Rhone

Domaine E. Guigal Showcases an Impressive Line-up of Benchmark Rhone Wines at the Launch of their New La Reynarde Cote Rotie…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Few names evoke the majesty of France’s Northern Rhône Valley quite like Domaine E. Guigal. Founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the ancient village of Ampuis, this legendary house single-handedly redefined the global reputation of Côte Rôtie reds. Guigal became world-renowned for its iconic trio of single-vineyard Syrahs, affectionately dubbed the “La-La’s”: La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque. Known for their near vertical terraced slopes, low yields, and unyielding 40-month maturation in 100% new French oak, these cuvées are benchmarks of power, aromatic complexity, and profound longevity. 

Now, a historic new chapter at Domaine Guigal unfolds. For the first time in nearly four decades, a fourth “La-La” enters the pantheon: La Reynarde 2022. Planted in the iron-rich mica-schist soils of the Fongeant lieu-dit (historically divided by the Reynard stream), this spectacular 100% Syrah marks its official commercial debut with the 2022 vintage.

Bridging the floral, perfumed elegance of La Turque with the dense, structured muscle of La Landonne, La Reynarde incorporates 100% whole-cluster fermentation and intensive punch-downs. The 2022 release stands as a monumental achievement, offering a rich tapestry of black fruits, liquorice, and graphite, becoming in its own way, a fitting tribute to the next generation of Guigal Rhône royalty now led by Philippe Guigal.

To mark the prestigious London launch of the La Reynarde, Guigal’s UK importer John E. Fells opened a fascinating selection of white and red wines from the Domaine E. Guigal range, to mark this momentous occasion… and I was there to taste and assess all the new and current releases. 

White Wine Flight:

Domaine E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône 2024, 14% Abv.

Tantalisingly pithy citrus driven aromatics, lime peel, wet limestone and green apple. Lovely concentration and freshness, well delineated and deliciously long on the finish. Very impressive for an “entry level” wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Croze-Hermitage Blanc 2023, 13% Abv.

A more savoury, leesy nose with waxy bergamot lemon peel, lanolin, sweet herbs following to a full glycerol palate with tangy white peach, a well integrated acidity and a fleshy substantive length.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Saint Joseph Blanc 2023, 13% Abv.

A deep earthy savoury aromatics loaded with quince, peach and bruised yellow orchard fruits. Fleshy and glycerol with more high toned pithy peach pip viognier’ish profile of zesty fruit with real body and power.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Saint Joseph Lieu-Dit Blanc 2023, 14.5% Abv.

An enticing aromatics with complex layers of quince, apple puree, and biscuity, leesy savoury hints. More wet stone granitic minerality on the palate with sweet herbs, green fruits and a very complex harmonious finish. Superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2023, 13.5% Abv.

A savoury waxy aromatics greet you with incense, lanolin and slightly oily, buttery yellow orchard fruits. Concentrated and moderately intense, the acids are soft but tangy, the fruit weight fleshy and persistent.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Condrieu 2022, 14.5% Abv.

Plenty of archetypal peach stone fruits, zesty apricot and savoury leesy ginger biscuit nuances. Lovely peachy fruit in the mouth, impressively concentrated with a delicious balance and intensity. Classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal La Doriane Blanc 2023, 14.5% Abv.

A complex melange of wet limestone and granitic minerality with pithy peach stone fruits. Cool and creamy on the palate, the freshness finely poised, the ripeness perfectly in check. A really delicious La Doriane good to drink now.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal La Doriane Blanc 2024, 14.5% Abv.

This 2024 shows a tighter, more mineral dusty granitic aromatics before hints of lemon grass, dried herbs and peach stone. Full but fresh in the mouth, beautiful delineation, cool, classical and tight knit. This will still improve further in the cellar. Lovely.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Hermitage 2019, 14% Abv.

Delightfully complex nose shows earthy wet chalk, rain on hot slate and delicately mealy, savoury hints of lemon biscuits, peach stone and a full and fleshy palate with yellow orchard fruit concentration, real energy and drive. Rhône’s answer to Burgundy?

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc 2020, 14.5% Abv.

An intricately complex aromatics showing white blossom, honied peaches and a savoury mealy complexity. The freshness is chislled and cool, supporting massive honey comb concentration and peachy toasted fruit nuances. Wow, a beast of a wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc 2022, 14.5% Abv.

A slightly tighter, stricter aromatic expression, with a stony minerality and pithy peachy hints. Palate is super cool and taut, almost steely, with a profound purity and tight knit fruit crystallinity. Very classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rose 2025, 14% Abv.

