A taste of the top northern Rhônes
Wines are listed by commune, from north to south, then by score, then alphabetically by producer. Some 2019s are not yet bottled, hence some prices, stockists or alcohol levels are not yet known. Contact specialist merchants for latest en primeur offers
Côte-Rôtie
NORTHERN RHONE WINE OF THE VINTAGE KEY PRODUCER Jamet, Côte Brune 99
Domaine Jamet’s only single-vineyard bottling, made every year. All-enveloping star anise, incense. So rich and round on the palate, full of rose and frankincense. Exceptionally fine tannins, pinpoint acidity, beautiful lush density to the tannins, supreme opulence. So fresh, so aromatic. Black pepper and dried rose. Sweet, chalky, dark chocolate tannins. Very rich and opulent, amazing cross between the smoky and the floral – a seamless wine. From barrel this was sheer perfection, so could well be worthy of 100 points in bottle. Drink 2023-2050
Jamet 98
A step up from the 2018 vintage, the 2019 is more vibrant and intense. A blend of 25 parcels, amounting to 17ha, almost exclusively on schist soils, with no destemming. A tasting of nine different barrels across a variety of lieux-dits suggests that the 2019 Côte-Rôtie is very special indeed. It’s vibrant, intense, but not as sunny as the 2018 in style – sugars and phenolics progressed at the same gradual rate in 2019, making for a more harmonious and balanced wine. You feel the hot vintage in the wine, but it’s represented more as power and intensity than hot alcohol. Vivid and highly impressive. Drink 2022-2045
KEY PRODUCER Delas Frères, La Landonne 97
POA Jeroboams, Maisons Marques et Domaines Fermented in open-top concrete tanks for 20 days, then matured in new and secondyear barrels for 14 months. Immediately it has the darkness and aromatic austerity of La Landonne. Very full-bodied, expansive on the palate but not heavy. Mouth-coating flavour and tannin. Seriously tannic, but not tough. Great character, huge power and perfect balance. Alcohol is just a little raised, but this is a blockbuster. Drink 2026-2035 Alc 14%
KEY PRODUCER E Guigal, La Landonne 97 POA Jeroboams
From the northern part of this lieu-dit, planted in 1975 to commemorate the birth of Philippe Guigal. At the beginning of its 42 months in new French oak barriques: dark, opaque colour, and has that closed, dark austerity you’d expect. A touch of Lapsang Souchong tea in the background. Full-bodied, very silky tannins. Good tannic weight and depth. Powerful, driving, not overly rich or ripe or alcoholic. Oak at this stage appears integrated. Gently sweet. Very good vintage, very sleek, a thoroughbred. Drink 2030-2046
KEY PRODUCER Stéphane Ogier, La Viallière 97
POA Jeroboams, Montrachet
So round and charming, great elegance here. Plentiful tannins, but so fine – this really is special. Great finesse and silky length. Full of rose and violet. Opulent and very approachable. Drink 2026-2036
KEY PRODUCER Benjamin et David Duclaux, Coteau de Tupin 96
POA Lea & Sandeman
A distinctly herbal style of Côte-Rôtie. Medium-bodied, very fresh, with a vibrant palate shot-through with sappy acidity. Tannins are robust, ripe, gently fibrous but not rough. Will be good young and good old. Drink 2022-2028
KEY PRODUCER Rostaing, Côte Brune 96 Four weeks in tank, natural yeasts, and as many stems as possible. Will be aged for 18 months in oak, using limited new wood.
Has the deep red rose that characterises this plot. Gently peppery. Soft, velvety palate, very gentle and welcoming.
Acidity slightly lower than in a typical year, and alcohol a little higher. It’s very ripe, with good depth. Warming finish and rich. Drink 2025-2035
TOP VALUE KEY PRODUCER Christophe Billon, Les Elotins 93
Will be aged for 22 months in one- and two-year-old barrels. Fresh, open, floral style. Very full-bodied, very dense and savoury on the palate, lots of stuffing. Shot-through with firm, rolling tannins. There’s some extraction, and it will take time to come round. Tannins a little dry on the finish, but it’s a minor point to a very good wine. Drink 2024-2029 Alc 13.5%
TOP VALUE Chambeyron, L’Angeline 92
Lieux-dits Les Moutonnes and Chavaroche, 15% whole-bunch, 15% new oak. Very lively, almost minty freshness to this cuvée. The use of oak is exemplary, adding complexity without dominating
the fruit. Very fine tannins. Not the longest finish, but a very good wine, with a great sense of finesse. Drink 2021-2025 Alc 14%
Condrieu & Château-Grillet
KEY PRODUCER Château- Grillet 97
A real burst of fresh apricot and peach, lemon verbena, green tea. Very fullbodied indeed, very round. Has the salt and power of Château- Grillet, the confit lemon peel on the finish, the salted nuts. Very long. Very rounded but not massive, more spherical. You sense the alcohol, but it’s not unbalanced. Biodynamic. Drink 2023-2030
KEY PRODUCER Clos de la Bonnette, Légende Bonnetta 95
Lieu-dit Côte Bonnette, on dark migmatite granite at the north of the appellation, steep slopes; 11 months in barriques, malolactic completed; most of the blend is unfiltered, all unfined. There’s freshness, depth and a richness of aroma here that many Condrieus lack in 2019. Very full-bodied and rich, but with enough acidity and freshness to balance it. Great intensity, and the salinity that’s required to help the wine stand up. Long finish.
