Saturday Sips Review Club March 2021 Selection (6-Bottle Package, $288) Provence’s Standout Cru: Bandol with Four Masterful Producers

Charming Provence. Between olive groves and pine forests the rocky landscape is wild with the fragrant garrigue that marks its wines. This picturesque southern French region on the Côte d’Azur is famous for its rosé, but with a little bit of digging, and some guidance from your favorite local wine merchant, you can find some of France’s most structured, age-worthy red wines. Although relatively small, Bandol is easily Provence’s most important appellation.

Bandol wine is grown in small quantities in the limestone hills near the village of Bandol, east of Marseille and west of Toulon. It’s sun-soaked southerly terraces brushed with Medditerranean breezes are ideal for cultivating Mourvèdre — a grape variety with one of the longest growing cycles, but when fully ripened has the potential to create some of the most substantial and long-lived wines on our pale blue dot. Being one of mainland France’s driest, sunniest climates, fungal diseases are not the perennial threat they are elsewhere, making the region well-suited to organic viticulture. Bandol red wines must be at least 50 percent Mourvèdre, with the remainder generally blended with the classic grapes of the Mediterranean: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Carignan.

We are pleased to offer a selection of exceptional wines that speak of sunny Provence. Included in the package are wines from Bandol’s top producers, with five bold and meaty red wines that you can enjoy now or ten years from now, and a rare white Bandol.

Included in Saturday Sips Review Club March 2021 Selection 6-Bottle Package are one each of the following wines:

Domaine Tempier 

One of the oldest family-run estates in the region, Domaine Tempier is also the most recognized. The family was largely instrumental in getting the appellation of Bandol established in 1941. Bandol RED 2018 (Regular $56) is the quintessential expression of Mourvèdre, grown on terraced vineyards on steep hills around the “plan du Castellet.” The wine is full of fruit and earthy flavor, coupled with fine-grained tannins, and a complexity from the multiplicity of soil types that surround the estate, from pure limestone to ancient sandstone and limestone marls. The wine is a blend of Mourvèdre (around 75%), with Grenache and Cinsault, and, in small proportions, Carignan and Syrah, with vines at an average of 35 to 40 years old.

Domaine de la Tour du Bon 

Agnès Henry is the winemaker and owner of Domaine de la Tour du Bon. Although the estate has been in the family since 1968, it is Agnès that has cemented its current acclaim. Her 42 acres are a mix of red earth, clay, sand, and gravel that all rest atop a limestone plateau near the village of Le Brûlat. Agnès calls her Bandol RED 2016 (Regular $38) true “blood of the earth.” The blend is 53% Mourvèdre, 27% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, and 10% Carignan from extremely low-yielding vines. The Grenache adds a light cherry fruit to balance out the striking power of the Mourvèdre, while the small additions of Cinsault and Carignan work to bind the two main varieties.

Domaine de Terrebrune

Reynald Delille heads this lauded estate nestled among the foothills of the limestone massif of Gros Cerveau. Certified organic, the estate’s terroir is characterised by the presence of limestone in its brown clay soil which inspired the estate’s name. With Mourvèdre accounting for 85% of the final assemblage, Reynald’s Bandols have an ethereal quality to them — the vineyards lie directly in the path of marine breezes that sweep off the Mediterranean, providing his wines with a mouthwatering saline quality. Bandol RED 2016 (Regular $54) is a fine example. With flavors of black fruit, anise, and wild herbs, its rich texture seems effortless, and its minerality profound. Bandol WHITE 2019 (Regular $41) is a blend of Clairette, Ugni Blanc, and Bourboulenc that shows remarkably subtle ripe peach and pear notes that are balanced with a refreshing, herbal greenness.