Delightfully chalky musky aromatics showing pink flowers, red currants, and pithy wild strawberry. Super fine, cool and crystalline, the fruit purity is delicious, the freshness perfectly judged, finishing with a complexing sapidity. Lovely.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Red Wine Flight:

Domaine E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône 2022, 14.5% Abv.

Such a succulent aromatics loaded with ripe strawberry, earthy red currant and delicate sweet herbal nuances. Perfectly weighted palate, bright, dense, compact yet delightfully fleshy and fresh. Very impressive for the money!

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Hermitage 2021, 13% Abv.

A delightful melange of sweet red and black berries, savoury notes, cured bresaola and granitic spice.  A notable high toned sapidity and peppery spice supported by bramble berries, wild strawberry and a pronounced mineral intensity.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Saint Joseph 2021, 13% Abv.

A deep, dark fruited broody aromatics showing lashings of black berries and black plums, a savoury mid-palate and a cool, sleek, silky fine grained finish. Very classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Saint Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice 2021, 13% Abv.

Loaded with aromatics of blue and black berry fruits with a delicate veneer of oak polish, Kalamata black olives and savoury meaty nuances. Sleek, polished and beautifully fresh, the acids add linearity to the ripe, savoury molasses tinged fruits. Chalky and grippy in a powerful, muscular style.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Gigondas 2021, 14.5% Abv.

Quite a restrained, earthy, broody aromatics require plenty of coaxing. Hints of wild strawberry, red plum and watermelon linger. Palate is cool, crunchy and fresh remaining true to the restrained 2021 vintage styling.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Hermitage 2020, 14.5% Abv.

Earthy ripe brûléed hints over meaty red fruits, cured charcuterie and gun smoke spice. Compact, harmonious and creamy in the mouth with lactic black berry yogurt hints, molasses and warm vintage Xmas spices. Certainly a punchy style.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie 2021, 13% Abv.

A lovely fragrant perfumed expression showing dusty granitic spice, lavander, potpourri, red plums and incense spice. Elegant and poised, neither imposing nor weighty, this is lithe, sleek and elegantly fashioned from a cooler vintage that shows tension and restraint.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Chateau d’Ampuis Cote Rotie 2018 (Magnum), 14.5% Abv.

Delicate molasses tinged fragrant lift, with sweet Xmas spices, red liquorice and savoury chargrilled meaty notes. Beautiful density, harmonious palate weight and an effortless black berry laden persistence. Wow. Really very good.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Rouge 2017, 14.5% Abv.

Savoury and meaty on the nose, the aromatics are earthy and dusty with a mineral under vein. Fruit profile is ripe and fleshy, full of molasses, cured meats, savoury spices and stewed plum compote. Bold, ripe, and big in style.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Rouge 2020, 14.5% Abv.

A vanilla pod tinged aromatics showing bramble berry spice, savoury plum compote and molasses hints. Cool, plush and super creamy texture, this has a dense compact intensity, fabulous balance and a harmonious, vibrant finish. Effortless class.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline 2017, 14% Abv.

This Cote Blonde vineyard yields a beautiful wine showing savoury notes, biscuity gingerbread dough aromatics with fabulous broody black berry fruits and a super cool, creamy, seductive length. So elegant, finely poised and complex.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline 2019, 14.5% Abv.

Quite an earthy, savoury under vein with ripe plum, pomegranate, and stewed plum compote. More fireworks on the palate that shows a notable creamy, lactic ripeness with sweet, fleshy black berry fruits, a tannin texture of velvet and a meaty, chargrilled length.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline 2022, 13.5% Abv.

This shows a complex, cheeky aromatics of raspberry, wild strawberry and earthy pomegranate fruits. Purity and precision are key, following to a pinpoint palate that’s silky soft, fine grained and incredibly vibrant and fresh with tangy acids and a ginger bread finish. Simply stunning.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque 2016, 13.5% Abv.

This Cote Brune vineyard shows a deep, complex aromatics of tilled earth, dusty granitic spice and blue black berry fruits. Tight knit, silky and soft, showing big concentration, a mouth coating density, fine grained powdery tannins and a gunsmoke, graphite, and a peppery finish. True classism and class.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque 2018, 14.5% Abv.

A majestic balance of black savoury fruits, lavender perfume, blueberry fruits, and a subtle, granitic mineral spice. The youthfulness is front and foremost outstanding, the density plush with a bright creamy texture, super harmonious balance and real assertive power. Wow!

