Durand 2017 St. Joseph "Les Coteaux" Rouge 750ml

Bright purple. Spice-accented blue fruit and floral scents, along with hints of cured tobacco and olive. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, offering sappy boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors that turn sweeter on the back half. Youthful, gripping tannins add shape to the finish, which hangs on with strong, dark-fruit-driven tenacity.

Score: 91 points -- Josh Raynolds, Vinous, 2019

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Domaine Durand’s winery is located in Chateaubourg, just across the D86 highway from Domaine Courbis. Brothers Eric and Joel Durand, who have run the Domaine since 1996, produce wines from Cornas, St. Joseph, and St. Péray, as well as a white IGP. The wines are fruit-driven, rich, and more approachable when young than many reds from the Northern Rhone, though they will also age beautifully.