Cuvée Maximilien, Domaine Les Grands Bois 2017

2017 is another very good southern Rhône vintage and this Cairanne is a perfect example from the top Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation in brilliant growing conditions. It follows on, and in our opinion is better than, the 2016 vintage of this wine which received outstanding reviews in Decanter (95/100) - the highest score of the category in which many wines were priced at over £20 a bottle.

"Consistently one of my favourite estates in the Southern Rhône, Les Grands Bois produces Côtes-du-Rhône that consistently over-perform their appellation and modest prices." - Robert Parker

"The 2017 Domaine Les Grands Bois Maximilien, highly rated by the great Robert Parker, is a step up in quality, being from Cairanne itself, one of the 21 Côtes du Rhône villages. A previous vintage even made the cover of Decanter magazine, so darn tasty is it. A rich, dark, intense, mellow blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, its spot on." - Jonathan Ray, The Spectator Magazine.

Tasting note: Steady colour with tints of purple, an intense nose with ripe red fruit notes including berries, raspberries wild strawberries and a hint of pepper. A soft attack, good strength, mellow tannins which allow fruity and spicy notes to develop. Long and fleshy on the palate. Best with game and grilled red meats.