(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque 2022, 13.5% Abv.

A deep blue black fruited aromatics are emboldened with creamy lactic nuances, custard cream biscuits and blueberry crumble. Tight knit and super compact, this has among the finest textured tannins I’ve ever tasted, complementing a tight grained, chalky, black berry laden chalky finish. Simply astonishing.

(Wine Safari Score: 99/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne 2016, 13.5% Abv.

This shows an incredible granitic, sappy, mineral aromatics with a seductive pyrazines salt and pepper complexity. Complex, nervy and mineral laden, this is one of the most fruit-backward expressions I’ve tasted. Pithy, enticing but certainly an intriguing expression!

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne 2020, 13% Abv.

A rich vein of creamy lactic milk chocolate aromatics set this wine apart. Plummy, mulberry fruits notes develop, with a weightless silky palate, impressive black berry fruit concentration, and freshness and a spicy, ethereal, silky grippy tannin finish. Sublime!

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne 2022, 13.5% Abv.

Beautifully harmonious aromatics integrating lavender, violet perfume, garrigue, limestone and blue – black berry fruits. Sleek, silky and classically structured showing beautiful elegance, fine grained velvety tannins with a really premium presence. Superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Reynarde 2022, 13.5% Abv.

Incredibly deep, broody and broad shouldered aromatics with layers of earthy savoury black berry fruits, black liquorice and savoury cured meaty notes that follow to the palate that’s more intricate, musk laden, chalky and incredibly tight knit and fine grained with massive concentration coated by premium chalky tannins. A beautifully unique lieu dit Cote Rotie expression. I’m in love!

(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

A Deep Dive Into the Seductive Red Wines of the Southern Rhône’s Beaumes de Venise Appellation…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

There are few more beautiful regions in the southern Rhone Valley than Beaumes-de-Venise. This enchanting wine regions is towered over by the striking Dentelles de Montmirail peaks, limestone outcrops from the Jurassic era, the sloping vineyards of this tiny southern Rhône cru and its five picture postcard villages possessing a true classical beauty. With a mosaic of complex soils situated on slopes at altitudes as high as 600m, this region seems to tick all the correct boxes for a new generation of wine drinkers looking for quality, individuality, and affordability, all presented with a rich historically storied past.

Interestingly, Beaumes de Venise was one of the first French wine regions I visited on my return to Europe from South Africa in 2000. Coming five years before the appellation changes in 2005, the region was firmly dominated by sweet Muscat wines with red wines very much an afterthought – the red wines living in the shadow of more notable up and coming villages like Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Rasteau, Sablet, etc. I knew it was beautiful as a region and incredibly complex geologically, having hiked the Dentelle de Montmirail trails… which normally means it should be perfect red wine terroir as well.

Beaumes-de-Venise’s world-class Vins Doux Naturels (VDNs), sweet wines fortified to 15%, aka AOC Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, might be what the region is best known for, but as I discovered during a recent three day tasting trip to the region, there is so much more to discover and explore about this beautiful part of the southern Rhône Valley. 

While the regions Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise VDN sweet wines need no introduction, having been served at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the Cru status for the reds wines was only conferred on Beaumes-de-Venise reds in 2005. These must be an assemblage of at least 50% Grenache and 25% Syrah, with other Rhône varieties permitted such as Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Counoise.

White varietals like Viognier, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc can also be added but must make up no more than 10% of the blend. In practice, the majority of producers stick with Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Currently, the INAO is still considering the AOC’s application in 2022 to include dry white wines under the same Cru designation.

The uniqueness of Beaumes-de-Venise’s terroir lies in its complex geological diversity, with four soil types: Triassic red earth, grey Jurassic earth, Cretaceous white earth and blond Miocene earth. The emergence of the Dentelles de Montmirail brought the Triassic deposits to the surface around the village of Suzette, whose soils are ideal for Syrah, providing richness, suppleness and longevity. Grey Jurassic earth is found north of the village of Lafare, being made up of silt, clay and sand which is perfect for Grenache. Cretaceous white earth around the village of La Roque-Alric, with its marly clay-limestone soil, is good for both Syrah and Grenache, which are grown on terraces, or ‘banquettes’, that boost groundwater retention. Blond Miocene earth’s clay-sand soils are best for Muscat, providing finesse, freshness and floral aromas. This blend of soil types gives Beaumes-de-Venise wines distinctive complexity and balance.

Beaumes de Venise celebrating 100 years – 80 years for sweet wines plus 20 for the red wine appellation.

