2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Felix

Moving to the flagship release, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Des Felix is based on 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties that’s vinified all in concrete tanks and aged entirely in older barrels. It’s cut from the same cloth as the classic cuvée but offers a deeper, richer, more powerful style. Loads of blackcurrants, smoked meats, black licorice, and herbes de Provence nuances all emerge from the glass, followed by a medium to full-bodied beauty with a stacked mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. It needs 3-4 years of bottle age and will cruise in cool cellars for 15 years or more.

Vivid magenta. Intense red fruit liqueur, spicecake and lavender aromas take on suggestions of succulent herbs and smoky minerals in the glass. Sappy and concentrated yet energetic as well, offering palate-staining raspberry, cherry compote and spicecake flavors that are given spine by a core of juicy acidity. Shows a suave combination of richness and elegance and finishes extremely long and smooth, with supple tannins sneaking in slowly to add shape and grip.