Rhône & Other French Regions
Wine has been produced in the Rhône Valley for over 500 years, with some of its steeply-terraced vineyards amongst the oldest in France. Syrah rules over the south with a mix of Mediterranean grapes, while in the north the two stars are Hermitage – grown on a granite hillside above the town of Tain and best put to the back of the cellar for a decade – and Côte-Rôtie, a star appellation made famous by Guigal's single-vineyard wines.
Category
Sort by
-
2021 Berry Bros. & Rudd Sancerre by Domaine David Sautereau, Loire
This cool and elegant Sancerre is made for us by 10th-generation vigneron David Sautereau. The nose is fresh and mineral, with citrus fruits mingling with crushed stone. In the mouth, the attack is precise, crisp and energetic, with pleasing mid-palate weight and a saline finish. This is excellent with fresh seafood or the local crottin de Chavignol goat’s cheese.
Drink 2024 - 2026
Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
-
2020 Côtes du Rhône Villages, Massif d'Uchaux Garance, Domaine la CabotteThis rewarding blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre is named after the ‘Wild Madder Eplant that grows around the village of Massif d’Uchaux. The sunshine of E0 has imbued the wine with aromas of ripe red cherry and blackcurrant. It has depth and generosity on the palate, featuring red and black hedgerow fruit and fine mineral acidity. This is elegant and delicious.
Drink 2022 to 2026
Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (Mar 2022) -
2022 Miraval Rosé, Côtes de Provence
As one of the leading lights in Provence, Miraval continues to strive for excellence and the 2022 vintage certainly continues in this manner. Raspberries, candied strawberry, pear and white flowers combine beautifully on the nose and the palate is just as generous, with explosions of ripe white peach, lemon peel and pear all in perfect harmony. Beautifully pale in colour and with wonderful acidity, this really is the perfect drink for summer.
2022 Miraval Rosé, Côtes de Provence2022 Miraval Rosé, Côtes de ProvenceBottle Price 75 cl $46 -
2016 Moulin-à-Vent, Olivier Merlin, Beaujolais
Offering a touch more colour than the 2014, with a sweeter weight of fruit before the spice and tannins at the back. Some elegance too. This will drink well in the near future.Offering a touch more colour than the 2014, with a sweeter weight of fruit before the spice and tannins at the back. Some elegance too. This will drink well in the near future.
Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com (Decemner 2019) -
2015 Riesling, Cuvée Frédéric Emile, Trimbach, Alsace
The power of the solaire vintage is on show in the 2015 Frederic Emile which sits more in the broad shouldered camp that it’s sometimes slatey, lean style. Small, concentrated berries have yielded around a third less than normal. This is a FE of immense power and concentration I think will have the capacity for even longer ageing than normal but the luscious fruit also makes it highly approachable today Eas shown by the Trimbach family’s generous donation of the vintage for us to show at our recent 325th Anniversary party. This is a great Freddie Emile!
-
2009 Ermitage Rouge, Ex Voto, E. Guigal, Rhône
This Ermitage from the top Rhone producer Guigal is nothing short of astonishing. The nose is reticent and shy to come out but shows fruits of the forest, liquorice, black olive tapenade. The palate is lush, mouthcoating and full, tannins are incredibly well integrated and balanced and yet there is still an underlying power that will keep this beauty into the next two decades.
Stuart Rae, Private Account Manager2009 Ermitage Rouge, Ex Voto, E. Guigal, Rhône2009 Ermitage Rouge, Ex Voto, E. Guigal, RhôneBottle Price 75 cl $557 -
2008 Pinot Gris, Heimbourg, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Alsace
The wines of Olivier Humbrecht MW need little introduction, possessing great depth and exactitude, as well as generosity… much like the man himself. The Humbrecht family’s viticultural roots can be traced back to 1620. Today they own 40 hectares across five villages in the Haut-Rhin, the southern half of the picturesque vineyards overlapping the Vosges foothills, treasured for its idyllic climate and tapestry of terroirs, as much for its half-timbered houses.