For the UK market, there is definitely a significant opportunity for the red blends focusing on Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre. Most interestingly for me, despite the 14 to 15 % alcohol levels on the wines, they all retained incredible purity, freshness and focus more in keeping with wines that are 13 or 13.5% abv. But the limestone soils and altitude definitely bring something special to the wines. In the wider wine market, there is undoubtedly plenty of interest in the UK for the £16.99 to £22.99 price point wines that should see consumers getting a very accomplished red wine showing fruit purity, concentration, and structure.

AOC Beaumes-de-Venise Red Tasting:

1 Domaine Sant Amant 2024

Enticing sweet herbs, Xmas spices and black berries with a dusty stony, mineral undertone. Fresh and crunchy, texture shows tension, acid frame and lovely red and black fruit clarity with a tangy finish. 

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

2 Domaine Pierre Rougon 2024

Full of dark broody black berry fruit aromatics with a dusty limestone minerality. Lovely pithy mineral tannins, restraint and grip but fine grained and full of energy with a saline liquorice kiss on the finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

3 Sarl Persephone Domaine Suzette 2024

Deep earthy black berry fruits with damson plum, black cherry and sweet bramble berry spices. The texture is fleshy and compact showing depth and breadth but also a creamy black fruited depth with plush powdery tannins and a saline intensity on the harmonious finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

4 Domaine Caroline Bonnefoy 2023

Intense perfumed aromatics packed full of sour plum, peach skins, violets and lavender fragrance. Bright and fruity, the palate is tangy and mouth watering with a sweet / sour acidity with soft fleshy layers of red and black berry fruit on the finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

5 Domaine de Fenouillet Terres Blanches 2023 

Dark broody nose with exotic black cherry and wild strawberry notes. The texture is sleek and polished, the tannins fine grained and powdery, finishing with chalky, grippy mineral tannins. A real terroir feel to this wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

6 Domaines des Bernardins 2023

The aromatics are dusty and savoury with sappy spicy notes, peppery black berries, and a smoky flinty hint. The palate is fruity and bright full of red and black berry fruits, tangy acids and a sappy brambly finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

7 Domaine des Garances Alazard 2023

A delicately perfumed aromatics showing musk, lavender, potpourri, black plums, red currants and black cherry. Palate shows crisp acids and notable delineation with wild strawberry and bramble berry fruits over a stony limestone minerality.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

8 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Terres Blondes 2023

Piercing and pure fruited with violets, lavender, red cherries and red berries. Crisp, pure and very focused with an impressive textural precision. Very impressive balance. Real class.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

9 Domaine La Ligiere Les Garennes 2023

Deep broody complex aromatics show herbs and spices, black berry fruits, musk and lavender. The palate is plush and ripe with a sweet sour acidity alongside plummy red and black fruits, bramble berries and hints of breakfast brown toast.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

10 Domaine Raboly Clement V 2023

Delightfully perfumed nose of dried violets, potpourri and lavender alongside red and black berry fruits. The palate is crisp, pure and taut, full of energy and tension, polished marble tannins, tangy acids and a sleek harmonious long finish showing class and pedigree. Wow!

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

11 Famille Petitjean Les Contreforts de Montmirail 2023

Bright fruity nose showing raspberry ripple, strawberry confit and sour red plum with a smoky mineral hint. Deliciously tangy and red fruited, the finish is long, characterful and delicately salty.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

12 Famille Petitjean Tradition 2023

Dark fruited aromatics showing damson plum, bramble berries and garrigue spice. There’s a focused precision on the palate, crisp acids and an accessible, long, fleshy finish with soft pliable tannins.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

13 Domaine Pierre Rougon Les Vins Pierre Rougon 2023

Attractive aromatics of damson plum, black currant, violets and salty cassis. The texture is polished and tight knit, sleek, balanced and fine grained with creamy red and black fruits and a harmonious blackberry fruited finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

13B Jean Pierre Cartier Rouge 2023

Shows a melange of perfume and lavender, musk and bathroom soaps with potpourri and garrigue spices. The palate is fleshy and creamy, full but accessible and deliciously chalky and tight grained with a powdery grippy mineral finish. A serious effort!