Domaine du Groś Nore 

Born in a small house set among the vineyards of Bandol, Alain Pascal always knew he wanted to be a farmer. He bottled his first estate wines in 1997. From the very beginning, Alain produced his wines with minimal intervention — bottled without filtering and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Cultivation is essentially organic, as no chemicals are used on the vines. To provide power and concentration, Alain uses 80% Mourvèdre in Bandol RED 2016 (Regular $47), his flagship cuvée. The rest of the blend is 15% Grenache and 5% Cinsault. The wine is fermented in stainless steel vats and then aged for 18 months in large oak foudres. It has a lovely, elegant nose of jellied black cherry fruit and mediterranean herbs. It’s bold yet supple on the palate with concentrated fruit, clean earth, stone, and refined tannins. Bandol RED 2011 (Regular $79) has a few years of maturity. The 2011 vintage shows similar characteristics as the 2016, but has softened and integrated a bit more.

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Posted on 2021.03.14 in France, Saturday Sips Review Club, Provence  |  Read more...

Northern Rhône’s Syrah in Three Types with Three Gifted Makers (6-Bottle Wine-Pack $299, All Included)

Home to some of the world’s most sought-after wines, Northern Rhône is the land of Syrah. Indeed, Syrah is the sole red wine grape allowed to be planted in the region’s major appellations, and it accounts for around 95% of the region’s wines.

The climate and terroir of the Northern Rhône valley is considerably different than it’s much larger neighbor to the south. Average temperatures are much cooler and the growing season is shorter, yet its unique Mediterranean climate and steep hillside terroir are ideal for our story’s hero, Syrah. Natural moisture is added to the vines from the Rhône river. A very hot and dry wind, called La Bise, runs down the valley and into Provence where it becomes the Mistral. That wind helps to keep the grapes and vines clean and disease free.

We are pleased to offer a selection of exceptional, 100% Syrah wines from a few of Northern Rhône’s top producers. These are wines that speak of this special river valley that produces Sryah unlike any other region in the world — benchmarks by which all other Syrah-based wines are measured.

Included in Northern Rhône’s Syrah in Three Types 6-Bottle Package are two each of the following wines:

The price includes a 15% discount, tax, and delivery. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the package.

Saint-Joseph

Some of the best values of the Northern Rhône come from Saint-Joseph and the appellation’s most complex wines are similar to those found in Côte Rôtie. For more than forty vintages, the late Georges Vernay was a towering figure in Northern Rhône, producing wines remarkable for their grace and complexity. Georges died in 2017 but had long since passed the torch to his daughter Christine Vernay. Since taking charge in 1997, she has brought the domaine to even greater heights. Christine continues with the methods developed by her father to best express the magic of the region’s wines. Yields are very low and the vineyards are organically farmed. Literally translated as “Lands of Ink” “Terre d’Encre” Saint-Joseph 2018 (Regular $77) is a wine worthy of its name. Produced from 30-year-old Syrah vines planted on granite soils in the municipality of Chavanay, it’s all meat and black cherry with a twang of acid, and a spicy licorice note on the finish.

Crozes-Hermitage

With many vineyards in the appellation being pebble-covered terraces with granite-clay soils and a blend of sand, look to Crozes-Hermitage for amped up floral aromatics and elegance. There are few names as revered as Alain Graillot in Northern Rhône. After working with the venerable Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, Alain came back to his home in Crozes-Hermitage to start his own domaine in 1985, and soon became known for producing some of the region’s most haunting wines from his stony, organically farmed vineyards. Alain’s sons Maxime and Antoine have been in charge since 2008, with Alain working closely alongside them to this day. Crozes-Hermitage 2018 (Regular $49) is 100% Syrah from 30+ year old vines grown in the villages of La Chene Verts. 100% whole cluster fruit is fermented in concrete with indigenous yeast and then aged in 1-3 year old barrels purchased from some of the top estates in Burgundy. Spice-accented aromas of ripe dark berries and candied violet lead to a rich and energetic sip that finishes nice and spicy.

