rhone

THRILLING NEW RHONE WHITE: GONNET VACQUEYRAS BLANC

There are many stories we have told before, including the one about Guillaume Gonnet. For those that haven’t run across this before, we’ll retell the story. Guillaume Gonnet is the name of one of the proprietors of Rhone estate that is called Font du Michelle. We have been big fans of this estate for a long time.

The ‘style of the house’ seems to always showcase a certain sappy sexiness to the fruit that makes them particularly engaging in the glass. The family has been in the Rhone Valley for some 400 years and settled this particular spot around 1880. Etienne Gonnet created this estate under the Font de Michelle moniker back in 1950, and it is now run by Guillaume and Bertand Gonnet.

When given the opportunity to move some additional wine through ‘appropriate channels’, Guillaume created the Guillaume Gonnet label. It has been an extremely fruitful source and we have sold a number of different selections based on the remarkable quality and value that this label has delivered. This offering diverts from our usual position thus far with the Gonnet wines as it is white wine! To take it a step further, we don’t ever remember offering a white Vacqueyras, well, ever! Vacqueyras only became its own appellation in 1990, apparently with whites as an approved portion of the mix though they only represent about 3% of the production.

Like we said, we’ve not proffered one before but this little jewel from Guillaume Gonnet definitely made an impression. The Guillaume Gonnet Vacqueyras Blanc La Sauvage 2022 is composed of 70% Grenache Blanc, 15% Viognier, 15% Clairette from 40+year-old vines situated in sand and light clay soils situated on terraces. The term ‘sauvage’ (wild) refers to the open spaces and natural garrigue that surrounds the vineyard. The grapes are destemmed and fermented entirely in stainless steel via natural yeasts. It is not put through malolactic to preserve the wine’s bright supportive acidity.

The Grenache Blanc delivers the thrust with a broad, rich, unctuous palate flashing engaging elements of pear, peach, white flowers and citrus, with some florality and honeyed tones courtesy of the Viognier with the Clairette reenforcing the underlying verve. Plump and textured, this is a terrific white with the dual ability to play with a variety of Asian dishes or provide a compelling choice to just haul off and drink. It provides the kind of profile you get with a Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc at a fraction of the price ($18.98). Simply a very tasty white.

CHATEAUNEUF INSIDERS’ PICK

It’s pretty easy to get lost in the crowd. Back when we started seriously working with Chateauneuf in the early 90s, there weren’t near as many selections available in this market as there are now and the series of vintages up to 1998, a breakout year and the beginning of an unprecedented run of vintages in the southern Rhone that has continued through 2020. There are a lot of domaines and a lot of scores out there, and our job is to highlight as many things that we think are viable. But there are some really delicious wines that represent sensational value for the genre that don’t necessarily get the broad attention they deserve. That is one of the things we can do in this space.

Jean Royer, who also makes another house favorite Chateauneuf-look alike steal called Le Petit Roy from grapes outside the appellation and sometimes declassified Chateauneuf, is one that we think falls into that category. His cuvee ‘Tradition’ is exactly that…a classic, sappy Grenache-based effort that is plush, tender, and engaging. The domaine was one of the late Philippe Cambie’s first clients when Cambie started back in 1998, and they have learned well.

It gets good reviews, this one garnering a 93 from Wine Advocate and 92s from Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast. For whatever reason, Vinous hasn’t said anything about this wine since 2009. They also make a couple of upper cuvees which of course limits this wine’s ‘upward mobility’ in the numbers game. On the hedonist scale, however, it scores high.

We are fans and, even though we have plenty of wines representing the region, we couldn’t leave the Jean Royer Chateauneuf Tradition 2019 off the team. A blend of 85% Grenache and 5% each Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault, it is an ample, layered, sexy bottle of Chateauneuf and it sells for under $40!

