2017 Crozes-Hermitage Les Palignons

This ever-growing operation was established by co-owners Yves Cuilleron, François Villard Pierre and Gaillard in 1996. According to Pascal Lombard, chief oenologue and technical director (that would mean winemaker) 2017 “presented wines that will charm early for their richness and roundness of texture.” While they won’t be ideal long-term cellar candidates, Lombard thinks that “their concentration will help them to positively age, but with so many recent vintages that require more patience, especially 2015, it’s good to have years like 2016 and 2017 that can be enjoyed sooner. The quality of the top wines here, many of which are usually made with anywhere from 50% to 100% whole clusters, has been on a progressive uphill climb over the last decade but they are still flying under the radar in many markets, which is a shame. Pricing is also exceptionally fair across the board and the entry-level bottlings can be a steal.