2017 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du- Pape Les Origines 750 ml

“WOW” was our first reaction upon tasting the monumentally good 2017 Domaine Grand Veneur Les Origines, a tour-de-force blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah that drips with dark cherries, raspberries, leather, cracked pepper, and dark chocolate. Similar, sometimes unprintable exclamations of surprise could be heard from our offices when we found out this dynamite Châteauneuf-du-Pape also came with a 95+ point rave from expert Rhône critic Jeb Dunnuck. 

Jeb Dunnuck awarded it 95+ points for its “rich, concentrated, focused texture” that frames “notes of black raspberries, roasted garrigue, pepper, and tons of minerality.” Wine Advocate gushed over it as “full-bodied, rich and velvety, with a long, plush finish and never-ending waves of flavor...”

During our annual tour through the Rhône, we’re forced to make difficult decisions about who to see and which estates to skip. But Domaine Grand Veneur is non-negotiable, a mainstay on our itinerary each and every time we fly to France to taste in the Rhône Valley. Their wines channel the galet-strewn terroir of Châteauneuf-du-Pape like none other, and for far less than we’re used to paying. We’ve had sell-out success with their wines in the past, and it’s no mystery why.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has called Grand Veneur “one of the most brilliant estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape,” arguing that “these are some of the most exciting wines coming out of the region and they should not be missed!” The lineup from fifth-generation winemaker Alain Jaume and his children Sébastian, Christophe, and Hélène includes brilliant cuvées like Le Miocene and Vieilles Vignes. But this one, the iconic Les Origines, has become a Wine Access member (and wine team) favorite. It’s grown in an organically farmed vineyard in the northern extreme of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where ancient vines eke out grapes marked by inky depth, power, and richness.

Anywhere else, this dramatically modern yet classically earth-driven Châteauneuf-du-Pape will be a lot more expensive. Thanks to our personal relationship with the producer and proven, powerful base of Rhône buyers—when we offered the 2016, it was one of the hits of the season—we were able to replicate the price of last year’s sell-out offer on this new vintage.

In 2017—which Jeb Dunnuck calls “a brilliant vintage…[that] surpasses 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015”—heat waves forced an early harvest and a bit of concern. But in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, an appellation used to extremes in the summertime, the conditions turned out to be perfect. Unfortunately, Decanter reported, “there's simply not enough grapes in several appellations and this could mean price rises for some wines.”