The reviews tell the same story. Joe Czerwinski of Wine Advocate say, “…the palate is full-bodied, creamy and lush. Supple but concentrated, this strong, almost entirely tank-aged effort finishes long, with ample intensity.” And from Jeb Dunnuck, “…a big, ripe, incredibly sexy classic cuvée that has full-bodied richness and no hard edges. It’s for the Grenache lovers out there.” You get the picture.

JUICY, ‘HOUSE RED’ COTES DU RHONE FROM DOMAINE MANARINE

An important part of being a wine merchant is to provide wines for any situation and budget. It’s easy enough to cut and paste scores for hot items. We do that kind of thing as well as anyone. But finding that compelling, angst-free, tasty well priced go to is equally exciting to us. We are always on the hunt for ‘the deal’ be that catching a price reduction or timing a purchase just right. But there are also wines out there that simply overdeliver all the time. Cotes du Rhone is one of those categories. Find a good guy in a good vintage and you can get compelling wines for a song.

This piece is about Domaine la Manarine, a delicious Cote du Rhone that presents of mouthful of delightful, spicy Grenache fruit for a song. It’s been a while but that had more to do with timing with the wholesaler. We’ve known the wine for a long time as a prior incarnation was a wine-of-the-month on the front page of one of our old printed newsletters back at the old location.

Domaine la Manarine was created by Gilles Gasq in April 2001. The winery and majority of his vineyards are located within the commune of Travaillan, on a splendid plateau northeast of Orange in the southern Rhone. Gilles is a talented vigneron who has honed his skills working as an assistant to Paul Jeune, the proprietor of the highly respected Domaine Monpertuis in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Expanding his holdings each year, Domaine La Manarine now encompasses 33 hectares of vineyards situated largely on what is known as the “Le Plan de Dieu”.

This area, covered in large, round stones called galets is a happy place for Grenache. The standard bearer of the domaine is the Côtes du Rhône Rouge produced from the younger (but not young) vines (average 35 years old) of the estate. This wine is 100% Grenache and produces a classically spicy, full-bodied wine that speaks clearly of the “garrigue” of the region. The grapes are destemmed before the fermentation and the cuvaison is on the order of three weeks duration. The wine is bottled without filtration after twenty to twenty-four months of “élevage”.

The Manarine Côtes du Rhône 2020 is an essential wine in this category. The 2020 is a punchier, juicier version of this wine. The Grenache follows the path of a lot of the 2020s with a big, spicy, slightly garrigue-y (scents of fresh wild herbs) mouthful of kirsch and red currant fruit. Ample, bright, flavorful, this is a display of bright, unfettered, character-filled fruit that tastes of its origins. It’s a steal at $13.98!

We don’t have any scores and highlights on Manarine simply because writers rarely talk about little wines like this. But this wine’s boisterous fruit and versatility make it a great choice with a wide variety of dishes and everyone needs a delicious and economic choice to open without too much thinking. Here you go.

DOMAINE DE LA SOUMADE: RETURN OF AN OLD FRIEND

As we told the story last time (with the 2016s), we were going through some open market offers in Europe and ran across one for a Winex favorite from years past, Domaine de la Soumade in Rasteau. We recalled they used to make some pretty impressive juice, Rasteau that played at a much higher level than the appellation. At the time we researched to find only four people in the country were offering this wine. Naturally we were all over that. This time around when we ‘wine-searchered’ the 2019 vintage from this house we found only one store offering it for sale…us. We can’t imagine why this talented, established producer hasn’t yet found a U.S. importer. But we aren’t losing any sleep over it as long as we can get it.

Domaine la Soumade was established by André Roméro in 1979. Since 1990 the whole production has been bottled at the domain. In 1996, when his son Frédéric Roméro had earned his BEPA Diploma in viticulture and oenology, he returned to the domain to join his father. These days André is dialing it back, essentially semi-retired, and the reins are now firmly in Frédéric’s capable hands.