Cornas

The burliest, meatiest, and ripest wines in Northern Rhône are usually Cornas. Yet they still offer the freshness and distinct minerality that is a hallmark of the region’s Syrah. The up-and-coming, small estate of Domaine Durand consists of 54 acres of vines across the appellations of Saint-Joseph, Saint-Péray, and Cornas, and is run by brothers Eric and Joël Durand. Methods are sustainable, yields are moderate, and the approach is geared towards producing wines of elegance, subtle power, and great purity. “Prémices” Cornas 2016 (Regular $40) is 100% Syrah. It comes from a selection of granite soil plots in areas that produce soft yet refined wines. Vines are 13 to 15 years old and yields are low. The grapes are harvested at peak balance and de-stemmed before fermentation. Maturation lasts for 12 months in used casks to produce a wine both generous and fresh, with fine yet prominent tannins, and loads of plum, fig, and blackberry fruit. 

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Posted on 2021.03.10 in France, Wine-Aid Packages, Northern Rhone  |  Read more...

Provence’s Standout Cru: Bandol with Five Masterful Producers (6-Bottle Wine-Pack $245, All Included)

Charming Provence. Between olive groves and pine forests the rocky landscape is wild with the fragrant garrigue that marks its wines. This picturesque southern French region on the Côte d’Azur is famous for its rosé, but with a little bit of digging, and some guidance from your favorite local wine merchant, you can find some of France’s most structured, age-worthy red wines. Although relatively small, Bandol is easily Provence’s most important appellation.

Bandol wine is grown in small quantities in the limestone hills near the village of Bandol, east of Marseille and west of Toulon. It’s sun-soaked southerly terraces brushed with Medditerranean breezes are ideal for cultivating Mourvèdre — a grape variety with one of the longest growing cycles, but when fully ripened has the potential to create some of the most substantial and long-lived wines on our pale blue dot. Being one of mainland France’s driest, sunniest climates, fungal diseases are not the perennial threat they are elsewhere, making the region well-suited to organic viticulture. Bandol red wines must be at least 50 percent Mourvèdre, with the remainder generally blended with the classic grapes of the Mediterranean: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Carignan.

We are pleased to offer a selection of exceptional wines that speak of sunny Provence. Included in the package are wines from Bandol’s top producers, with four bold and meaty red wines that you can enjoy now or ten years from now, a rare white Bandol, and the pinnacle of Provence rosé, a Bandol rosé. It’s an ideal sampler of all the appellation has to offer.

Included in Provence’s Standout Cru 6-Bottle Package are one each of the following wines:

The price includes a 10% discount, tax, and delivery. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the package.

Domaine Tempier 

One of the oldest family-run estates in the region, Domaine Tempier is also the most recognized. The family was largely instrumental in getting the appellation of Bandol established in 1941. Bandol RED 2018 (Regular $56) is the quintessential expression of Mourvèdre, grown on terraced vineyards on steep hills around the “plan du Castellet.” The wine is full of fruit and earthy flavor, coupled with fine-grained tannins, and a complexity from the multiplicity of soil types that surround the estate, from pure limestone to ancient sandstone and limestone marls. The wine is a blend of Mourvèdre (around 75%), with Grenache and Cinsault, and, in small proportions, Carignan and Syrah, with vines at an average of 35 to 40 years old.

Domaine de la Tour du Bon 

Agnès Henry is the winemaker and owner of Domaine de la Tour du Bon. Although the estate has been in the family since 1968, it is Agnès that has cemented its current acclaim. Her 42 acres are a mix of red earth, clay, sand, and gravel that all rest atop a limestone plateau near the village of Le Brûlat. Agnès calls her Bandol RED 2016 (Regular $38) true “blood of the earth.” The blend is 53% Mourvèdre, 27% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, and 10% Carignan from extremely low-yielding vines. The Grenache adds a light cherry fruit to balance out the striking power of the Mourvèdre, while the small additions of Cinsault and Carignan work to bind the two main varieties. Fragrant with citrus and flowers, Bandol WHITE 2018 (Regular $35) is 75% Clairette, 15% Ugni Blanc, and 10% Rolle from very low yielding vines. It’s full-bodied but not heavy on the palate with a mineral finish that shows a hint of fennel.