One of the best Condrieus of the vintage. Organic. Drink 2021-2023 Alc 14.5%
KEY PRODUCER Stéphane Montez du Monteillet, La Grillette 95
POA Slurp
Stéphane Montez says the cuvée is called La Grillette because it always has ‘grilled notes ( grillé), and notes of violet ( violette)’. However it does so happen to border Château- Grillet! Darker and more intense than their round, rich Chanson. Intense nectarine and pineapple. Deeply saline, tangy fruit on the palate, extremely bright and zippy. Much better balanced than most Condrieus this year thanks to intensity and good acidity, which he says is natural. Long, deep and fresh. It has a hint of volatility on the nose that lifts the fruit. The Condrieu of the vintage. Drink 2023-2030
Stéphane Ogier, La Combe de Malleval 95 £ 30-£ 33.50 (ib) adVINture, H2Vin, Montrachet, Private Cellar
Two-thirds aged in Stockinger demi-muid; malolactic blocked in 2019. Apricot and lemon verbena. Soft, juicy, with a touch of apricot skin to the green tea and white flowers. It’s opulent but not massive, with good depth of Condrieu character. Not overly opulent nor is it weak in fruit. He will release the 2018 Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay in 2022; he has made it in 2019, but it won’t be available to taste until release. Drink 2021-2023
TOP VALUE Stéphane Montez du Monteillet, Les Grandes Chaillées 93 £ 38-£45 Blas ar Fwyd, Field & Fawcett, Hedonism, NY Wines of Cambridge, Slurp
Very broad, but great depth of fruit that’s unusual for 2019. Sweetly rounded, and the alcohol is fairly high this year. Very rounded, saline, sweetly ripe apricot and peach fruit on the finish. Drink 2021-2023
TOP VALUE Mouton Père et Fils, Côte Chatillon 93
25-year-old vines grown on biotite granite. A touch of ripe banana to the gently musky exotic fruit, mango and peach. Very full, concentrated and fat. Plenty of fruit, well balanced for what’s a very rich vintage. Long finish. Alcohol is gently raised, but it’s worth it for the rich, delicious fruitiness. Ripe pear on the finish. Drink 2021-2022 Alc 14.5%
St-Joseph
TOP VALUE François Merlin, Blanc 93
Blend of 70% Marsanne, 30% Roussanne. Curious struck-flint note on the nose, also gently hoppy. Full-bodied, with very good freshness and acidity for the vintage (though the wine does go through malolactic). Powerful, but focused and fresh. Saline finish. One of the best St-Joseph blancs of the vintage.
