Dark intense violet color in appearance denoting a rich and generous body. Complex bouquet of roasted coffee, licorice, cherry and hints of leather. Powerful straightforward taste in the mouth with dark fruit (blackcurrant) and spicy (black pepper) aromas.
95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck... 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 well as a pure, elegant bouquet of crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, candied violets, incense, and spiced meats. This ripe, powerful, concentrated, and full-bodied, Châteauneuf du Pape has awesome purity, silky tannins, and one hell of a great finish. So the oak that was present when I tasted this from barrel has integrated nicely and this beauty can be drunk anytime over the coming 15 years.
94 Points - Decanter... Organically grown on sandstone soils in lieux-dits Cristia and Font du Loup, the fruit is 100% de-stemmed. There's a hefty Mourvèdre component, giving plenty of pungent blueberry, jasmine and violet aromas. It's very full-bodied, flowing with blackberry and liquorice flavours with some beautiful lifted juice and fine-grained tannins. Purity, freshness and power define this wine.
92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate... A 60-40 blend of Grenache (from 110-year-old vines) and Mourvèdre (from 55-year-old vines), aged in demi-muids and barriques, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Renaissance shows more cedar and vanilla overtones than I personally prefer, with those elements riding over the top of delicate cherry and raspberry fruit and flattening out any garrigue and spice subtleties. Don't get me wrong—it's clearly a fine wine, and will clearly have many fans for its ample weight, velvety plushness and deliciously hedonistic style. I just wish it showed more vineyard-derived complexity instead of oak. Perhaps that will emerge with time.
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