Domaine de Terrebrune

Reynald Delille heads this lauded estate nestled among the foothills of the limestone massif of Gros Cerveau. Certified organic, the estate’s terroir is characterised by the presence of limestone in its brown clay soil which inspired the estate’s name. With Mourvèdre accounting for 85% of the final assemblage, Reynald’s Bandols have an ethereal quality to them — the vineyards lie directly in the path of marine breezes that sweep off the Mediterranean, providing his wines with a mouthwatering saline quality. Bandol RED 2016 (Regular $54) is a fine example. With flavors of black fruit, anise, and wild herbs, its rich texture seems effortless, and its minerality profound.

Domaine du Groś Nore 

Born in a small house set among the vineyards of Bandol, Alain Pascal always knew he wanted to be a farmer. He bottled his first estate wines in 1997. From the very beginning, Alain produced his wines with minimal intervention — bottled without filtering and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Cultivation is essentially organic, as no chemicals are used on the vines. To provide power and concentration, Alain uses 80% Mourvèdre in Bandol RED 2016 (Regular $47), his flagship cuvée. The rest of the blend is 15% Grenache and 5% Cinsault. The wine is fermented in stainless steel vats and then aged for 18 months in large oak foudres. It has a lovely, elegant nose of jellied black cherry fruit and mediterranean herbs. It’s bold yet supple on the palate with concentrated fruit, clean earth, stone, and refined tannins.

La Bastide Blanche 

In the early 1970s Michel and Louis Bronzo acquired Bastide Blanche with the goal of producing Bandol wines of comparable quality to southern France’s more renowned appellations at the time. Today they are recognized as one of the top producers in the country. Low yields and an impeccable cellar help to create some of the most expressive wines of Bandol. Bandol ROSÉ 2019 (Regular $27) is classy and classic Provençal rosé. Mourvèdre is the base grape with about equal parts Cinsault and Grenache from fruit hand-harvested off of vines growing in clay-limestone soil. Notes of red berries, blood orange, and fresh cut herbs dominate this savory and balanced wine.

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Posted on 2021.03.03 in France, Wine-Aid Packages, Provence  |  Read more...

Burgundy’s Alter Ego: The Singular Cru Villages of Beaujolais (10-Bottle Wine-Pack $275, All Included)

We are pleased to offer a selection of wines that represent a marriage of grapes and ground that the French regard as mystical. It’s in the sandy clay soils over granite of Beaujolais that the Gamay grape finds its truest expression, in the right hands producing red wines that are fresh, vivid, light and fruity, yet possessing a soulful depth and sense of place. It is a wine that is somehow simultaneously uncomplicated and consequential.

Included in the package are wines from eight of Beaujolais’ ten Cru appellations — known for their extraordinary soils and microclimates and the capability of producing the most remarkable wines of the region. Although these are all Gamay-based wines, they are produced using many of the traditional methods practiced in Burgundy, including a focus on healthy vineyard ecosystems with the goal of making wines that express their terroir.

Light, refreshing, with moderate alcohol, lively acidity, and served with a slight chill, these are wines versatile enough to complement nearly any dish. Indeed, France’s gastronomical center, the city of Lyon, is just a short drive south of Beaujolais on the A6. From Mediterranean Provence to Alscace and Lorraine, many different culinary influences have converged to become what is known as Lyonnaise cuisine. The locals love their Beaujolais with cheeses and cured sausages, potatoes pan-fried in butter, and Coq au Vin. You will too.

Included in Burgundy’s Alter Ego 10-Bottle Package are one each of the following wines:

The price includes a 15% discount, tax, and delivery. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the package.

Beaujolais-Villages 

Although Beaujolais-Villages is considered “lesser” when compared to the 10 Crus, it can be a source of great value when the wines are made by accomplished producers. And they don’t get much more accomplished than the two we have to offer here.

