Made from 100% Syrah aged two years in barrel the 2016 Côte Rôtie Les Grandes Places is a sensational effort from one of the great terroirs in the Côte Brune side of the appellation. Loaded with black and blue... Read More

Inky ruby. Spice- and mineral-accented black and blue fruits licorice smoked meat and olive paste on the intensely perfumed nose. Concentrated blackberry cherry and violet pastille flavors take on a suave floral nuance with aeration.... Read More

On another level, the 2018 Cornas Reynard is a tour de force and up there with the finest Cornas to ever pass my lips. Deep purple-hued, with a gorgeous perfume of crème de cassis, blackberries, powdered granite, violets,... Read More

Diaphanous yellow. Intense mineral-accented scents of fresh pear white peach and violet take on a citrus pith nuance with air. Silky and tightly focused on entry then deeper on the mid-palate offering sappy mineral-driven orchard... Read More

Leading off the bottled reds, the 2019 Côte Rôtie Amethyste would be a great introduction for readers trying to understand the style of this estate. A perfumed, gamey, sun-kissed nose of blue fruits, black peppery... Read More

Glass-staining ruby. Pungent aromas of ripe black and blue fruits licorice smoked meat potpourri and black pepper. Offers densely packed cassis bitter cherry and candied violet flavors that show fine definition and are braced... Read More

Saturated magenta. A wild highly expressive bouquet evokes an array of black and blue fruits pungent flowers smoked meat licorice and exotic spices with a bright mineral overtone. Offers palate-coating deeply concentrated cassis... Read More

The 2020 la Viallière from Domaine Champet is nicely old school in octane coming in listed at a svelte 12.5 percent alcohol in this vintage. Romain and Maxime Champet seem to have a real talent for not letting their syrah get... Read More

Beautifully fragrant nose of star anise cedar and cigar tobacco. Full-bodied rounded and seductively plump and juicy showing clarity precision and focus on the palate the fruit melds well with the considerable oak element and... Read More

The tiny production 2018 Châteauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum comes from a single parcel in the famed La Crau lieu-dit and is brought up in demi-muids. Released only in magnum it’s consistently been one of the most... Read More

Lastly, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum is always all Grenache from a single parcel of very old vines in the La Crau lieu-dit. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a touch of whole cluster here, but in... Read More

As always the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes has a touch more dark fruits more concentration and more structure which makes it less approachable but more age-worthy. Blackcurrants ground pepper bouquet garni crushed... Read More

Vibrant mineral-accented blackberry blueberry and violet aromas pick up a spicy topnote with air. Concentrated red and dark berry olive and floral pastille flavors display sharp focus and energetic drive thanks to a spine of smoky... Read More

Opaque violet. Smoky spice-accented aromas of cherry black raspberry and singed plum with hints of licorice... Read More

Aromas of fresh black/blue fruits pungent flowers olive and allspice on the incisive nose. Weighty yet lively black currant bitter cherry and violet pastille flavors show fine delineation and take on a smoky mineral nuance on... Read More

Situated in the southern part of the Appellation, this estate goes back eight generations and is currently run by brothers Daniel and Frederic Coulon, and Daniel’s sons Victor and Antoine. The Domaine owns 32 hectares of... Read More

Domaine de Beaurenard makes highly concentred wines of great finesse elegance and minerality. This is the true signature and pedigree of the local soils which makes Beaurenard wines suited to lengthy ageing. They can also be drunk... Read More

Also all Grenache brought up in demi-muids the 2020 Gigondas Le Lieu-Dit is in the same qualitative ballpark but shows a very different style. Coming from a cooler sandy terroir near the domaine it's all about finesse and... Read More

The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc might be one of the best examples of this white that' I've tasted. Incredible pear white flowers salty minerality and hints of ripe citrus define the bouquet and it's medium to full-bodied... Read More