This is a delicious white showing structure, firm acidity and subtle hints of exquisite white peach. Combine this with a zesty lemon complexity and several pleasing saline notes. A match for simple preparations of chicken, fish and shellfish. Drink now and over the next five years. -
2013 Saumur-Champigny, Le Bourg, Clos Rougeard, Loire
The 2013 Saumur Champigny Le Bourg opens delicate like a Burgundy, with floral as well as flinty and toasty aromas but also intense red fruit and dark cherry ones. Pure, fine, and juicy on the palate, this is a silky-elegant Le Bourg with fine tannins and a long, salty and mineral finish.
-
2020 Chinon, Clos de la Dioterie, Charles Joguet, Loire
Clos de la Dioterie is a northeast-facing vineyard on the left bank of the Vienne River that's on limestone clay. This is one of the last parcels to be harvested. The 2020 barrel sample offers a delightful texture - exuding a fine, chalky grain. It is almost creamy-rich in style, and yet this being Loire Cabernet Franc, it retains its elegance and shape. This is a ripe, black-fruited style with plentiful oak and long length. A fragrance of tea leaf, smoke and spice lingers long on the sinewy, focused finish, undoubtedly thanks to the limestone sub-soil.
A leading light in Chinon, the now-organic estate was founded in 1957 by Charles Joguet, a Chinon native sculptor and painter with an atelier in Montmartre. Joguet returned to found his domaine at a time when vines were part of a mixed farming approach – putting all your eggs in one basket was not the done thing. But the Burgundy wine lover was an artist, and artistic types tend to get away with taking an alternative approach, which soon became the norm.
The Genet family have owned the estate since 1997 and had partnered with Joguet for a decade before the takeover. With 30 hectares of vines, of which 28ha are Cabernet Franc and 2ha are Chenin, the estate makes a wide range of Chinons, but fine wine lovers will best know it for its cuvées Clos du Chêne Vert and Clos de la Dioterie.
Drink 2022 - 2030 -
2018 Anjou, Grolleau, Clau de Nell, Loire
The 2018 Val de Loire Grolleau opens with a light reduction on the nose that is clear, fresh and spicy, with fresh raspberry, blackberry and elegant flinty aromas. Silky, fresh and elegant on the palate, this is a fleshy, sweet, silky-textured but generous red with fine tannins and a sleek, crystalline and concentrated tart finish. It needs some time, but this is excellent and generous. Tasted in June 2021.
Located 24 kilometres west of Saumur in Ambillou-Château in the very east of the Anjou appellation and almost bordering the Saumur AC, the 10-hectare Domaine Clau de Nell, purchased by Anne Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian in 2008 and today managed by winemaker (and shareholder) Sylvain Potin, offers a small but fine range of white and red wines from one block with a homogenous soil of clay, silex and sandstone, the latter gives the wines their characteristic energy and tension.
The organically farmed, south-facing and wind-exposed vineyards are about 100 meters above sea level and are surrounded by forests, grassland, grain fields and a tree farm, which gives a large natural diversity and protection against pollution.
Drink 2023 - 20402018 Anjou, Grolleau, Clau de Nell, Loire2018 Anjou, Grolleau, Clau de Nell, LoireBottle Price 75cl $79 -
2014 Cornas, Reynard, Thierry Allemand, Rhône
Steep and stark (decomposed) granitic splendour has framed a wine where intervention, be it in the form of racking or de-stemming, or pretty much anything else, has been eschewed in the name of purity of thought and clarity of deed. The result, somewhat paradoxically, is virtually impenetrable; such is its tannic livery. The intensity and quality of fruit will come through over time and the result will be a wonderful match for the richest of Lyonnais fare.
Drink 2018-2026.2014 Cornas, Reynard, Thierry Allemand, Rhône2014 Cornas, Reynard, Thierry Allemand, RhôneBottle Price 75cl $490 -
2015 Côte-Rôtie, La Giroflarie, Patrick Jasmin, Rhône
Brilliant ruby. Bright and focused on the nose, displaying spice- and mineral-tinged red berry, cherry and floral scents that pick up smoke and cracked pepper nuances as the wine opens up. Juicy and light on its feet, especially given the vintage, offering sweet raspberry, cherry and lavender pastille flavours and a hint of salty olive paste. Fine-grained tannins add grip to a long, lively finish that echoes the olive and cherry notes.
