2017 St Peray Pur Blanc
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Tasting notes
Pale gold. Expansive aromas of poached pear, honeydew melon, orange and jasmine are sharpened by an intense mineral overtone. Offers juicy, palate-staining citrus and orchard fruit flavors that display a compelling interplay of richness and vivacity. Finishes impressively long and sappy, with outstanding focus and solid mineral thrust, leaving a sexy floral note behind, eventually.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Even better, the 2017 Saint-Péray Pur Blanc is straight-up sensational juicy and one of the finest whites from the appellation. Offering Hermitage-like notes of orange blossom, white flowers, caramelized peach, and honeyed minerality, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and a huge finish. Count me in as a huge fan and readers should do their best to latch onto as many bottles of this elixir as they can. Made from 100% Marsanne, I’d lean toward drinking bottles over the coming 3-4 years, but it should keep for 15+ years or more. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to taste the 2017 reds from this estate.
The 2017 Saint Peray Pur Blanc is sourced from 100-year-old Marsanne vines in the heart of Saint-Péray. While that may account for its appeal if you know what it is, I also loved this wine when tasted blind at the Maison des Vins in Tain l'Hermitage. Toasted marshmallow and melon notes provide a broad foundation, but they're reinforced and tightened by electric notes of white pepper, brine and citrus zest. Rich, long and intense, it should have a lifespan of a decade or more. Tasted twice, with consistent results.