The domain covers 27 hectares, one of which is in Gigondas and the rest is situated in Rasteau. They make nine different wines including four selections of Rasteau. The trend here is to use more large foudres (really big barrels) with the idea of keeping the star of the show, the super ripe Grenache, as fresh and bright as possible. They farm lutte raisonée, in effect organic unless there is a problem that can only be solved by commercial applications. They also have a somewhat unique situation in having Bordeaux superstar winemaker Stephane Derenencourt as a consultant. As we said, this domaine has always played above their appellation, and the 2019s are once again highlight performances.

The one thing about not having broad (or much of any) distribution in the U.S. is that your wares don’t get in front of the media as much, or in as timely a manner. While there are reviews out on a broad array of the 2019 southern Rhones as a category, very few pundits who have gotten to the 2019 Soumade wines. We did find one source that was as enthusiastic as we are although, truth be told, we were in on these wines regardless. They are quite easy to like and their track record is impressive. These two represent the best efforts.

The Domaine le Soumade Rasteau Cuvee Prestige 2019 slowly emits deep aromas of cranberry, dark berry, cured cherry, anise, and floral notes. There’s plenty of juicy, darker fruits in the mid-palate, some pretty spice and fresh herb notes around the edges and a surprising touch of pastry crust. Bright and lively, very expressive, this one definitely shows breeding beyond its sub-$20 price point.

Wine Enthusiast gave us the blend as well as some ‘encouraging words’, “Sun-kissed but zesty blackberry and boysenberry flavors are etched by veins of salt, crushed granite and peppercorn in this full-bodied blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. Matured in equal parts stainless steel and large-format barrels, it’s pristine in black-fruit flavors and briskly balanced in acidity. Edged by very fine, peppery tannins, it’s vibrantly youthful now but should improve through 2029…93 points.”

The Domaine le Soumade Rasteau Cuvee Confiance 2019 is a similar blend from top parcels of older vines. Even though the scores are only a point apart from this reviewer, this one works at a level comparable to a very good Chateauneuf. There are more layers to the nose, with darker fruit and inviting spice and red licorice notes combining with a well tucked in florality. More stuffing, more intensity here along with sweeter, denser, even more compelling fruit, and this wine is tender yet vibrant and the balance is impeccable. Very classy juice.

Wine Enthusiast’s view was appropriately complimentary, “Domaine La Soumade devotes its oldest vines from 50-100 years old to this blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. Vinified entirely in large-format wood vessels, its black plum and cherry flavors are lusciously concentrated but maintain a zestiness and mineral edge that are thrilling. Full bodied and opulent, it’s a velveteen, solidly structured red that should drink beautifully now–2030…94 points.”

We expect even bigger numbers down the road for the 2019s from other reviewers based on the reviews of the 2016s (2019 is another excellent vintage), but there haven’t been any more reviews of 2019 as yet. So you are still ahead of the game.

One interesting note. If we were unscrupulous merchants, we could point out we were substantially below the stated retail prices in the Enthusiast pieces ($60 and $70 respectively). We’ve never seen them offered anywhere near those prices. Suffice it to say, however, at $19.98 and $29.98 respectively, they deliver superb value. Limited.

THE SUPER DELUXE CHATEAUNEUF SHOPPER, OH MY!

Another day, another lagging boat showed up bearing treasures acquired at what now seems like long ago. Supply chain issues are real. This particular bateau (ship) bore a number of absolute jewels from the southern Rhone which prompted us to look over our current stocks of Chateauneuf du Pape from the gorgeous 2019 vintage. We realized we had accumulated quite the selection.

It was altogether too massive to present in its entirety. So we settled on presentation only elite, top-of-the-heap bottlings that had scored 96 points and above. Even at that, our cup almost ranneth over. Even with our long history presenting Chateauneufs in virtually every conceivable way over the years, this collection has to be some sort of high water mark.