Drink 2022 - 2030
Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com (March 2018)
-
2020 Saumur-Champigny, Les Closiers, Domaine des Closiers, Loire
Domaine des Closiers is the project of Anatole de la Brosse, who fell in love with wine and became friends with Nady Foucault of Clos Rougeard before setting up this domaine. This is a blend of all the estate’s holdings, giving a wonderfully pure and refined expression of Cabernet Franc. The grapes are de-stemmed and undergo a very gentle maceration before ageing for 8-10 months in stainless-steel tank. This is delightfully perfumed with lovely, lifted aromas of flowers, cherry fruit and graphite. The palate has beautifully pure and crunchy red and black fruit and a fine, refreshing finish typical of this producer.
Drink now to 2028
Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
-
2018 Yann Durieux, Recrue des Sens, Love and Pif, Vin de France
Yann Durieux's Aligoté comes from his vineyards near Beaune, where the vines, aged over 45 years, grow in clay and limestone soils. Yann's winemaking ethos prioritises freshness and dynamism, eschewing oak for tank maturation, allowing the wine to evolve gracefully in the bottle before release. The 2018 vintage entices with a refreshing, lively palate with citrus-mineral accents, balanced acidity, and a lingering, salty finish nuanced with hints of iodine. It's undeniably fresh with fruity and mineral notes, perfect for pairing with seafood, white meat, and Asian dishes.
Drink now
Berry Bros. & Rudd
-
2016 Anjou, Cabernet Franc, Clau de Nell, Loire
From 45-year-old vines, macerated for 30-35 days ("just infusion, no extraction") and aged in old barrels for 12 months plus six months in tanks, the 2016 Anjou Cabernet Franc is pure and intense on the nose that reveals finely concentrated raspberry, red cherry and tobacco aromas. Pure, intense and fresh on the palate, this is a silky-textured, refined, elegant red with fine tannins and vibrantly mineral acidity. Tart on the finish but full of character. Excellent. Bottled at the end of April 2017.
Drink 2022 - 2036
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (October 2021)
-
2021 Riesling, Réserve, Trimbach, Alsace
The 2021 Riesling Reserve is sourced entirely from estate owned old vines in Ribeauville and Bergheim. Green apple and lychee make way to stone fruits and oyster shell. It is bone dry with mouth-watering acidity, creating a real sense of freshness and energy. This is already drinking remarkably well now but will keep for decades. A cellar staple that offers unrivalled value.
Drink 2023 - 2043
Alex Weller, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
2021 Riesling, Réserve, Trimbach, Alsace2021 Riesling, Réserve, Trimbach, AlsaceBottle Price 75cl $55 -
2014 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Hommage à Jacques Perrin, Château de Beaucastel,Rhône
More forward and approachable than the 2013, the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is nevertheless a massive wine that has more depth and concentration than just about every other wine in the vintage. A classic blend of 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, and the rest Counoise and Syrah that was brought up in foudre, this full-bodied, forward, sexy effort has thrilling notes of black and blue fruits, beef blood, liquorice, ground pepper, and bouquet garni. While a relatively accessible, charming vintage (by this cuvees standards anyway), it still needs 4-5 years of bottle age and is going to evolve beautifully on its balance, complexity, and length. It’s an awesome 2014.
Drink 2023 - 2044
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (June 2019)
-
2013 Saumur-Champigny, Clos Rougeard, Loire
Medium dark garnet colour, earthy nose with a pleasant slight green herbal note; the palate starts with tasty darker fruit, excellent medium intensity, perfect acidity, then a lovely tangy slight saline soy note, there’s a bit of green here, but it just blends in with the other interesting complexities; all kinds of savoury, green peppercorns weaving through the somewhat reserved dark fruit—quite delicious, complex, fascinating wine. I loved the 12 last year; this is at least as good, maybe even more interesting.
2013 Saumur-Champigny, Clos Rougeard, Loire2013 Saumur-Champigny, Clos Rougeard, LoireBottle Price 75cl $398 -
2009 Chinon, Les Roches, Alain & Jérôme Lenoir, Loire
-
2017 Côte-Rôtie, La Landonne, Domaine René Rostaing, RhôneThis famous vineyard is currently shared by five vignerons. Rostaing uses only whole-bunch on the fruit from their plot. Inky black in appearance, the nose reveals youthful bramble fruit with heady violets creeping through. The palate is textured and muscular, the dark blackberry fruit combined with a hint of pepper and iron. The finish is very long and the tannins fine, adding to the wine’s finesse.
