Mainly Syrah, with a bit of Mourvèdre, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve is darker in color than the winery's other cuvées, but not necessarily better. Full-bodied and concentrated, it's earthy and dense, with plummy fruit, hints of cola and clove and a slightly open-knit, coarse structure that's dusty and astringent on the finish. It's not so drying as to be problematic, but it might be better thought of as an expression of Syrah than of what most people think of as Chateauneuf du Pape.