Yes, it has been a grand period for the southern Rhone since 1998. But 2019 is a top-notch harvest within that lofty string of hit vintages. As we have presented in past offerings, while 2019 is not quite as fool proof from top to bottom as, say, 2016, the best of the 2019s are on par with top efforts in any vintage. This group represents those high achievers. What we have put together here is a ‘Super Deluxe Chateauneuf Shopper’. In this lineup, every wine scored a minimum of 96 points or more. Ne Plus Ultra, Crème de la Crème, call it what you want, this is an embarrassment of riches or the definition of “too much good stuff.”

These would all qualify as the ‘cherries on top’ of whatever you may have acquired thus far from this exceptional vintage. If you haven’t done much yet, you could put together a broad and enviable collection of top fight Chateauneufs in one fell swoop. We sent these as an email, took a pretty good hit, reshuffled and are presenting it again. We can honestly say that the numbers and the reviews here speak for themselves. It’s a lot to digest, but we’re confident you folks can handle it. That’s why we put it in a format you can revisit any time you want. Good hunting to all…

VIEILLE JULIENNE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES HAUTS LIEUX 2019– from Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hauts-Lieux includes slightly more Mourvèdre and comes from a cooler parcel in the northern part of the appellation. It has another level of purity and precision compared to the Trois Sources and has extraordinary notes of blueberries, cassis, black licorice, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality. Incredibly concentrated, massive, and yet perfectly balanced, it has no hard edges and is just an incredible tasting experience. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years….98+ points.”

VIEILLE JULIENNE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES TROIS SOURCES 2019-from Jeb Dunnuck, “More cassis, morello cherry, Asian spice, and a beautiful sense of minerality and loamy earth emerge from the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Trois Sources, a full-bodied, concentrated blend of 60% Grenache, 15% each of Cinsault and Syrah, and the balance Mourvèdre. Coming all from the estate’s sandy soils in the northern part of the appellation, this incredibly concentrated, textured wine has perfect balance, building tannins, and a great finish. Give this beauty another 4-5 years in the cellar and drink it over the following two decades or more…96+ points.”

LA BASTIDE SAINT DOMINIQUE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES HESPERIDES 2019– from Jeb Dunnuck , “An even split of Grenache and Mourvèdre brought up mostly in tank (20% in demi-muids), the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hesperides is a dense, meaty, powerful wine offering a monster bouquet of black cherry and blackberry fruits as well as roasted meats, chocolate, bouquet garni, and spice. Beautifully textured on the palate, it’s full-bodied and powerful yet stays light and graceful, with building tannins and a great finish. It’s another head-turning good wine from this estate…97 points.”

CRISTIA CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE VIEILLES VIGNES 2019-from Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes (100% Grenache) brings more opulence and sexiness, with a more unevolved vibe in its ripe black fruits, violets, toasted spice, and Provençal garrigue-like aromas and flavors. Brought up in equal parts used barrels, new French oak, and demi-muids, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, incredibly elegant texture, ripe tannins, and one hell of a great finish. This is a Grenache lover’s dream, and it should continue drinking brilliantly for another 10-15 years…97 points.” (Also Wine Spectator 96)

CLOS SAINT-JEAN CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE LA COMBE DES FOUS 2019-From Jeb Dunnuck, “Sensationally pure cassis and blackberry fruits as well as complex notes of lavender, Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, and flowers all define this full-bodied 2019, which displays the vintage’s ripe, perfumed style while bringing more finesse, elegant, and purity than just about every other wine out there. It’s the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve tasted and has another 15-20 years of prime drinking ahead of it…100 Points.”