Drink 2022-2042.
Oliver Barton, Buying Assistant -
2010 Côte-Rôtie, Ampodium, Domaine René Rostaing, RhôneQuite reserved on entry, with fine linear acidity and a pure, long finish. The harvest was relatively late after a mild August; and René praises the resulting wine for its ‘belle tension E The wine has ripe yet restrained fruit, with subtle aromatics of violets and forest floor, and beautifully silky tannins at the back of the mouth. Extremely promising.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
A brilliant vintage for Côte-Rôtie, this is René’s favourite vintage of the past 20 years. Long maceration and low temperatures preserve the crystalline focus, yet the ripeness of the fruit gives a balance of opulent richness that makes this wine approachable in youth. There is finesse with black fruit precision with a touch of wet stone minerality, floral jasmine notes and herbs de provenance on the finish. Personally, I feel this wine as it represents the best of the Côte-Rôtie at a reasonable price. Though approachable now, this has the structure to age happily for a decade or more and will continue to give and give. If you have a case of this, I would open a bottle a year and track its progress.
Fine Wine Team
M Rostaing, or RR as we affectionately call him, is something of an enigma, a man giving all semblance of being a classicist, yet whose winemaking philosophy, with its use of rotary fermenters and pragmatic approach to destemming, is far from the old-school. His vocabulary, however, is pleasingly old-fashioned; he likes the 2010 vintage, as there is Ene belle rigueur E describing it as ‘Jansenist Ein temperament. The classicism now extends to the names of the wines; the wine formerly known as ‘Cuvée Classique Ehas been renamed Ampodium, the Roman name for the town of Ampuis, and the location of his winery. -
2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Hommage à Jacques Perrin, Château de Beaucastel, RhôneThe star of the show was the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage À Jacques Perrin, which in this vintage is a classic blend of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah, and the rest Counoise and Grenache. Inky colored and insanely perfumed, with to-die-for notes of lavender, Provencal herbs, roasted meats, black cherries, truffle, crème de cassis and licorice, it flows onto the palate with massive concentration, a stunning mid-palate and a thick, rich texture that never gets heavy or cumbersome. This is blockbuster stuff that just could not get any better. Drink it anytime over the coming 3-4 decades. 100/100
The Wine Advocate -
2004 Hermitage Rouge, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Rhône
The 2004 red Hermitage, which was given a much longer time in barrel and small foudre than normal because the Chaves determined the tannins and the acids needed a longer time to integrate, is a beauty. The wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, a big, sweet nose of creme de cassis, black cherry, licorice, pepper, and a hint of olive paste. It is a full-bodied wine that tastes atypical for this vintage with its beautifully integrated acidity and sweet tannin. The wine is structured, more masculine and backward than the over-the-top, full-throttle 2003. Readers could probably think of it as an improved, modern-day version of the 1988 or 1998.
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (April 2007) -
2007 Ermitage Blanc, l'Ermite, M. Chapoutier, RhôneAnother candidate for perfection is the 2007 Ermitage l’Ermite blanc. A nectar of rocks, honeysuckle, quince, pears, and white peaches, this super-expressive, full-bodied, thick, glycerin-endowed wine is another example of a massive white Hermitage that can not be found anywhere else in the world. It should last for 35-50 years.
- Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate 2009, 99/100 -
2018 Condrieu, Les Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay, Stéphane Ogier, RhôneThis limited production cuvée is made with ageing in mind and only in the best vintages. It is released only when Stéphane judges it to be at the beginning of its drinking window at 4-5 years after the harvest. It is rich and succulent, packed full of ripe stone and tropical fruits, underlaid with notes of ginger and honey and orange blossom highlights. There is also a hint of sweet spice and creaminess owing to the 7 months it spends in new but large oak foudres.
It is unctuous and silky but far from overbearing. A bite of fresh citrus fruit and crushed stone minerality brings balance and purity to the mid-palate and the assurance of many fine years of drinking ahead. It is one of only a handful of wines to challenge the concept that Condrieu is best drunk young.
Drink now to 2030+