One of my favorite wines in the world the Châteauneuf du Pape Colombis is all old vine Grenache from the Colombis lieu-dit located on the western side of the appellation. The 2019 sports a healthy ruby/purple color as well... Read More

Just to the west of town, this Domaine has since 1998 been under the stewardship of brother and sister team of Marie and Francois Giraud, whose lineage in winemaking on their father’s side stretches back six centuries. Their... Read More

Opaque ruby. Spice-accented aromas of red and dark berry preserves cured tobacco olive and a smoky mineral overtone. Sappy sweet and fleshy on the palate offering juicy black raspberry cherry-cola and floral pastille flavors with... Read More

Deep magenta. Aromas of blackberry cherry liqueur candied violet and olive along with exotic spice and smoky mineral top notes. Rich as well as energetic in style offering sappy mineral-laced black and blue fruit preserve and... Read More

Considerably more concentrated and tannic than the main cuvée Faury's 2019 Saint Joseph Vieilles Vignes comes from 40- to 60-year-old vines in Chavanay. It's medium to full-bodied and loaded with black olives and blackberries... Read More

Just to the west of town, this Domaine has since 1998 been under the stewardship of brother and sister team of Marie and Francois Giraud, whose lineage in winemaking on their father’s side stretches back six centuries. Their... Read More

Now the flagship of this estate, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape is 75% Grenache and the rest Cinsault, Mourvedre, and a little Syrah. Sporting a deep ruby/purple hue, it offers a beautiful array of black raspberry and darker... Read More

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Colombis just about jumps out of the glass with its kirsch, ripe strawberry, wildflower, Provençal spice, and loamy earth-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied on the palate,... Read More

Deep-pitched blackberry cherry cassis and pungent floral qualities on the intensely perfumed mineral-accented nose. Sappy and densely packed yet lively as well offering bitter cherry dark berry preserve and candied violet flavors... Read More

Dark purple. Pungent mineral-tinged cherry and cassis aromas are complemented by suggestions of black pepper succulent flowers and cola. Taut and structured on entry and then broader in the midpalate offering concentrated spice-... Read More

A highly expressive complex bouquet evokes ripe black/blue fruits exotic spices potpourri olive and candied licorice. Palate-staining appealingly sweet blackberry mulberry cherry liqueur vanilla and violet pastille flavors show... Read More

A bright savory note leads off this red followed quickly by sanguine and bay leaf accents all melding nicely with the core of steeped blackberry raspberry and plum fruit flavors as they move through the rich licorice root–tinged... Read More

Not yet bottled the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône is a beautiful introduction into the style of this reference point estate offering medium-bodied aromas and flavors of darker berries smoked game and pepper which are all textbook aromas... Read More

Only just ripe on the nose which is surprising for a hot year. Medium-bodied really quite a fresh feel on the palate and good energy. Tannins just a touch on the grainy side but does have focus and intensity. (Drink between 2024-2027)... Read More

Juicy soft velvety and inviting nose. Bags of fresh acidity with cracked black pepper underneath juicy strawberry-jam notes. Very appealing – light and juicy. But with a lovely core of fruit. Already delicious. (AC) (Drink between... Read More

Coming all from the Maison Blanche lieu-dit, the 2019 Hermitage Blanche is based on 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne that spent two years in used barrels. It's a smoking value in Hermitage Blanc, offering classic notes of quince,... Read More

Juicy and mouthfilling with lots of delicious blackberry fig and black cherry pate de fruit notes enlivened by anise and violet flavors then carried by a sleek iron-accented finish. Drink now through 2030. 3300 cases made 1000... Read More

All Syrah brought up in used barrels, the 2020 Saint Joseph Offerus is a classic Northern Rhône with its darker berry fruits, peppery herbs, violets, and gamey nuances. With beautiful ripeness (not underripe or overripe),... Read More

Opaque ruby. Highly perfumed black and blue fruit floral and exotic spice aromas show excellent clarity and pick up a hint of smokiness with aeration. Sappy and expansive on the palate offering sweet black currant cherry and mulberry... Read More

