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: 2017 Domaine Belle "Cuvée Louis Belle" Crozes-Hermitage

2017 Domaine Belle "Cuvée Louis Belle" Crozes-Hermitage

SKU #1467497 93 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark The 2017 Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Louis Belle is a winner. Lots of black raspberries, toasted spice, new leather, and savory peppery notes emerge from the glass, and it's ripe, rounded, and sexy on the palate, with light tannins and plenty of upfront accessibility. It should keep for at least 7-8 years. I always love tasting through the releases from Domaine Belle, and they always show classic yet clean, pure profiles that are a joy to drink. While the domaine is located in Crozes Hermitage, they have small holdings in Hermitage and have produced a blockbuster in 2017. Inner quote mark (12/2019)

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark With its overlay of toasty oak, the full-bodied 2017 Crozes Hermitage Cuvee Louis Belle stands out in a lineup of other Crozes. Cedar and vanilla frame notes of plum and mocha in this full-bodied and velvety but structured wine that finishes just a bit coarse when compared to the superlative 2018. (JC) Inner quote mark (1/2020)

91 points Vinous

Outer quote mark Opaque ruby. Expansive, oak-tinged black and blue fruit aromas show very good clarity and pick up floral and spice notes with air. Shows very good depth as well as energy to the sweet black raspberry, boysenberry, vanilla and violet pastille flavors, which pick up a smoky aspect on the back half. The floral note drives a long, juicy finish that's framed by smooth, even tannins. (JR) Inner quote mark (4/2020)

90 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark Hints of crisp black currant and cassis are lifted by a whiff of balsamic on the nose of this Syrah. It's medium-bodied but intensely concentrated, with rich, ripe flavors of roasted plum offset by fresh acidity and a firm, mineral undertone. At peak now but should drink well through 2024. (AI) Inner quote mark (3/2021)

K&L Notes

The roots of the Belle family run deep in Hermitage and extend back to the 18th century when the family began acquiring vines in the region. When descendant Louis Belle assumed control of the property, he preferred tending vines over making wine. In 1933, he became one of the founding members of the Cave de Tain, the local cooperative. It was not until 2003 when grandson Philippe began making wines for the domaine. The property has 25 hectares of vines planted across Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and St-Joseph, along with apricot orchards and a vine nursery tended by Philippe's brother, Jean-Claude. The vineyards were certified organic in 2014. The Cuvee Louis Belle is from Syrah vines ranging from 20-100 years of age. About 50% destemming occurs and all grapes are fermented with native yeasts. The wine is aged between 16-18 months in a mix of new (about 25%) and used barrels. This signature cuvee epitomizes the quality of their Crozes fruit and Rhone expert John Livingstone-Learmonth calls the Belle "a serious, structured wine that keeps and evolves well." We agree and are happy to have added them to our portfolio of direct imports in 2020.

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2017 Domaine Belle "Cuvée Louis Belle" Crozes-Hermitage

Price: $29.99

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Product Reviews:

By: Keith Mabry | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 2/1/2021 | Send Email

There's always a wine in any producer's line-up that sums up who they are and what they do and for me it was when I first tasted the Cuvee Louis Belle. The namesake wine for the patriarch who founded the estate, this is complete and complex Crozes. A saturated palate of blue and black fruit is accompanied by a gorgeous nose of spices, sassafras and lavender. It is reflective of its terroir and the winemaker who shepherded it into the bottle. Any producer can pour all their efforts into their tete de cuvee and make a mind-blowing wine but the real signature of a winery is the workhorse that gets the job done. And this wine gets it done. An absolutely beautiful drink now and will age gracefully for years to come. A great new addition to our direct portfolio.

By: Steve Bearden | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 1/28/2021 | Send Email

This opens with enticing aromas of baked blackberries, oak, beef blood and whiffs of creosote and lavender. The middle is filled with sweet ripe berries and dark plums with hints of some iron tinged mineral on the finish. This is approachable and delicious now but based on the 2005 bottling I just pulled from my cellar it will age nicely over the short term.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Rhone

- Legendary wine-producing region in southeast France. Stereotypically speaking, Rhone wines are high in alcohol, and the majority produced is red. The northern Rhone is best known for outstanding 100% Syrah wines from areas such as Cote Rotie and Hermitage, as well as for fabulous white wines from Condrieu (where Viognier is king). In the southern Rhone, look for spicy, full-bodied wines that are blends of Grenache, Syrah, and other varietals coming from appellations such as Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, or Rasteau. Wines labeled as Cote du Rhone or Cotes du Rhone Village (a cut above generic Cotes du Rhone) are frequently found here in the US because they often represent some of the best values on the market.

Specific Appellation:

Hermitage/Crozes-Hermitage

Organic: