhone Valley |
| Varietal | Rhone Blend |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Sku | 35083 |
| Size | 750ml |
| ABV | 15.50% |
While there are a dozen-plus named terriors in Chateauneuf, only one demands immediate attention: La Crau. In what is generally a flat growing region, the La Crau plateau rises up about 100 meters over the rest of the plain, exposing the vines here to more intense sunshine and all of the biting Mistrail winds. Most of La Crau is covered in the round stones known as galets, and the most famous La Crau wine – Vieux Telegraphe – comes from these stony soils. Jean-Marie Royer’s vines grow on a small slice closer to Rayas than Telegraphe, and have no galets at all – just super-fine, powdery, sand and clay.
The combination of La Crau’s exposure to the harshest Chateauneuf weather – which gives tiny berries of intense power and grip – and the sandier soils – which make for elegance, suppleness and purity – make this wine one of the most captivating in all of Chateauneuf. It’s 100% Grenache from vines up to 100 years old, and ages in a mixture of used large and small casks. It’s explosively perfumed with deep fruit and layers of fresh flowers and garrigue. And while it’s certainly mouthfilling, there’s an elegance and purity here that are absolutely captivating. Delicious right now – 2037 I’d bet.
"Glistening magenta. Powerfully scented aromas of ripe raspberry, smoky minerals, potpourri and incense, along with an exotic spice nuance that gains power as the wine opens up. Supple and expansive on the palate, showing impressive energy and lift to the intense red fruit preserve, floral pastille and spicecake flavors. Finishes supple, alluringly sweet and extremely long, with resonating red fruit and floral notes and harmonious tannins adding gentle grip."
"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."
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