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

14 Vignerons des Dentelles Dom Venitia 2023

A dark fruited plummy smoky bramble fruited aromatics. The fruits are cool and compact, polished with fine grained tannins and gentle, soft integrated acids with a delicately toasty, brûléed finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

15 Domaine de Durban Vieilles Vignes 2022

Tight dark fruited aromatics. Sleek texture. Beautifully complex and polished.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

16 Domaine de la Pigeade Hurlevent 2022

A wine with impressive minerality and precision alongside aromatics of limestone, garrigue and spicy black berry. Impressive purity and precision on the palate, a definite winemaking focus and know how that elicits the best of this wine’s terroir. A polished, harmonious style with real minerality.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

17 Domaine des Garances Jas du Chene 2022, 14.5% Abv. 

50% Grenache and 50% Syrah aged in concrete and stainless steel vats. Exotic aromatics of cherry rock candy, red plum and sour cherry. Follows to a deliciously pure, crystalline palate with sleek silky tannins, glassy fresh crystalline acids and a beautifully harmonious finish with a delicate brûléed tasty twist. Very impressive finesse.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

18 Domaine Raboly Jean XXII 2022

Deep broody black fruited aromatics showing plum and black berry, musk and potpourri spice. Texture is cool, fleshy and pure, harmonious and balanced with silky tannins, a fleshy black berry core of fruit and a long, chalky finish. Very mineral and seriously classy!

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

19 Domaine Saint Amant Grangeneuve 2022

An intricate aromatics with raspberry and red currant top notes over deeper, broodier black currant and damson plum baritone fruit notes. Full and plush in the mouth, the acids are tangy and the tannins sweet, soft and accessible, finishing with a mellow sweet and sour complexity.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

20 Earl Saint Roch Cuvee des Sens 2022, 15% Abv.

60% Syrah and 40% Grenache. Smoky meaty savoury aromatics with hints of cherry rock candy, macerated blueberry fruits and musk hints. The palate shows a fleshy depth and concentration, accessible ripeness and generous depth with a long, plush, sweet black fruited finish. Packs a lot of punch and intensity.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

21 Earl Saint Roch Cuvee des Taus 2022

A delightfully fragrant aromatics boasting violets and potpourri, black cherries, musk and lavender. The fruits are tangy and bright in a red and black berry melange. Polished tight grained marble tannins are supported by a fresh acidity and a generous, harmonious fruit length.

(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

22 Vignerons des Dentelles Confidence 2022

The aromatics show dusty, herby garrigue spice with musk and cinnamon spice. Cool and compact on the palate, the tannins are fine grained, chalky, and soft with a drying mineral finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

23 Gaec de Benquillon Rene 2022

Perfumed aromatics with pink musk, talc, lavender and potpourri. The palate is bright and tangy, the acids crisp and the tannins chalky and mineral. Massive fruit concentration and intensity make this a very impressive wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

24 Famille Soard Domaine de Fenouillet Yvon Soard 2021

Deep dark notes of black cherry, liquorice and black berries. Stony mineral texture with linearity and chalky tannins. A more mineral, classically restrained expression.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

25 Domaine de Garances Le Pas de L’Aube 2021

75% Syrah and 25% Grenache from a single plot. Complex aromatics of black berry, saline cassis, liquorice and black olive. The texture is cool and tight knit, with polished stony tannins, a chalky minerality and a drying intense finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

26 Domaine Saint Amant Cuvee Nathalie 2020

20% new barriques with up to 8 year old barrels with a 3-4% Viognier portion blended and Co-fermented. Aromatics full of black cherry, kirsch liquor, and salty black liquorice. The black fruits are zippy and vibrant, the texture chalky and mineral with a long, tangy salty finish. Plenty of intensity here.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

27 Famille Petitjean Felibrige 2020

A more savoury meaty black fruited aromatics with cherry and cured meats. Palate is mineral and taut with stony tannins and a chalky finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

28 Vignerons de Dentelles Trias 2020

Deep broody aromatics boast black cherry, black berries and saline spice. A notable minerality belies the palate with fine grained chalky tannins and a fresh, bright acid finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Star performers from Domaine Raboly, a young premium micro-site boutique producer.

 

Tasting Jean-Luc Jamet’s Collines Rhodaniennes Valine 2017 Syrah – One of the Rhone’s Best Kept Secrets…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Northern Rhone wine lovers are by now fairly well versed in the split between the Jamet brothers in 2013. The chatter I feel seems to persist in wine enthusiast circles precisely because the whole affair was kept so secretive and also because coming by any accurate information on the way forward for both talented Jamet brothers seemed very difficult indeed.

But the time has certainly come for wine enthusiasts to celebrate the fact that there are not one but two incredible Jamet scions making mind blowing wines in and around Cote Rotie now. Through tragedy and adversity, we are now treated to two different but equally exhilarating styles of Syrah from these gifted brothers.

