2017 Vin de France La Creation

Based on 100% Grenache, the 2017 Vin De France Creation boasts a rocking nose of black fruits, melted licorice, crushed violets, and peppery herbs. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, and opulent on the palate, it’s an incredibly sexy, full-throttle, yet balanced Grenache that has tons of character. Count me in as a fan. I also suspect it will be a smoking value. Run today by the young yet obviously talented Stéphane Usseglio, Domaine Raymond Usseglio has gone from strength to strength over the past decade and is undeniably fashioning incredible, world class wines today. They have recently completed work on a new state of the art cellar located on the northern edge of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and pull from around 45 acres of vines, mostly in the center and northern part of the appellation. They produce a number of cuvées, yet the core is the traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape, based on 80-90% Grenache and the balance Mourvèdre, the La Parte des Anges, based primarily on Mourvèdre, and the Cuvée Imperiale, based on tank-aged old vine Grenache. They have a Cuvée Girard which is basically a tweaked version of the traditional cuvée and introduced their Les Apotres cuvée in 2015 (which I only tasted from barrel, not bottle) which is an amphora-raised blend of all the permitted varieties. As I wrote last year, the bottom line is that this estate is making beautiful wines and deserves more attention in the market today.