Rhône Valley Wines: Timeless Elegance

Glistening violet. Smoke- and mineral-accented cherry and black raspberry scents are complemented by tobacco, violet and cracked pepper suggestions. Silky in texture and lively on the palate, offering gently sweet dark berry, cherry compote and floral pastille flavours firmed by a spine of juicy acidity. The spicy note returns an impressively long, penetrating finish with good clarity and subtle, fine-grained tannins.

Drink 2023 - 2031

Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com (September 2019)

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 Manager

Most Exciting Wines of the Vintage: Hermitage Rouge, Domaine Marc Sorrel
A taste of this fabulous elixir confirms what a great site the hill above Tain-Hermitage really is. A seductive red fruit nose with hints of garrigue, leads to a punchy palate with notes of olives and flowers, as well as berry fruit and chocolate. This is beautifully made, proper Hermitage.
(Chris Pollington, BBR Fine Wine)

Marc Sorrel is a phenomenal wine maker and his Hermitage Rouge was a real wine moment for everyone that tasted it. The power that you expect from top Hermitage was there, along with fine detail and huge complexity. This will age gracefully for a long, long time and is among the best produced in this revered appellation.
(Matt Tipping, BBR Fine Wine)

Sourced from three sites (Les Plantiers, Les Bessards and Les Greffieux) all assembled at harvest time, this Hermitage wine has attractive floral aromas redolent of violets, and a creamy rich palate which underwrites the astonishing complexity of what is supposed to be the junior wine.
(Simon Field MW BBR Buyer)

Of the 13 plots which make up this wine, the key ones are Beaurenard in the north-west, Charbonnière on the central Crau plateau and Gallimardes in the south... in other words, this has a richly diverse provenance. The blend is 80 percent Grenache, 10 percent Mourvèdre, seven percent Syrah and three percent Cinsault. The wine displays classic aromas of thyme, sous-bois and macerated plum and an equally classic palate, which is long and unnervingly complex.  
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

The forebears of sisters Sophie and Catherine Armenier have been making superb wines since 1344 it seems, maybe modifying their techniques a little along the way, but not too much. Biodynamic in all but the letter, they are based close to Beaucastel, but their plots, albeit more modest in total surface area, are more widely spaced over the appellation, with the most significant holdings in the areas around Courthézon and on the central Crau plateau. Low yields are key to the exceptional quality of the wines.

Made from equal proportions of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre and aged in new barrique, this is the closest the Rhône comes to a Pomerol. The velvety texture coats a most generous fruit basket. This will need a decade to really sing; the 2005 is not quite as good and is still very closed!

La Nerthe is one of the few Rhône properties where the property perfectly captures the grandeur of the wines. Our Fine Wine team loves to visit because everything, including the elegance of the wines, makes them think they are in Bordeaux. Christian Voeux is particularly pleased with the 2010 vintage, which, he advises, shares the rigour and precision of the 2005 and the generous fruit character of the 2007. As the 2007 la Nerthe was our best-seller of that particular vintage, these are words that we are happy to hear.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This wine is built mainly around Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah, but the palate reveals it to be a careful construction from all thirteen Châteauneuf-du-Pape varieties. Counoise lends smoky, tannic complexity, while Cinsault adds softness and elegance. All in all it’s a classic Beaucastel, with black fruits, truffles, spice and bitter chocolate notes all present.

In contrast to the sullen 2018, Jamet's 2017 Cote Rotie Terrasses is more open at the moment, with attractive notes of strawberry and raspberry compote framed by velvety tannins. It's full-bodied, with enough stuffing to carry it at least another decade, probably longer.

Just a few steps up the hill and a solid stone wall apart from the old family domaine now home to his brother, Jean-Luc Jamet continues to build and expand his brand-new cellars. As it had been some time since my previous visit, we had some catching up to do, and we went through a few short verticals of the domaine's wines, as well as a quick barrel tasting of the lots destined for the 2020 Cote Rotie Terrasses.

Drink 2022 - 2035

Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (January 2022)

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.

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)

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)