Jaboulet's 2017 Hermitage La Maison Bleue is flat-out sexy stuff, full-bodied, plush and generous without being overripe or unstructured. Licorice, cassis and Asian five-spice powder burst from the glass in a complex whirl of scents and flavors. Sourced from the eastern end of the appellation, it offers immediate gratification and admirable quality at a fraction of the price of the La Chapelle.

There are 2,000 cases of the 2017 Hermitage La Maison Bleue, which is all from the more limestone and loamy soils on the eastern side of the appellation. Aged in 15% new barrels and demi-muids, it has a youthful, fruit-forward, even sexy profile as well as terrific notes of black raspberries, melted licorice, truffles, violets, and bloody meat. It's young and unevolved, with beautiful depth of fruit, and it's undeniably better than many vintages of La Chapelle from the 1990s and 2000s.

Opaque ruby. Vibrant, sharply focused black/blue fruit aromas are complicated by exotic spice, olive and mineral flourishes. Juicy and precise on the palate, showing energetic lift and thrust to its sweet blueberry, black raspberry, violet pastille and spicecake flavors, which deepen steadily on the back half. Picks up a smoky quality with air and finishes spicy and impressively long. Discreet tannins add shape and gentle grip.