Community Tasting Note

• Motz wrote: 94 points

  April 17, 2020 - Among the most feminine (drop-dead sexy) vintages of this label that I have tasted. It features an intense but unique 'sweetness' of fruit, the typical description of which is 'richness', but also weightless and seamless. Also noteworthy, the wine features strikingly powdery tannin, loess or silt-like. Though with medium plus acid, by 2030 or so, I think the wine's lightness could fade rather quickly. It is beautiful now, and I do not see it improving significantly.

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7 Comments

• thesternowl commented:

  4/17/20, 8:10 AM - More feminine than the 2014?

• Motz commented:

  4/17/20, 8:36 AM - I have not tasted the '14.
  
  Cheers!

• RoyaltyCoins commented:

  4/17/20, 9:48 AM - Thanks for the good thoughts on this.
  
  Just a note to offer: the weightless quality of the fruit sounds to be quintessential Clos des Papes and shouldn't necessarily be discounted for its lightness. I just recently opened the 2008 CdPapes (which was truly not an amazing year overall) and it had aged beautifully with another 8-10 years possible without fading.
  
  If you have any extra of the 2017, hold on to them to see what might be possible, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much they offer come 2032-2035+.

• Motz commented:

  4/17/20, 10:54 AM - Hello RoyaltyCoins.
  
  Thank you for the feedback. My reference to this vintage's lightness is in comparison to others, such as 2013, 2010, 2003. While I agree that these vintages show a certain 'lightness' of fruit, they also feature rusticity, bracing structure, and tannic grip, elements that bode well for longer-term aging. This vintage does not offer those elements in comparable proportions. Specifically regarding the 2008 vintage, I regard it, along with 2014, as two of the most understated vintages of my wine lifetime, and thus question comparing it with 2017.

• srh commented:

  9/9/20, 4:55 PM - I *totally* enjoyed reading both (so far) of your VERY *analytical* TNs for this vintage! THANK you for your diligence in posting them! :) [FYI, *should* you be interested, I just uploaded specific info for this vintage, including acclaim, which can be accessed via the CellarTracker Article link (lower lft)].

• Motz commented:

  9/12/20, 10:02 AM - Thank you, srh.

• srh commented:

  9/12/20, 12:54 PM - YVW, but YOU'RE the one deserving of the thanks, Motz! ;)

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