I loved the 2018 Côte Rôtie Terrasses, which is slightly more supple and elegant than both the 2017 and 2019. Offering darker red, almost blue fruits as well as peppery game, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality,... Read More

Still resting in barrels the 2020 Côte Rôtie is a ripe sexy beast of a Côte Rôtie and Jean-Paul commented that he preferred the more classic style of the 2019. Don't let that scare you away as this is a thrilling Côte... Read More

A tasting of component barrels for this wine made for an instructive view of the vintage. Certain sites show the lightness of the vintage fresh and peppery. Others such as Bonnivières and Tartaras exhibited the rigid austere... Read More

Translucent green-hued yellow. Assertive orchard and pit fruit and orange peel scents are complemented by building honey and fennel flourishes. Concentrated and energetic on the palate offering intense white peach pear and tangerine... Read More

Now 100% matured in terracotta amphora which brings 'a saline mineral side' to the wines says Loïc Jamet especially in hot years. Straightness of character from the Côte Chatillon; generosity from the Vernon. Very peachy... Read More

I loved the 2020 Condrieu. It’s made in a more vibrant reductive racy style that carries classic white peach tangerine and apricot aromas and flavors. Brought up all in amphora this pretty bright elegant Condrieu is ideal for... Read More

Juicy note on the nose crushed raspberry and strawberry with the gentlest of smoke and spice beneath. Lots of freshness here a lively undertone of energy and acidity. Fresh and enticing with soft red fruits and a richness. Already... Read More

Slightly more expensive the 2019 Crozes-Hermitage Clos Les Cornirets is more ruby/purple-hued and offers a rocking bouquet cassis violets bouquet garni and orange blossom. It's pure medium-bodied and elegant on the palate... Read More

Toasted grain and grilled pineapple appear on the nose of the 2020 Hermitage Blanc les Dionnières. Made from 70-year-old vines barrel fermented and with the malolactic fermentation completed this is a rich full-bodied Hermitage... Read More

Coming from a site on the eastern side of the hill the 2019 Hermitage Les Diognieres reveals a dense purple color as well as a beautiful array of cassis and darker berry fruits along with notes of pepper loamy earth and cedary... Read More

Dense and youthfully muscular with a cloak of warm ganache over a hefty core of steeped black currant black cherry and bitter plum fruit. A serious graphite bolt underscores the finish along with ample smoldering tobacco and singed... Read More

Lurid violet. Mineral-accented black currant and blueberry on the deeply perfumed nose complicated by exotic spice and floral notes. Densely packed but energetic dark fruit liqueur flavors show candied violet and smoky olive accents... Read More

Deep glistening magenta. Hugely expressive cherry blackberry espresso and floral aromas along with suggestions of smoked meat licorice and star anise. Deeply concentrated as well as energetic on the palate offering intense black... Read More

Saturated ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of ripe dark berries cherry olive and pungent flowers are sharpened by a suggestion of black pepper. Supple and appealingly sweet offering concentrated black raspberry cherry-cola and violet... Read More

A gorgeous rose-scented expression of St-Joseph. Remarkably light-bodied for a 2019 and noticeably fresh with well-balanced acidity. No great length of fruit but there’s a slim tapered finish with grippy fine tannins to the... Read More

The name of this wine Luc refers to the name of the vineyard parcel it comes from. It’s a fragrant violet-tinged lightly peppery style with some blackberry characters. Surprisingly grippy finish from the stems with a savoury... Read More

Not as effusive on the nose as the La Louisiane the 2019 Gigondas les Souteyrades is drier sterner stuff—not as immediately approachable with more savory notes of black olives and earth. There are still notes of ripe plums and... Read More

Starting with what could be considered the entry level cuvée the 2020 Cornas Granit 30 comes from further down the slope from vines closer to the village. That's obviously not a bad thing since this plump full-bodied beautifully... Read More