2017 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deus-Ex Machina

Community Tasting Notes (8) Avg Score: 95.5 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Gruffalius's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/15/2024 - Gruffalius Likes this wine: 92 Points

  May still need more time. Tannins firm but gentle. It was nice, though not up to its scores.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View DawgByte's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/23/2023 - DawgByte Likes this wine: 96 Points

  This is a fully bodied CdP that's elegant, balanced and nicely structured with a backbone of acidity and tannins that underlie the core of ripe red fruits (raspberries, cherries and cranberry compote). In addition to those red fruit notes, the nose offers hints of cocoa, herbs and anise. The palate falls in line with layers of complexity, beautiful mid-palate mouth feel and a nice grip on the long finish.
  
  I opened the bottle at cellar temperature, took a sample test and then let it rest in the bottle for 2 hours before consuming. I really enjoy wine when it evolves in the glass and takes you on a journey. This wine delivered a wonderful ride and kept improving to the last drop.
  
  This wine is ready to pour now (give it lat east 2 hours), but I suspect it's worth +2 more points over time (1-2 more years rest). Beautiful wine!

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View MAXIMUM SATISFACTION's profile
  • Report Issue

  10/10/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points

  Finally starting to soften and blossom. Super ripe fruit but not pruned. Very good but still needs a few more years.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View MAXIMUM SATISFACTION's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/4/2021 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points

  Not sure what happened here. Opened at noon took a sip and it was ripe/juicy as expected. Some heat and acid so figured slow air. Let it sit open in the bottle for 6 hours and it lost all freshness. It literally turned into three day plus old Grenache with nothing but wood, spice and crunchiness. Tried throwing it into a decanter but to no avail. This was 95 plus when opened and maybe 88 rafter the 6 hours.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View RhoneWho's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/24/2021 - RhoneWho wrote: 97 Points

  Updated Notes May 2023
  Had 2017 CSJ La Combe Des Fous recently and it's drinking beautifully at the peak phase. I thought this cuvee Deus Ex Machina was ready. Surprising i think it's in slumber mode with more angular acidity present. However the bouquet is definitely the signature of DEM with the influence of mourvedre aged in new french oak. I recommend coming back to this wine in 3-5 years from now. At this current form, it's a food-pairing wine.
  
  This notes is consistent with my recent vertical tasting of 2016-2020 at CDP.
  
  Revised rating: 96-98; 96+
  
  Original Notes May 2021: 98 points.
  This is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mouverdre; and tasted along with Dom. Prefert Charles Giraud (DP) with similar blend. These two wines are stylistically different on both ends of spectrum driven by their terroir. Like top 2017 CDPs, it has super-fine tannins and presence of slight acidity hitting mid-palate reflecting 2017 vintage wrt to 2016 magical vintage. The quality of tannin and quality should integrate nicely by 2023-24. For now, best aerate and drink at cellar temperature.
  
  This is really an enjoyable, elegant and harmoniously balanced wine with the grenache driving the aromatics and mouvedre driving the flavor profile brilliantly!
  
  Bouquet: Very long uplighting perfume of sweet, ripe rich red fruit driven by Grenache component. The aromatics stay consistent and won’t quit over in a glass over 5 hours!
  
  Palate: Weightless, pure yet concentrated ripe dark red fruit intermixed with subtle cocoa and herbs (driven by Mourvedre) flavor. This balance of dark and ripe red fruit flavor profile sets the bar for top 2017 CDPs to beat.
  
  Texture: Seamless super-fine tannins with good acidity masked under juicy rich dark red fruit flavor. This wine is velvet, unctuous and full body resulting in a longer finish than DP.
  
  This CSJ-DEM wine profile is driven by the terrioir of La Crau but managed to create a richer and darker red tone than other wines from similar area. It is differentiated from the more feminine profile of DP-CG wine driven/defined by rocky stones in Les Serres and Le Cristia, which explains why Cayuse GOK shares similar profile as DP.
  
  Keywords: Elegant, Balance, Uplighting rich aromatics, Unctuous texture
  Scoring range: 97-99
  Note: I’m finishing up a rating scorecard to make scoring more consistent across wines; thus, current score subject to change.

  6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

View all 8 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.