2017 Chateauneuf du Pape L’Avenue

Made from 100% Grenache from a parcel next to the domaine, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape L'Avenue spent 18 months all in demi-muids. Notes of blueberries, spring flowers, sappy garrigue, and green peppercorns all give way to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated Grenache that has beautiful mid-palate density, building tannins, thrilling purity, and a great, great finish. It's a singular Grenache from this estate that's going to benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for 15+. It's brilliant. The team at Château du Vaudieu, led by Laurent Bréchet as well as consultant Philippe Cambie, is firing on all cylinders and continues to produce a bevy of truly world class wines in every vintage. The estate is located not far from Rayas and the wines are rich and powerful, yet never show any signs of rusticity or coarseness. These are elegant, seamless, singular wines. Looking at the two vintages reviewed here, the 2017s showed brilliant with most rating at the upper end of their barrel reviews, which is always a good sign. These are incredibly Provençal, sexy, balanced wines that make the most of the vintage. All the 2018 reds were tasted out of barrel and shows beautifully, with the ripe yet pure style of the vintage. These will certainly be approachable in their youth, yet I suspect also age gracefully given their inherent balance. While 2018 was a difficult year for the whites, you wouldn’t know it by tasting at this estate and along with Saint Prefert and Beaucastel, I think Château De Vaudieu are fashioning some of the greatest whites of the region.

The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape l'Avenue is 100% Grenache aged in demi-muids. Full-bodied, yet deceptively lithe and agile on the palate, it delivers a cornucopia of mixed red fruit—cherries, raspberries and strawberries—on the nose. In the mouth, it seems to darken a bit into black cherries, while adding a refreshing minty overtone. Tasted twice (once blind), with more tannin noted on one occasion but with a similar overall impression: a lovely expression of Grenache fruit that finishes silky and sublime, with a subtle dusting of Asian five spice powder.