A living legend in Beaujolais, Jean Foillard is a traditionalist who has returned to the old practices of viticulture and vinification: starting with old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and refusing both chaptalization and filtration. Jean Foillard 2019 (Regular $29) Beaujolais-Villages consists of a blend of several granite terroirs on the outskirts of the cru villages, mostly high in the hills where Gamay once failed to ripen consistently. With today’s climate, ripening is no longer a concern, even in these cooler sites. Consider this wine a lighter, brighter, higher-toned sibling to the domaine’s benchmark Morgon.

Cousin to Vicomte Liger-Belair of La Romanée fame, in 2001 Thibault Liger-Belair took over storied family property in Nuits-Saint-Georges. In 2008, Thibault decided to deploy his talent and knowledge in Beaujolais. Thibault Liger-Belair “Les Jeunes Pousses” 2017 (Regular $31) is Thibault’s basic cuvée, made with fruit from the granite soils of the northern part of the region. It begins powerfully fragrant with violets and dark cherries. Although easy to drink, as Beaujolais-Villages ought to be, there is a vein of iron-metallic energy at the wine’s core leading all the way to a finish of crunchy ripe tannins. This is a Beaujolais-Villages with the gravitas of the Côte de Nuits.

Chénas

Chénas produces a tender wine that can age surprisingly well. You don’t see much Chénas in your local wine shops as very few good examples are imported to the states. One exception is Domaine Pascal Aufranc “en Rémont, Vignes de 1939” 2018 (Regular $20). Planted in 1939, the “en Rémont” vineyard is one of Chenas’ finest, with classic granitic soils covered in sand. The vineyard is completely isolated, surrounded by fields and woods, which allows Pascal to cultivate his vines without potential interference from his neighbors. This old-vine fruit makes an intense, mineral-accented wine with dark berry aromas mingled with violets and wet earth. In the mouth it is sappy, precise, and lengthy.

Chiroubles

Chiroubles’ position is unique, as it is at the very highest altitudes of Beaujolais and the fruit takes about a week longer to ripen than elsewhere, which tends to produce wines of complexity, even in their youth. A pioneer in the under-valued appellation of Chiroubles, Damien Coquelet started his own Domaine at the tender age of 20. He also has some fantastic parcels in the famous Côte de Py in Morgon. Damien Coquelet “Vieilles Vignes” 2016 (Regular $35) is from vines over 50 years old growing in granite soils. The wine sees long semi-carbonic macerations and maturation in Burgundian barriques. Bright aromas of ripe raspberry, cherry, violet and citrus precede a lively mineral attack with a finish that is sappy, earthy, and long.

Côte de Brouilly

Côte de Brouilly sits on the hillsides of Mont Brouilly, a prehistoric volcano that left blue schist stones and volcanic rock along its slopes. The fruit tends to ripen fully even in cool vintages, producing structured and elegant wines. Nicole Chanrion took over the family domaine in 1988. She works all 16 acres entirely by herself, from pruning the vineyards and driving the tractors to winemaking and bottling. She employs the traditional winemaking techniques of the Beaujolais: hand harvesting, whole-cluster fermentation, aging the wines in large oak foudres for at least nine months, and bottling unfiltered. She is affectionately referred to as “La Patronne de la Côte,” or the Boss of la Côte. Domaine de la Voûte des Crozes 2019 (Regular $24) is powerful, with loads of pure fruit character and floral aromas.

Fleurie

With a concentration of good producers and particularly fine terroir, Fleurie is another great source of Cru Beaujolais. Fleur means flower in French, and the wines of Fleurie are quite often characterized by a distinct floral note. Jean-Paul Brun started Terres Dorées in 1979 and is one of the region’s champions of what might be described as traditional Beaujolais. His wines are fermented with natural yeast and he has also always eschewed the relatively modern technique of carbonic maceration in favor of traditional Burgundian vinification. Expressive from start to finish with hints of clove and cherry, Terres Dorées “Grille Midi” 2016 (Regular $31) is from the famous lieu-dit of Grille Midi — a south-facing amphitheater of vines on poor, sandy, decomposed-granite soils over hard granite rock.

