It’s easy to pick a ‘known’ brand or a wine from a region of distinction like Napa, Bordeaux or Burgundy. But what separates a “wine hunter” and seeker of wines that offer the best QPR (quality to price ratio) is being able to discover wines that outperform and over deliver.
That’s the wines of producer Jean Royer whose holdings are inside and outside of Chateauneuf du Pape. Royer’s CdP’s are in that range where they drink far better than their price, and in blind tastings will stand up to the big boys.
But it’s Royer’s “Le Petite Roy” which captivates and conjures up all that QPR is about. Much like the Chateau de Beaucastel Coudelet de Beaucastel or the La Janesse Terre d’Argile where the vineyards some Cotes du Rhone Villages are just over the AOC line while other grapes come from the younger plantings of CdP, the Le Petite Roy is one of those wines that really delivers the goods.
The wine is a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Grenache, with flavors of spice and fruit that is layer upon layer. There’s notes of the Garrigue and Provençal herbs, dark black plums, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries with a long and lingering finish.
That’s why the 2017 Jean Royer “Le Petite Roy” is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!