DOMAINE PIERRE USSEGLIO ET FILS CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE RESERVE DES DEUX FRERES 2019–From Jeb Dunnuck, “While the 2020 will include a splash of Syrah, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Réserve Des Deux Frères is its normal 100% Grenache and is a selection made in the cellar. In 2019, it ended up being roughly 30% new oak, and I think there were some stems included as well. It’s another magical wine from this estate, boasting a dense purple hue as well as a perfume of black raspberries, cassis, blueberry liqueur, spring flowers, toasted bread, and lavender. Full-bodied on the palate, with an incredible mouthfeel, riveting purity, and ultra-fine tannins, it’s unquestionably one of the all-time greats of this cuvée. Give bottles 3-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more…100 points.” Also Wine Advocate 98)

ROGER SABON CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE CUVEE PRESTIGE 2019-From Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com, “One of the top vintages for this cuvée, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Prestige features intense aromas of black cherries and purple raspberries, without the dark chocolate nuances that appear in the other 2019s at this address. It’s full-bodied, dense and concentrated, big but also silky and fine, with a long, elegant finish. It’s a Grenache-led assemblage of lots from the lieux-dits of les Brusquières and Cabrières…97 points.” (Also Jeb Dunnuck 96, Decanter 95, Wine Advocate 96)

LE CLOS DU CAILLOU “LES QUARTZ” CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2019– From Jeb Dunnuck, “Moving to the tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz, which is mostly Grenache with around 25% or so of Syrah, it has a rich, full-bodied, dense, and almost backward style to go with powerful black fruits, ground pepper, and violet aromas and flavors. I love its purity of fruit, and it builds nicely with time in the glass, showing more mid-palate depth as well as ripe tannins. It’s a stunning bottle of wine, but patience will be required. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades…97+ points.” (Also Decanter 96)

SAINT PREFERT CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE COLLECTION CHARLES GIRAUD 2019– From Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Collection Charles Giraud includes a big chunk of Mourvèdre and is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre that was partially destemmed and brought up in demi-muids. If offers a deep ruby/plum color as well as a rich, savory, complex bouquet of black raspberries, cassis, toasted spice, cured meats, and graphite. The Mourvèdre really shows in this beauty, and it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and structured, yet never loses its seamless, flawlessly balanced profile. It’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age but will have 20-25 years of ultimate longevity. It’s another thrilling wine from this estate…99 points.” (Also Wine Advocate 96)

DOMAINE DE LA CHARBONNIERE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES HAUTES BRUSQUIERES 2019–From Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Les Hautes Brusquières (60/40 Grenache and Syrah) comes from a cooler terroir near the Mount Redon plateau and was brought up in oak tronconique tanks and demi-muids. Its dense purple, almost opaque hue is followed by a brilliant perfume of mulled red and black fruits, peppery herbs, crushed stone, violets, and licorice. With full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, and just about perfect tannins, it’s another superstar wine from this estate that’s up with the finest vintages to date…97 points.” (Also Wine Advocate 95)

CHARVIN CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE 2019 – From Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape from Laurent is the usual blend of 82% Grenache and the rest nearly equal parts Syrah, Mourvèdre, Vaccarèse, and Counoise that was brought up all in concrete tank. It shows the sunny, spicy, Provençal style of the vintage beautifully while still having incredible freshness in its red and black fruits as well as garrigue, ground pepper, spring flowers, and incense aromas and flavors. Gorgeous on the palate as well, this medium to full-bodied Châteauneuf du Pape is balanced and has terrific tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. Rhône lovers need to have this beauty in their cellar, and it’s going to offer pleasure for a solid two decades…96 points.”

ALL-STAR COTES-DU-RHONE FROM AN ICNOIC VINTNER

Yeah, we know. Sometimes we repeat ourselves. But when something is a core value of ours, and has been an important part of our successful, long term acquisition program, it’s worth repeating. We don’t even know how many times we have invoked the “buy little wines from great producers” mantra. We only know that it has worked remarkably well.

Today’s subject is the Cotes-du-Rhone from the delicious 2019 vintage, made by one of the greatest producers of Cote Rotie that you probably never heard of. The vintner is Stephan Ogier, producer of some of the most coveted Cote Roties on the planet. Part of the problem is that he doesn’t make a lot of wine and most folks never see it. We’ve had the good fortune to taste a couple of his master works a few years ago before his wines became virtually ungettable.