Juliénas

Juliénas is another Cru known for its sturdy wines with aging potential. The typical characteristic of Juliénas is deep red cherries, which transform with a few years of bottle age into nuanced flavors that tend towards cassis. Laurent Perrachon et Fils, “Les Vignes Centenaires” (Regular $32) is from a two-acre parcel of century-old vines. It is powerful, sinewy, and packed with sappy fruit. With a nod toward toward Burgundy, seventh-generation winemaker Laurent Perrachon uses indigenous yeasts and a long maceration time to extract the broadest palette of flavors, complexity, and structure. The wines are aged in the estate’s vaulted cellars that were built in 1701.

Morgon

Thanks chiefly to its granitic soils, the wines of Morgon have great weight and structure. It is also blessed with an extraordinarily range of excellent producers. Daniel Bouland is one of them. He farms about 17 acres of old vines and his wines are notable in their ability to develop over time into wines as expressive as those from villages to the north in Burgundy. All fruit is hand-harvested and vinified with full clusters to extract the full depth of expression. The wines are bottled unfiltered. Daniel Bouland, “Pré Jourdan – Foudre No. 7” Morgon 2019 (Regular $41) is a newly acquired lieu-dit located near Fleurie with 70-year-old vines. The entire batch aged in a five-year-old foudre was purchased by the US importer after the inaugural 2018 vintage, making this wine exclusive to the states.

Moulin-à-Vent 

Moulin-à-Vent is considered the sturdiest, most tannic, and longest-lived among the 10 Crus of Beaujolais. But don’t expect the kind of hairy-teeth tannins you find in highly structured Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine. Moulin-à-Vent wines are still made from Gamay so they’ll never be that tannic. Domaine Diochon “Vieilles Vignes” 2019 (Regular $28) does contain some tannin—it wouldn’t be young Moulin-à-Vent if it didn’t—but it is beautifully integrated, not heavy, with fruit and floral aromas, and ready to drink now if given a little time to breathe. The wine is made from vines planted in 1920, 1950, and the 1960s, so yields are naturally small. Look for a pronounced mineral component from crumbly granite soils.

Saint-Amour

Saint-Amour is the most northerly Beaujolais Crus, bordering the Mâcon region of southern Burgundy. Saint-Amour can be an intensely red-fruited wine and Pierre-Marie Chermette “Les Champs-Grillés” 2018 (Regular $34) is a fine example. Notes of raspberries, rose petals and cherries lead to a drink that is layered and spicy, with a muscular spine of fine tannins. Strict traditionalists, Pierre-Marie and Martine Chermette were among the first in Beaujolais to use sustainable agricultural practices, shunning the use of chemicals in the vineyard and encouraging as much life in the soil as possible. The wines are made with minimal intervention: wild yeasts, minimal sulphur additions, and no filtering if possible.

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Posted on 2021.02.24 in France, Beaujolais, Wine-Aid Packages  |  Read more...

Southern Rhône Riches: Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Sister Cru Villages (10-Bottle Wine-Pack $325, All Included)

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is quite often the gateway region that introduces curious wine drinkers to the essence of terroir. An almost perfect union of soils, climate, and grape varieties combine to create one of the world’s great red wines that tends to be expressive from youth to maturity, with an exuberance and sophistication rarely matched. The next best thing to a great Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a less expensive, yet superb bottle of Southern Rhône red wine from nearby appellations that costs a fraction compared to its more prominent cousin.

The Rhône River stretches from the Alps to the Mediterranean through an incredibly diverse expanse. At its southern end, between the cities of Vienne and Avignon, rolling hills meet plateaus of varying elevation under the toasty Mediterranean sun. Long, warm summers and mild winters allow the region’s dominant grape variety, Grenache, to yield good concentration via stony soils and low rainfall. This is the region of France’s most user-friendly wines.

We are pleased to offer a box of easy-drinking yet refined red wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s sister Cru villages. These are wines with a warmth ideal for pairing with hearty meals and cold winter nights. The appellations of Cairanne, Gigondas, Lirac, Rasteau, and Vacqueyras are all capable of producing wines of superior quality that often rival their more celebrated neighbor, and are made with similar strict and rigorous regulations.