Drink 2021-2022 Alc 14.5%
KEY PRODUCER E Guigal, Vignes de l’Hospice 95
With 13 months in new oak barriques, a very good blend between the fruit and oak, fruit to the fore – very ripe, vibrant berries. A little fresh kick on the finish. No drying tannins, all very ripe, very well balanced. Sleek and impressive, very good indeed. The best vintage yet for this cuvée. Drink 2028-2035
KEY PRODUCER Gonon 95
Deeply aromatic: violets, Kalamata olives, and wildly resinous with a touch of black cherry. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s more concentrated and fresher than most St-Josephs this year. Classic depth and texture, thick and alive, like a jungle. Very long finish with a floral lift. A big vintage here: increasingly the norm. Better freshness and lower alcohol heat than most in 2019. Organic. Drink 2023-2030 Alc 14.2%
KEY PRODUCER JL Chave, Clos Florentin 95
Nine barriques made from Le Clos this year, and the style is supple, round and approachable. Open and appealing at this stage, with violets, some menthol and even a little black pepper – surprising for a hot vintage. Very complete and seamless wine with very fine tannins, slightly higher alcohol than the previous few vintages, but so flattering and succulent. Drink 2022-2030
TOP VALUE Lionel Faury, Hedonism 93 From the northern part of the appellation, with a large proportion of whole-bunch. Intense, high-toned, graphite aromas. Sappy, smoky, herbal. Medium-bodied, all very ripe but has a good sense of
straightness, even if the acidity is on the low side. Good concentration, finishes dry and flavoursome. Pleasingly structured for a 2019. Drink 2021-2025 Alc 13%
Hermitage
Guigal, Ex Voto Blanc 97
POA Jeroboams
Blend of 90% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne. Very dense, aromatically imposing wine despite the fact it’s fairly closed at this early stage, giving little away. Very full-bodied indeed, full of fat and power. A very powerful Ex-Voto this year that will age well, it has the depth, power and energy to last. The oak regime is robust, but it’s less distracting than in some vintages. Drink 2025-2042
M Chapoutier, L’Ermite Blanc 97
£ 341 (ib)-£440 Bordeaux Index, Hatch Mansfield, Jeroboams, Millésima
This is aged 90% in demi-muids, 10% in stainless steel. You can somehow smell the saltiness. Very opulent for L’Ermite, lower acidity than normal. The granitic freshness really helps in this vintage. Intense petrichor, floral, but with distinct pear and a touch of quince. Salt-spray freshness in the place of acidity, and great mineral fresh drive underneath. Biodynamic. Drink 2022-2042
TOP VALUE Cave de Tain, Blanc 95
POA Blas ar Fwyd
Poached pear on the nose, with depth of fruit, freshness and intensity on the palate. A little keener and more energetic than most white Hermitage this year, it has length and energy. Oak is well balanced, and there’s concentration without fat. Good pick this year, likely to be very good value. Drink 2021-2030
KEY PRODUCER M Chapoutier, L’Ermite 99 £ 236 (ib)-£ 300 Bordeaux Index, Hatch Mansfield, Jeroboams, Millésima
Chapoutier has 1.7ha of Syrah planted in this lieu-dit, compared to 0.5ha of Marsanne. 20% new oak. Driving, sparky freshness – seems to explode from the glass. It smells somehow salty, mineral. Very intense, so straight and energetic, thrilling tension. This will be long-lived. Incredible, soaring power: a majestic wine. Textural finesse and freshness, and extraordinary depth. Yes, the acidity is low, but it’s like saying Elvis was overweight. Elvis is still the King.
Drink 2034-2052 Alc 15%
KEY PRODUCER Delas Frères, Les Bessards 98
POA Jeroboams, Maisons Marques et Domaines Their oldest parcel of lieu-dit Les Bessards, fermented in concrete, then aged for 12 months in new and secondyear barrels. Remarkable tannic finesse with great freshness, good acidity and deep concentration. Great sense of focus and direction. Has that Bessards salinity and straightness. Shoe polish, juniper, sloe, damson juice. Incredible finesse, sweet fruit and seamless character.
Drink 2026-2043 Alc 14.5%
M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon 98
£ 212 (ib)-£ 270 Bordeaux Index, Hatch Mansfield, Jeroboams, Millésima
Has the silky, flowing, thoroughbred style of Le Pavillon, showing incredible tannic finesse, but so big, so shot-through with ripe tannin. The alcohol does peep through a little, but the concentration and tannic load are sufficient to bring balance. This will be a velvety, opulent treat when it’s ready, but for now the tannic frame is immense. A statuesque vintage of Le Pavillon. Biodynamic.
Drink 2030-2045 Alc 15%
Ferraton Père et Fils, Le Méal 97
£64 (ib)-£80 Berkmann, Millésima
A south-facing parcel of Le Méal, fruit all destemmed, fermented in concrete, then the wine will be aged for about 18 months, 30%-50% new oak. Very much keeping its aromas to itself for now. Very smooth, silky, full-bodied, dense. Great driving power, very intense, with slightly warming alcohol on the finish. Fine tannins, the oak well integrated, not drying or dominating. Very long finish. It’s very ripe, but finishes dry and savoury. Drink 2029-2042
JL Chave 97
A tasting of barrel samples of different lieux-dits: Péléat, Beaumes, Ermite, Le Méal, Bessards. Long, slow fermentations due to the high potential alcohols this year, some barrels reaching above 15% – at the limit of what the indigenous yeasts can handle. Even the Bessards component, usually so strict and skeletal, is full of fruit this year. The last exceptionally hot year was 2003, which produced a very atypical wine, with notably jammy fruit. That’s not the case in 2019: the fruit is fresh and lively. Hard to judge at this stage; the alcohol is high, and may always feel warming. Either way, it will provide great pleasure and impact, despite its extreme style. Drink 2029-2044
KEY PRODUCER Yann Chave 96
£ 51 (ib) Montrachet
Vines nearly 50 years of age grown organically on lieux-dits Beaumes and Péléat, the wine matured in demi-muids with malolactic fermentation in barrel. Glass-staining purple colour. Incredibly powerful, searching perfume. Leaf tea and glove leather behind the intense black fruits. Very fine, very deep, perhaps just a touch too high in alcohol, a little overextracted. Phenomenal concentration and length, however. Growling, brooding power: this could only be Hermitage.
