91
score
Cellar Tracker
October 06, 2017
A blend of Syrah (40%), Mourvèdre (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Counoise (10%).
Luminous, dark purplish cherry red with slightly translucent core and more brighter, slightly orange rim. The nose is big, sweet and very expressive with aromas that convey the hot temperatures of 2003 very well: there voluptuous aromas of rich cassis, succulent plums, sweet blackberry jam, some roasted spices, a little bit of leather and a hint of cherry marmalade. The age has rounded off the edges a little bit and accentuated those sweeter elements of the fruit by introducing a touch of dried fruit character, but otherwise the nose feels still very youthful. The wine is very broad, ripe and full-bodied on the palate with rich, meaty and even a bit unctuous flavors of black cherries, brambly blackberries, ripe blackcurrants, some developed raisiny fruit, a little bit of juicy plummy fruit, a hint of stony bitterness and a touch of umami. The wine feels somewhat balanced, but overall the wine feels more fruit-driven than structured, as the acidity is medium-to-modest and the tannins pretty mellow and rounded out by the age. The finish is long, supple and juicy with moderately matured flavors of ripe blackberries, some meaty tones, a little bit of fresh blackcurrants, light spicy character of black pepper, a hint of raisin and a touch of hot, sun-baked stones.
A stylish, supple and very fruity vintage of Grange des Pères that reminds me a lot of vintage 2006, but with more developed, mature fruit. Both these vintages are relatively fruit-forward with very soft and supple structure that retains very little tannic grip and lets the sweet, at times even a bit jammy fruit take the lead. Not the most impressive or memorable vintage of GdP, but perfectly enjoyable on its own. Maybe a bit too soft and mellow to pair with food and probably won't be developing much further from here.