Jean-Luc subsequently built his own winery just on the other side of the formerly shared driveway, now divided by a sturdy stone wall. My deep interest in the wines of Jean-Luc were perhaps encouraged by the early, slightly dismissive attitude towards his wines, after all, he wasn’t the winemaker of the previous Domaine Jamet and its iconic wines, he spent all his time in the vineyards as the viticulturalist. But as we all know, truly great wine is not made in the cellar, it is made in the vineyards!

Jean-Luc’s delicious wine style is quite different to the plusher, fleshier Domaine Jamet expressions as he prefers to focus on earlier picked grapes, lighter alcohols, brazenly fresh vibrant fruits, bright crunchy acids and a polished textural linearity to his wine’s textures. His red range encompasses a delicious Collines Rhodaniennes IGP Syrah, a Cotes du Rhone made from young vine Cote Rotie sites and finally his impressive Les Terrasses Cote Rotie made from a blend of top lieux dits sites including La Landonne, Lancement, Chavaroche and Fongeant. With Jean-Luc’s son Benoit Jamet sure to join the venture in earnest, we can expect a lot more fabulous wines produced from the Jean-Luc Jamet cellars.

Jean-Luc Jamet Valine Syrah 2017, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, 13 Abv.

Another supremely impressive and precise Syrah creation from the masterful winemaking of Jean-Luc Jamet. Lifted and exotically fragrant, the nose bristles with incense, dried garrigue, black olive, lavender blossom and sweet, sappy black peppercorn spices. True to form, Jean-Luc’s Collines-Rhodaniennes red is laser sharp, linear and precise, seamlessly silky, finely balancing piercing savoury red and black berry fruit concentration with subtle notes of black liquorice, salinity, graphite and stony schist liquid minerality. One of the Northern Rhône’s best kept secrets? Well, I am certainly happy to rave about this stunning 2017 Syrah. Drink now or over the next 5-8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

http://www.jeanlucjamet.com

Jean-Luc Jamet Raising the White Flag -Tasting His Couzou Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2016…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I have been following the resurgence of Jean-Luc Jamet with great interest over the past 2 or 3 vintages. Afterall, the Côte-Rôties of the greater Jamet family have long been regarded as the benchmark wines of the region within the Northern Rhone. In 2013, brothers Jean-Luc and Jean-Paul announced that they would be splitting up the family’s domaine.

For many years, Jean-Paul was the face of the domaine and Jean-Luc was the steady hand in the vineyards. Jean-Luc has now stepped out of the proverbial shadows and returned to the fine wine arena with a resounding winemaking bang. His Les Terrasses Cote Rotie 2015 is a sensational expression and his basic Vin de Pays La Valine Syrah 2014 also an absolute beauty and better than most producers top Cotes du Rhone reds.

Jean-Luc also makes some fabulous mineral whites and among my first introductions was drinking a bottle of his Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2013 with Jamie Goode, the renowned wine journalist. I remember him commenting on not only it’s seriously stony, austere minerality but also it’s almost Chablis-like freshness and restraint. Having just tasted my first ever Jean-Paul & Corinne Jamet Cotes du Rhone Blanc recently, I was keen to put this Jean-Luc Jamet 2016 white through its paces to compare and contrast.

Jean-Luc Jamet Couzou Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2016, 14 Abv.

A blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier grapes from vines grown on Granitic Argileux soils. The wine has a beautifully rich straw yellow colour while the aromatics of this cuvee are more restrained and tantalisingly austere with intense notes of cut lemon, stony gravel, wet stones, chalk tuffa and subtle petrichor notes. The well integrated struck match reduction notes connect the nose intricately to the palate which is build around intense mineral laden complexity, white peach stone fruits, ginger spice and a sappy tangerine peel pith. An intense, complex, sophisticated white Rhone expression with well judged acidity freshness, salinity and incredibly well managed reductive complexity. You can enjoy this now but it will undoubtedly get better with another year or two of ageing. A cracking white for Jamet junkies.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Jean-Luc Jamet Re-Establishing His Own Brand of Greatness in the Northern Rhône Valley…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Many Cotes du Rhône reds are produced from the blended cast off components of bigger appellation cuvees. For Jean Luc Jamet, now working exclusively under his own name since 2013, his L’Enclave 2016 is produced from 1 hectare of pure young Cote Rotie Syrah vines grown on clay and schist soils in the Le Champon and Bonnivières terroirs and delivers an impressive level of quality as you’d expect.

Jean-Luc Jamet Cotes du Rhône L’Enclave 2016, 13 Abv.

