Yves Cuilleron : Lieu-dit "Les Chassis" 2017

In contrast to the Laya bottling, Cuilleron's 2017 Crozes Hermitage Lieu-Dit les Chassis aged in 30% new oak. Notes of baking spices and pastry crust join red fruit to create the sensation of baked cherries, balanced by crisp acids and a taut mouthfeel. Medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins, it's still a candidate to drink young over the next 4-5 years.

The 2017 Crozes-Hermitage Lieu-Dit Les Chassis reveals a deep ruby/purple color with an intense bouquet of blackberries, new saddle leather, toasted spice, scorched earth, and liquid violets. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, with lots of polished tannins, and is a serious, ageworthy Crozes Hermitage that needs 2–4 years of bottle age and will cruise for a decade. Bravo!

A wine with a spicy nose, slightly made-up, sweetened by the oak. The palate remains nicely sapid and velvety, but lacks a bit of freshness.