2017 Proprietary Blend Wine

jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: (93-95+ points) The flagship cuvée, which comes from older vines on the lower plateau around the estate, the 2017 Gigondas Hautes Garrigues has a big chunk of Mourvèdre in 2017 (60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre brought up...

jamessuckling.com, 92 points: A very fruit-driven nose with blueberry cake, brambleberry pie, dark plums and spices. Medium to full body, soft tannins and a fruity, round and spicy finish. Drink now.

jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: A cuvée made for winemaker Brennen Leighton's wife and a field blend of 70% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 5% Syrah, the 2017 Gratitude ranks with the finest Mourvèdres to come from the state. Awesome notes of black...

TheWineCellarInsider.com, 97 points: Garrigue, pepper, black cherry and kirsch are impossible to ignore. Layers of sweet, supple, silky-textured, elegant fruits with an incredible sense of purity, this is a fabulous expression of Gigondas. The approximate...

jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: Moving to the two 2017s, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes checks in as 100% Grenache coming from a single parcel in the Cristia lieu-dit, in the heart of the appellation and was brought up mostly in old...

Wine Enthusiast, 98 points: Compared to this producer's sunny Chaupin, shades of earth and fiery spice lend a sultry flair to this heart-stopping Grenache-blend (augmented by small proportions of Syrah, Mourvèdre and others). Flavors of cassis and...

Wine Enthusiast, 92 points: Plummy cassis and black-cherry flavors are rich and rounded in this open-knit blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah sourced from stony red-clay terraces. It's concentrated in fruit but seductively earthen...

Decanter, 96 points: A fist of late summer cherries, raspberry and bilberry fruits set out their stall, all with the juicy character that confirms, even in a hot vintage like 2017, Opus can deliver balance and sculpted elegance. Beautiful...

jamessuckling.com, 96 points: Aromas and flavors of blackberries and blueberries with licorice and black-pepper. Medium to full body. Chewy, yet refined and balance. Another two or three years of bottle age would bring it more together. Try after 2021...

jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: The flagship 2017 Estate Cuvée (49% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 21% Petit Verdot) spent 15 months in 90% new French oak, and I certainly blew the barrel review on this wine. It offers a brilliant bouquet of crème...

jebdunnuck.com, 93 points: The 2017 Secret Blend Red Wine is another outstanding effort and checks in as 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, sourced from five separate sites and aged 18 months in 49%...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: The 2017 Planetes de Nin comes from the four hectares of 20-year-old Garnacha and 11-year-old Cariñena in the Planetes vineyard in Porrera at 450 meters in altitude. It's 60% Garnacha (some of it Peluda) and the rest...

jebdunnuck.com, 97 points: The Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated cuvée is the 2017 El Desafio De Jonata, which includes 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. It's another inky colored wine from this team and offers a brilliant...

Wine Enthusiast, 92 points: Blending 62% Merlot, 22% Malbec and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, winemaker Elias Fernandez shows his skill, producing a thick, earthy and spicy red with vibrant red fruit. Ripe firm tannins add weight and power to the...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: The 2017 Laurel is a blend of the younger vines, some barrels that were declassified from Clos Erasmus and the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon, and in the low-yielding and dry 2017 vintage, it's 70% Garnacha, 20% Syrah and...

Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: Deep and hearty aromas of stewed plum, blueberry and a touch of violet stay smooth and balanced on the nose of this blend of 70% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache. The texture is immediately compelling, with firm...

jamessuckling.com, 98 points: Wonderful blackberry and blackcurrant aromas here with hints of mint and fresh sage. Some cassis. Wrought iron, too. Full-bodied, tight and elegant with lovely tension. Beautiful. Ends fine and focused. Drinkable now, but...

jamessuckling.com, 96 points: A bright and fruity red with a level of tightness and precision that suggests greatness. Medium to full body. Intense tannins give focus to the center palate. Super length and beauty. Celebrates its 25th anniversary. 80%...

jamessuckling.com, 94 points: This is a pretty blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon and 25% syrah with spice, tobacco and currant character. It’s full-bodied with compact, polished tannins. Drink or hold.

jebdunnuck.com, 97 points: The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a bigger, richer, more opulent wine. Beautiful notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and crushed violets, all flow to a full-bodied, Châteauneuf Du Pape that has...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 98 points: The 2017 IX Estate is composed of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Opaque purple-black colored, the nose is quite closed and shy to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal freshly...

jamessuckling.com, 94 points: A balanced and fresh red for the hot 2017 vintage with medium body, fine tannins and plenty of currants, blackberries and blueberries on the finish. Drink or hold.

Wine Spectator, 94 points: Rich and polished, this shows a light hand with new oak. Black cherry, plum, blackberry, iron, vanilla, coffee and tobacco flavors mingle, supported by lively acidity and dense, refined tannins. Balanced and long...

TheWineCellarInsider.com, 97 points: Deep, dark and spicy, with lush, fresh, dark cherries, earth, herbs and peppery kirsch. The wine is fresh, concentrated, lush and full, with layers of dark spicy, earthy, peppery fruits in the finish. The wine is produced...

jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: (95+ points) The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Renaissance from Cristia is a beauty! A normal blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre that comes from old vines planted in sandy soils, it reveals a medium ruby/purple color as...

jamessuckling.com, 100 points: This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever. Discrete aromas of blackberries, flowers, stone and licorice. So perfumed. The integration of fruit, tannins and acidity is fantastic. Full-bodied, tight and solid with...

jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: The Bordeaux side of the Parabellum series, the 2017 Parabellum Alluvio is based on 60% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the final 7% Petit Verdot. This deep ruby/plum-hued effort offers lots of chocolate laced...

Decanter, 94 points: Black cherry, and soaring raspberry perfume. This is medium-bodied, very fresh and lively for the vintage despite fairly low acidity. It has perfect balance, so easy and fresh. Between 25% and 50% stems depending on the...

jamessuckling.com, 100 points: This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever. Discrete aromas of blackberries, flowers, stone and licorice. So perfumed. The integration of fruit, tannins and acidity is fantastic. Full-bodied, tight and solid with...