The aromatics of this sexy red are exotic and seductive, loaded with sweet caramelised black cherries, a kirsch liquor lift, sun dried cranberries, loganberries and subtle complexing notes of blood and graphite. The wonderful fragrant aromatics are complemented by vibrant, tart sour plum notes, hints of savoury cured meats, iron fillings and a smokey, crushed rock mineral finish. There is a suggestion of sappy resinous spice on the sleek finish which admittedly lacks the extra power and depth associated with some older vine cuvees. But this wine does show admirable terroir pedigree, intelligent winemaking and delicious varietal typicity from this more elegant, soft spoken vintage of 2016. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Tasting a Range of Rhône Specialist Delas Frères’ Wines in London…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

In 1835, Charles Audibert and Philippe Delas purchased the Maison Junique wine merchant in Tournon-sur-Rhône, which they renamed “Audibert et Delas”. In 1924, Henri and Florentin Delas took over the company which they renamed “Delas Frères”. They continued to develop the trading business and the family estate by purchasing a vineyard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and expanding the Hermitage vineyards in order to ensure consistent quality for their production.

In 2015, to celebrate Delas Frères’ 180th anniversary, the Deutz-Delas Group purchased a new property in the middle of Tain-l’Hermitage. Its showcase technical facilities will be used to vinify the highest quality appellations produced by Delas Frères.

I recently caught up with Export Manager Etienne Defosse to taste through a small selection of their classic Delas cuvees.

Delas Viognier Vin de Pays 2016, 13 Abv.

Vibrant cool and fresh, fine mineral balance, pithy white citrus and lovely elegance. Plenty of interest here.

(Wine Safari 87+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Cotes du Rhône Saint Esprit Blanc 2016, 14 Abv.

Grenache Blanc and Viognier blend, sweet blossom, peach and marmalade opulence. Hints of Turkish delight and pineapple pastille depth. Really delicious offering.

(Wine Safari 88+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Syrah Vin de Pays 2016, 12 Abv.

Sweet intense nose with piercing red plum, peppercorn spice, savoury meats and a supple, fleshy, overt finish with a kiss of wood smoke.

(Wine Safari 88/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Cotes du Rhône Saint Esprit Rouge 2016, 14 Abv.

Northern producer view with Syrah base with a touch of Grenache. Nose packed with black cherry, gun smoke, liquorice and graphite nuances. Wonderful sweet black cherry pastille, supple elegant soft tannins and a long , polished pure savoury bramble berry mineral finish.

(Wine Safari 89/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Domaine des Genets Vacqueyras 2015, 14 Abv.

Rich dark and broody, packs plenty of plummy, savoury, black peppery depth. Five spice, black cherry pithe and supple, dark brambly finish. Punchy but not rustic, plenty of focus and freshness with intensity.

(Wine Safari 90/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Haut Pierre 2015, 15 Abv.

Sweet tannery leather, grilled herbs and spices. Touch of dusty garrigue. Full, plush and elegant, wonderfully fleshy, never heavy, impressively polished tannins and a long, sweet brambly finish.

(Wine Safari 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Crozes Hermitages Les Launes 2016, 13 Abv.

Deep, dark, peppery dusty crushed gravel and wood spice nose with hints of barbecue smoke. Broody, savoury black berry and garrigue spice with subtle cured meats and German deli savoury complexity on the finish. Classy.

(Wine Safari 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Domaines des Grands Chemins Crozes-Hermitage 2015, 14 Abv.

Intense, pithy, piquant nose with dark exotic peppercorn spice, black cherry, grey slate and barbecued meats. Dusty, very mineral with a saline edge, this has depth, length and graphite complexity with focused power.

(Wine Safari 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Saint Joseph Les Challeys 2016, 13 Abv.

Beautiful melange of soft black pastille fruits, perfume, violets and cherry blossom. But delicious red berry fruit opulence is never far away. Wonderful notes of cassis, and graphite follow to a deliciously pure palate with supple tannins, mineral spice and a fresh, vibrant elegance. Iron fist in the proverbial velvet glove. Wonderful Syrah class.

(Wine Safari 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Delas Domaine des Tourettes Hermitage 2015, 14 Abv.

Broody dark nose with massive complex array of perfumed aromatics. Layers of sweet cassis, salty liquorice, violets, black olive, and black cherry with wonderfully fresh, piercing concentration. A very noble wine, profound depth, delicious Syrah power and impressive intensity.

