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2018s from Clos St. Jean... and a reoffer of Jeb Dunnucks #10 Wine of the Year 2019... These are due to arrive in October. Reply to order.
I'm putting all of the sexy eye-candy up top... but the real value is the 2017 and 2018 VV...
“I know it will shock long time readers, but yes indeed, Clos Saint Jean has again made some of the wines of the vintage in both 2017 and 2018. Enough can’t be said about the quality coming from the team of Vincent and Pascal Maurel, as well as consultant Philippe Cambie, and these wines possess that rare mix of incredible power and richness pared with a sense of weightlessness and elegance.” Jeb Dunnuck
Clos St. Jean Sanctus Sanctorum Chateauneuf du Pape 2016 Magnum (1.5L) – Sale $599 – 100 pts Jeb Dunnuck / 99 pts Wine Advocate – “One of the greatest young wines I’ve ever tasted is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sanctus Sanctorum which is 100% old vine Grenache sourced from a single parcel in the La Crau lieu-dit. Lighter in color than both the Combes des Fous and Ex Machina, it offers a heavenly perfume of kirsch liqueur, crushed rocks, exotic spices, and graphite. This beauty hits the palate with an incredible display of opulent, decent fruit paired with an elegance and seamlessness that needs to be tasted to be believed. With building richness, no weight, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won’t quit, it’s released only in magnum, so it will take upward of a decade to hit maturity and will keep for 20+ years. Hats off to the Maurel family and their consultant Philippe Cambie!” JD
Clos St. Jean Sanctus Sanctorum Chateauneuf du Pape 2018 Magnum (1.5L) – Sale $599 – 95-97 pts Jeb Dunnuck – “The tiny production 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum comes from a single parcel of very old vines in the La Crau lieu-dit and is brought up in demi-muids. Young and primordial, yet concentrated and structured, it has impressive purity, building tannins, and will certainly be a sensational Grenache. It’s more backward and unevolved at this stage compared to both the Combe Des Fous and Deux-Ex Machina, so readers are advised to give this at least a handful of years in the cellar.”
Clos St. Jean Deux Ex Machina Chateauneuf du Pape 2018 – Sale $109.99 – 96-98 pts Jeb Dunnuck – “The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Deux-Ex Machina is always a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, with the Grenache brought up all in concrete tanks and the Mourvèdre in new barrels. It has more obvious structure and volume than the Combe des Fous release as well as a ton of blackcurrants, graphite, cured meats, and ground pepper aromas and flavors. With a massive mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won't quit, it too shows the more polished, seamless, sexy style of the vintage and will be approachable at an earlier age than most vintages of this cuvée. Nevertheless, I suspect it’s going to evolve beautifully on its balance.” JD
Clos St. Jean La Combe des Fous Chateauneuf du Pape 2018 – Sale $109.99 – 96-98 pts Jeb Dunnuck – “Deeper colored, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Combe Des Fous is a normal blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the rest Vaccarèse and Cinsault. Incredible notes of blackcurrants, graphite, candle wax, white flowers, and pepper garrigue all emerge from the glass, and it has both complexity and intensity. With fabulous purity of fruit, full body, a tannin quality that's just about off the chart, and a killer finish, it's one of the most polished, seamless vintages of this cuvée I can remember. It's going to shine with just short-term cellaring yet also age gracefully on its flawless balance and length.” JD
 Clos St. Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Vieille Vignes 2018
Sale $49.99 / Buy six or more Pay $44.99
92-94 pts Jeb Dunnuck – 75% Grenache 15% Syrah / 10% (Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccareze, & Muscardin) from 50-100 year old vines. The Grenache is aged entirely in tank, while the other 25% varieties are aged 12 months in New French oak. The partial oak aging of the wine plants a foot firmly in the “modern” style – rich, lush fruit, a seamless texture and immediate accessibility – while the Grenache component leaves a foot in the “old-school” – allowing for notes of garrigue, spice and earth to balance out the seductive fruit. Bottom line? This is a tour de force Chateauneuf at a more than reasonable price!
One of the aspects of St. Jean I find particularly compelling is how approachable the wines are now, yet how much stuffing and substance there is for aging. I know I won't be able to keep my hands off a bottle of this now... braised lamb shank just screams at me for young Chateauneuf. And when my lamb shank screams at me, I listen!
“The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is slightly darker fruited, more structured, and concentrated, with more tannins as well as awesome notes of black currants, smoked garrigue, ground pepper, and licorice. Complex, full-bodied, and incredibly polished on the palate, it's another terrific wine from this domaine. Drink it any time over the coming decade or more.” JD
Clos St. Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes 2017 - Sale $49.99 net - 94 pts Jeb Dunnuck / 93+ pts Wine Advocate - “As always, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes has a touch more dark fruits, more concentration, and more structure, which makes it less approachable but more age-worthy. Blackcurrants, ground pepper, bouquet garni, crushed rocks, and garrigue notes all emerge from this structured, focused, yet ripe and beautifully textured Châteauneuf Du Pape.” JD
93 pts Wine Advocate - “The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes starts off with scents of tapenade, then adds ripe cherries and cola notes. Dark and concentrated, it's full-bodied and open-knit, , with a touch of chocolate on the long finish"
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