Included in Southern Rhône Riches 10-Bottle Package are two each of the following wines:

The price includes a 15% discount, tax, and delivery. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the package.

Vacqueyras

The second Côtes du Rhônes Villages to be upgraded to Cru status and a stone’s throw across Vaucluse from the famed vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras sits beneath the jagged, lacy peaks of the Dentelles de Montmirail rising up in the east. 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and Cinsault, Serge Férigoule’s Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux 2018 (Regular $45) is easily one of the best of the type. The fruit is organically farmed on the great Plateau des Garrigues, where red clay, limestone, and the famous galets roulés, or rounded stones, impart an intensity and depth to the wines. The wine is dark, rich, full-flavored, wild and chewy, with notes of leather, spicy garrigue, and smoky, black fruit.

Cairanne

Cairanne (elevated to cru status in 2016) is perhaps the most promising and exciting subregion in Southern Rhône today. The village is situated atop a range of low hills with ideal exposure. It’s elevation ensures slightly cooler temperatures than much of the region and lends a brightness and delicacy to the wine. Marcel Richaud’s Domaine Richaud 2018 (Regular $37) is an organically certified cuvée that aims to express the village’s terroir from soils of poor, stony clay-limestone on mid-slope plots. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan from 40 to 70-year-old vines, the wine is fermented and aged primarily in concrete tanks, with a portion in oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a small amount of sulfites. The result is a wine that is both rich and electric, with complex aromas of fruit (both fresh and preserved) and herbal spice. A sip fills the mouth with ripe berries and licorice riding a mineral spine.

Lirac

Situated in the low-lying hills on the right bank of the Rhône River directly across from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac reds are elegant, well-balanced, and structured. Domaine Pierre Usseglio, now run by his sons, Jean-Pierre and Thierry, has risen to such prominence over the past two decades, it must be considered as not only one of the top addresses in Southern Rhône but in all of France. Domaine Pierre Usseglio 2018 (Regular $37) is a blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, and 10% Cinsault from clay and pebble soils. The vines are around forty years old. The wine is aged in concrete vats and demi-muids over a period of 12 months to produce a sturdy, solidly built drink loaded with notes of plum, cola and spice. It’s full-bodied, finishing warm and velvety.

Rasteau

The village of Rasteau was awarded cru status way back in 1944 for their sweet, Vin Doux Naturel. It took a little longer to see the hard work and determination of the region’s vignerons to be awarded cru status for their deeply-colored, robust, dry red wines but now the appellation is considered one of Southern Rhône’s best. Traditional winemakers Daniel and Frédéric Coulon hold around 60 acres in the Rasteau appellation. All of Domaine de Beaurenard’s vines are certified biodynamic. In the vineyards, these methods involve working the soil without herbicides, spreading carefully-dynamised manure, and maintaining sensible grass cover. Domaine de Beaurenard 2017 (Regular $32) is all herbal and red cherries. A blend of 80% Grenache, 17% Syrah, and 3% Mourvèdre, it’s medium to full-bodied, creamy and supple.

Gigondas

Gigondas is the first Côtes du Rhônes Villages to be upgraded to Cru status (1971). It borders Vacqueryas to the northeast and lies within the protection of the toothy, lacy, and majestic rock faces of the Dentelles de Montmirail. Think of it as Châteauneuf-du-Pape from higher, rockier ground. A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, Pierre Amadieu “Romane Machotte” 2018 (Regular $30) comes from vines averaging 45 years old growing in alternating Cretaceous limestone and marl soils with a northwest exposure at an altitude of almost 1,000 feet. It ages 12 months in oak foudres and barrels. Berry salad flavors are enveloped in soft yet powerful tannins, mingling with scents of Provençal wild herbs.

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Posted on 2021.02.17 in France, Wine-Aid Packages, Southern Rhone  |  Read more...

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