(Wine Safari 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Wonder of Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie – Tasting a Vertical from 2005 to 1976…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Les Jumelles means “the twins” in French and refers in this case to the special Cote Brune and Cote Blonde twin vineyards on the burnt slopes of Cote Rotie in the Northern Rhône. It is not a wine you see around very often and is far less well known than other Jaboulet icon wines like Hermitage La Chapelle. All the fruit is bought in for Les Jumelles and current production is around 1,500 cases.

Always a bit of an unknown entity quality wise year on year, final bottle results often depend on how much fruit Jaboulet was able to buy from specifically the high quality Cote Brune growers in a particular year. With this age worthy Cote Brune backbone, some of the best examples I’ve tasted previously have been older vintages, none better than the 1972 Les Jumelles enjoyed with Vinous’ Neal Martin at the 2 Star Michelin the Square Restaurant a few years ago (when still owned by Chef Phil Howard and restaurateur extraordinaire, Nigel Platts-Martin).

Nothing quite that old was tasted in this vertical, but never the less, it was a real treat to compare multiple mature vintages side by side. Several bottles were sadly considered ‘out of condition’, so were not scored (N/S).

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 2005

14 months of French oak aging, with only 20% new oak. Bright and fragrant, violets and cherry blossom lift. Very pretty nose. Hints of leather, black berry, bruleed spice, marzipan but also a real core of dark fruit. Still tight and structured with a real presence of power and focus. Touch angular still, very bright acidity and a medium long tart red fruited finish. Touch of bitter tannic grip but seems to hold good potential to cellar for another 10 to 15+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1999

Wonderfully classic nose of perfume and bruleed cherry spice, savoury cured meats, coffee beans and bloody, irony salinity. Palate shows hints of saddle leather, gun smoke, sour macerated plums with a bright refreshing red fruit acidity and excellent, crisp mouthwatering length. Tart and vibrant, still youthful and plenty of style.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1997 – Oxidised, out of condition bottle. N/S

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1988

Another classically shaped Cote Rotie with lifted herbal notes amplified by wood spice, saddle leather and wood smoke. Quite spicy and piquant, with cassis leaf, coffee bean and medicinal red fruit spice. The palate follows suit with herbal spice, savoury red and earthy black fruits but with a slightly challenging bitterness with chalky, grippy tannins and a finish laden with bitters and vermouth botanical spice complexity.

(Wine Safari Score: 90/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1985

Darker, deeper broody nose with hints of wet earth, cured meats, diesel rag, black bramble berries and subtle herbal garrigue and pot pourri spices. The palate is denser, broader and altogether fleshier than the 1988, with the herbal nuances more like footnotes than chapter headings. More balanced and harmonious, this still has dry mineral stony tannins but very impressive length. Not tiring, this can still be enjoyed for a decade or more.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1983

Complex from the start, the 83 shows alluring herbal complexity, rich notes of kirsch cherry, bramble berry and marzipan spice. Hints of diesel rag and savoury cured meats in a German deli. Plenty of pepper spice, sleek harmonious tannins, vermouth richness and exoticism. Not a massive wine, but it is ageing beautiful, with some leanness and austerity, so perhaps the fruit is starting to dry. I suspect this is a sleeper and won’t change terribly quickly, and will be even better with food. Enjoyable wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1982

Seductive, meaty, smokey wine with notes of gun flint, graphite, pot pourri and ground coffee beans. There is richness, ripeness and spicy brambley fruit but all very measured and classical. Definitely a riper feel, fine density of fruit and a lovely raisined cranberry and caramelised plum finish combining well with chalky tannins on a long finish. Very classy, and would probably be incrementally better if drunk with food. No rush but enjoy bottles now.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1980

Touch meaty and heading towards oxidation. Bottle considered out of condition. N/S

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1978

One of the noted great vintages of the Northern Rhone, this Cote Rotie shows big depth and breadth with definite tertiary notes of diesel rag, graphite, coffee bean, crushed gravel and pot pourri spices. The palate is plush and fleshy, shows glorious opulence, but fading a little and perhaps just starting to dry out. Piquant and bright, well balanced with a salty black fruited note and a saddle leather finish. Powerful and multi-layered. Delicious!

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jumelles Cote Rotie 1976

The palate is perhaps more vital than the nose which shows saline, plastersine, black berry, iodine, bloody, irony, graphite notes. Very chalky and mineral, the palate holds great weight and intensity, balanced with savoury earthy red fruits, raisined cranberry and tart stewed plums. Mature, but grows in gravitas and really starts to outshine the 1978 with time in glass. A real gem.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)