Domaine Giraud Les Galimardes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2017 | 750 ml.

SP95 Wine Spectator Web only – 2019

"Juicy in feel, with a compact, well-built core of blackberry, black currant and plum paste flavors, infused liberally with licorice snap and apple wood notes. A tarry hint underscores the finish, though the fruit stays dominant and driven throughout. Very solid. Grenache and Syrah. Best from 2021 through 2038. 200 cases made, 90 cases imported." (95 pts.)

RP93+ Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 30th Aug 2019

"More tightly coiled than last year, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Gallimardes now seems more herbal than floral, with greenish streaks running through the crisp red berry fruit. A 90-10 blend of Grenache and Syrah from the lieu-dit les Gallimardes, the Syrah spent a year in new oak, while the Grenache aged in tank. It’s full-bodied yet taut and racy, but it should relax in a couple of years and then drink well for at least a decade." (93+ pts.)

JD95 Jeb Dunnuck August 16, 2019

"The two special cuvées are some of the gems in the vintage. The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Gallimardes comes from one of the great sites in the southern part of the appellation and is just about all Grenache (there’s some very old vine Syrah, which struggles in this hot terroir). While not up to the out of this world 2016, it has a beautiful bouquet of cassis, kirsch liqueur, black raspberries, garrigue, and peppery herbs. Deep, full-bodied, and powerful on the palate, it has ultra-fine tannins as well as loads of character. It’s going to drink brilliantly for 15 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)" (95 pts.)

VN94+ Vinous Dec 2019

"Youthful violet. Highly perfumed, sharply detailed aromas of black raspberry, cherry liqueur, floral oils, smoky minerals and exotic spices. Juicy, seamless and energetic on the palate; sweet red and blue fruit, lavender pastille and spicecake flavors display a suave marriage of power and finesse. Delivers a serious punch of flavor but comes off lithe. The floral and mineral qualities linger on a sappy, wonderfully long finish shaped by smooth tannins." (94–95 pts.)