In any case, any time we come across something from this talented vintner, we’re interested, and the Stephane Ogier Cotes du Rhone Temps est Venu 2019 definitely got our attention. It is a blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre, from Plan de Dieu and Visan, both in the Southern Rhône that is aged in concrete.

The grapes came from vines averaging 30-50 years of age planted in soils of blue clay covered with pebbles. The grapes are harvested by hand and sorted twice, in the vineyard and in the cellar. Then the grapes are whole cluster fermented with natural yeasts.

Joe Czerwinski of Wine Advocate commented, “…it offers attractive scents of garrigue, black cherries and dried spices on the nose, while in the mouth, it’s full-bodied, round and generous. Gently framed by supple tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth, it hints at cherries jubilee on the finish…89 points.”

We didn’t worry a lot about the score. The man was in a cellarful of potential 100 point Cote Roties so a Cotes du Rhone had a little less of a chance to shine. But here in our chairs we were not so distracted and the texture was clearly more polished than your garden variety Cotes du Rhone, the fruits leaning a little bluer thanks to the higher dose of Syrah. At $18.98, it’s pretty classy juice and about as inexpensive as you’ll find anything from this address.

SERIOUSLY GOOD, SEXY 2019 COTE DU RHONE

It has been a great run for the southern Rhone again over the last five vintages (2015-2019). But on a hedonistic level, the 2019 vintage is perhaps the most striking. The wines have opulent, tender, round, engaging fruit and a sleek, supple palate feel right out of the gate. This surprising effort from Domaine de la Solitude is a pretty accurate poster child for what we are talking about.

There’s a lot of history here as the family are direct descendants of the Berberini family of Rome circa the 12^th Century, and have a Pope (Urban VIII) and a couple of Cardinals in their family tree. That probably doesn’t make a lot of difference with respect to what is in the glass. The estate was formed in the 17^th Century and has been in the hands of the Lancon family ever since. It was brothers Michel and Jean that took control of the estate in the 80s and raised the bar and now the estate is under the control of Michel’s son, Florent, who has maintained the traditional styling of the house but kicked up the farming aspects to improve the fruit. The 2019 vintage played nicely into Florent’s hands.

The Domiane de Solitude Cotes du Rhone 2019 is comprised of a selection portion of the traditional varietals of the southern Rhone. It is made up of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Cinsault, and the last 5% of Counoise, Terret, Muscardin, and Vaccarèse, all from sustainably farmed grapes. The varietals and vineyard parcels are fermented separately and then blended after an eight-month stay in vats.

The nose is an inviting mélanges of ripe red cherries and berries, with earthy spice and subtle garrigue woven throughout. In the mouth, the wine has a wave of plush, layered, shamelessly outgoing red cherry fruits with flecks of spice, cocoa, and a hint of anise. Tender yet lifted, lush and smooth from front to back, it’s hard to imagine something more likable. It’s a versatile and pretty darned handy choice for a variety of scenarios, particularly at under $14.

JAMET: NO ORDINARY COTES DU RHONE

First off, yes it’s that Jamet, one of the elite producers of Cote Rotie whose bottlings sell for $200 and up if you are lucky enough to come across it at all. It was a revered house favorite back at the old location but has become more scarce as time has passed. As to the Cotes du Rhone, we never got a sniff of this from the U.S. importer but consistently ran across it when we were traveling n France. We kept our eyes open for an opportunity and jumped when a small lot popped up on an offer sheet.

Since we hadn’t worked with this before, we suspect a lot of you haven’t seen it either. We thought a little explanation was in order because, even with an iconic name on the label, people might want to know why something labeled Cotes du Rhone would sell for $40. Our response is that this Cotes du Rhone tastes like a great Cote Rotie from the perspective of terroir.

