Bottled only a week before I tasted it, Domaine Belle's 2017 Hermitage Blanc is a superb effort. Deep straw in color, it's a 60-40 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne, barrel fermented and aged in two-thirds new French oak. Hints of toasted cedar highlight ripe melon and pineapple aromas, leading into a rich, powerful, full-bodied palate. Big, expansive and layered, it delivers lovely trace notes of orange zest, dried spices and white pepper, lingering elegantly on the full-flavored finish.