Stick your nose in the glass and there are abundant elements of the classic Cote Rotie profile…blackberry, red plum, granite like minerality, sausage and uncooked meat. You get that same glorious matrix across the palate. The big difference? Size and price. In the glass, this is Cote Rotie in every way except the name.

Sure the ‘big dog’ is a denser, more layered mouthful. But it should be for five times the price! This is a beautiful demonstration of the appellation and the refined, elegant style of the house. It comes from schist filled soils around the town of Ampuis, specifically from the following plots: Lézardes, Cognet, Plomb, Champrond, and Tartaras. The 100% Syrah grapes are destemmed and given a long maceration then put in neutral barrels for 12 months.

Joe Czerwinski, the current and somewhat more conservative scoring editor for Wine Advocate for Rhones, had this to say, “Slightly bigger, richer and riper than the IGP Syrah, the 2017 Cotes du Rhone is medium to full-bodied, creamy and supple, with similar notes of crushed stone, a fumé-like character. But it also has blackberries, black olives and hints of espresso. It finishes silky and long. Jean-Paul Jamet points out that it comes from schist soils identical to Côte Rôtie but from younger vines. Like the IGP, it’s destemmed and aged in old barrels…For folks looking for lower prices and more immediate gratification, don’t overlook Jamet’s…Côte du Rhône offering, which offer a taste of Côte Rôtie without the same outlay of time or money…91 points.”

BONPAS COTES DU RHONE: ANOTHER FINE 2019

It has been pretty sensational times for the Rhone Valley. A string of successful vintages since 2015 including epic harvests in the North (2015) and South (2016), with plenty of goodies to be had (be it more selectively) in the other vintages. The word on 2019 in the North is very positive, perhaps on par 2015, though three haven’t been a lot of wines to look at just yet. As to the South, while we aren’t going to tell that 2019 is quite at the supreme level of 2016, it is outstanding and certainly one of the sexiest vintages out of the gate we can recall.

We spoke of the vintage a little bit in the piece we did on longtime favorite Chateau St. Cosme a while ago. That luscious mouthful however is Syrah-centric. This Bonpas Cotes du Rhone Reserve de Bonpas 2019 makes an elegant statement about the quality, substance, and unbridled juiciness we can expect from Grenache in this engaging vintage.

Part of the expansive collection of J.C. Boisset that includes several Californi and French properties as well as one in England and India as well as the iconoc Oakville Grocery, Bonpas is the ‘gateway to the southern Rhone’, a fortress built in 1318 on the road between Avignon (the Papal seat at the time) and Rome. The soils on the state are covered with galets, the round stones associated with the vineyard lands in the region.

As you might have guessed, the lead character here is Grenache from 40-year-old vines, with dollops of Syrah and Mourvedre rounding out the blend. The wine only sees large oak vats to mere aid on the aeration of the wine but not impart any oak notes that might interfere with the purity and authenticity of the fruit.

The Bonpas Cotes du Rhone Reserve de Bonpas 2019 is a crowd-pleaser in every way. Tender and supple for its young age, it’s a plush, forward display of ripe cherry and plum with a subtle underpinning of spice and light-handed minerality and earth notes. The fruit wins the day and the texture will have broad appeal. This is a juicy, versatile red that performs admirably for its modest fare ($12.98) and is another sensational ‘teaser’ for what we expect to be a very hedonistic vintage.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: TARDIEU LAURENT CDP ’16

As we have stated previously, most of the selections from the brilliant 2016 vintage in the southern Rhone have passed through the marketplace. But as we have also made pretty clear, we are still going to take a serious look at anything from the vintage that surfaces moving forward. We just ran across a pretty special wine (it even says so on the bottle.

We’ll be the first to admit we are hard-core wine geeks and also students of our experienced history in the wine world. This dynamic duo has been a remarkable source of exciting wines. Laurent’s talent in the cellar matched with Tardieu’s savvy and intimate knowledge of the Rhone created many very memorable wines. Dominic Laurent had already gained quite the reputation as a Burgundy impresario and somewhat controversial with respect to his cellar practices. Given the stellar performances in both Burgundy and this pair’s exploit’s in the Rhone, the juice was always exceptional.

For no doubt several reasons, they didn’t necessarily always have distribution in this market. They changed distribution a time or two, and sometimes weren’t available at all for long stretches. Great old vine fruit, careful, polished winemaking, they never disappointed in the glass and we were rightly pleased when they reappeared with a very fair-minded purveyor not long ago. We did a piece on their ‘big kid’ Cotes du Rhone Bec Fin 2016 and their 2012 Chateauneuf was a revelation given the vintage. Well, here we go again as this Tardieu Laurent Chateauneuf Cuvee Especial 2016 absolutely wowed us, no small feat given the glorious wines we have seen from this vintage.

Since 2008, when Laurent decided to dial things back, the Tardieu family has been in control of the operation with Michel’s son, Bastien, at the helm of the winemaking. While they have apparently backed off the oak elements (Laurent created early ripples with his 200% new oak regimen), the wines still have that distinctive ‘polish’ no doubt in part because of having worked so long with a ‘Burgundy guy’. Now that the Burgundy guy isn’t around, who ya gonna call? Yes, Bastien can bounce ideas off none other than Philippe Cambie, the ‘Grenache whisperer ‘.

Clear given what we have tasted recently, this team still has the magic. The specifics here are a plot of 100-year-vines situated in sandy soils in the important Bas de la Crau vineyard. The ‘blend’ here, as they state it, is 99% Grenache and 1% ‘other’. The grapes are not destemmed and the juice spends 12 months in 2-3 year-old Tronçais and Allier barrels followed by another 12-month stay in foudre. Everything is done to let the fruit shine through, and ‘shine’ it does. This Chateauneuf is then bottled unfiltered and unfined.

The nose shows classic kirsch fruits with well woven in spice, floral, and earth tones. On the palate, it is broad and rich, yet polished and integrated. Lots of dark red and some black fruits, spice, pepper, a touch of garrigue and a hint of smoke. The balance is impeccable in this ‘Chateauneuf-meets-Burgundy from possibly the greatest vintage ever’ beverage. We went in with pretty high expectations and this wine exceeded them. We’ll offer up a barrage of press with our comment that, if anything. we might be a point or two higher. We will note that this, curiously, was not reviewed in Wine Advocate but there is no shortage of deserved praise.

From Jeb Dunnuck, “The tiny production 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale is Grenache dominated and comes from 100-year-old vines planted in the sandy portions of the famed la Crau lieu-dit. It looks to be one of the stars in the vintage. Blackberries, pepper, violets, and earth all emerge from this full-bodied, massively concentrated, Grenache that has sweet tannin, no hard edges and the opulence and purity of this sensational vintage… 95-97 points.”

From Vinous’ Josh Raynolds, “Deep bright-hued ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, sandalwood, garrigue, lavender and exotic spices, and a smoky mineral element builds in the glass. Sappy, penetrating and pure in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated Chambord, boysenberry and spicecake flavors that deepen steadily as the wine stretches out. Blends power and finesse with a smooth hand and finishes extremely long and seamless, the fine-grained tannins framing the wine’s intense berry fruit...95 points.”

From James Suckling, “The old-vine soul is compelling here with blue-fruit aromas and flavors. Some nuances of iodine and black, inky character, too. Long, suave and powerful tannins make for a compelling, intense and impressive Châteauneuf. Try in 2022…95 points.”

If there was ever a knock of Tardieu Laurent back in the day, it was that their pricing sometimes seemed a bit “Burgundian”. That is certainly not the case here. This can legitimately run with the biggest dogs of the vintage yet sits in the lower part of the price spectrum of elite bottlings ($59.98). Classy Chateauneuf and a significant find this late in the game, don’t miss it!