Drink 2027-2043
TOP VALUE Ferraton Père et Fils,
Les Miaux 95
£ 34 (ib)-£65 Berkmann, Mllésima Clay-limestone subsoil overlaid with alluvial pebbles. Destemmed, fermented in concrete vats. Aged in barrels, 10% new. An inky, deep concoction of damson, sloe and raspberry, with lifted, high-toned cinnamon spice. Good sense of freshness and liveliness to the aromatics, a little touch of resin. Very smooth, fine and silky on the palate, well-integrated oak. There’s a spicy nutmeg and cigar tobacco kick on the finish, but it’s not dominating. Long, tapered finish. Great sense of harmony and finesse, should take on some complexity in time. Drink 2027-2037
Crozes-Hermitage
KEY PRODUCER Aléofane, Blanc 92 Blend of 60% Roussanne, 40% Marsanne. Half vinified and aged in tank, half in demi-muids. Dried citrus skins on the nose and palate, chewy mandarin, gentle orange oil bitterness. Lots of flavour, ample length, fresh and well balanced. Organic. Drink 2021-2022
KEY PRODUCER Laurent Fayolle,
Clos Les Cornirets 92
On a granite slope in the north of the appellation, 70-year-old vines. Spends 12 months in barriques, 20% new. A touch of cola oak gives a certain resinous sappiness to the fruit. It’s noticeable, but not overpowering, and will integrate in time: the fruit is to the fore. Fine tannins, good length, fresh fruit: a success in 2019. In organic conversion. Drink 2022-2026
TOP VALUE Pradelle, Les Hirondelles 92 Vines more than 30 years old planted on clay-limestone overlaid with large pebbles, facing south. Hand-harvested, destemmed, indigenous yeasts, then 15 months in demi-muid and foudre. Thyme, lavender, rosemary herbs, blueberry and liquorice aromas. Very svelte and fine style, it’s generous in fruit but not overly ripe. Good acidity. Relatively well balanced for a 2019 Crozes. Very stylish. Drink 2022-2025 Alc 12.5%
TOP VALUE Melody, Friandise 91 Young vine cuvée. Fresh, smoky, roast duck aromas. Lifted, smoky reduction, well applied. Vibrant, very full-bodied, flowing and juicy. The alcohol is high, and the acidity curiously snappy, but it’s a ‘gourmandise’ as the French would say: sweet, juicy and succulent. Great impact and openness of expression, soft tannins. Drink 2021-2023 Alc 13%
TOP VALUE Gilles Robin, Papillon 90 £ 19.60-£ 21.50 Exel, Lea & Sandeman,
The Great Wine Co
Fragrant black olive and juniper. Measured, fresh, well balanced for the vintage. Full and flowing with ripe black fruit. Very tannic on the finish – give it a couple of years. But it has freshness, and a mineral undertow. Drink 2023-2025 Alc 14%
Cornas
KEY PRODUCER A&E Verset,
Signature Verset 94
From lieu-dit Reynard, whole-bunch fermented, matured in barriques and demi-muids of three to eight previous uses. This cuvée is a selection of the best barrels. Plum, cassis and dark chocolate. Mediumto full-bodied, with fairly soft, massy tannins, softer than you might expect from Cornas, with very ripe fruit. Juicy and approachable, which is quite atypical for Cornas, but not unsurprising for such a hot vintage. Drink 2021-2026 Alc 14%
KEY PRODUCER Vincent Paris, La Geynale 94
£ 36.67 (ib)-£ 55.50 Christopher Piper, Private Cellar, Vin Cognito
Sourced from 100-year-old vines on the granite slopes of lieu-dit La Geynale. No destemming, fermented with wild yeasts, aged 16 months in two- to eight-year-old barriques. The whole-bunch really gives lift and brightness to the aromas. Juicy, full-bodied, very concentrated. Tannins are fine, massy, mouthcoating, the wine is saturated with ripe tannin, some fibrous stalk tannin as well. A big wine, very ripe, that will take time to soften, but probably not age for as long as recent vintages. Gorgeous nose, very ripe, juicy fruit, and a powerful, slightly green finish. Great depth is present and correct, but I worry about the texture of the tannins this year, and the intense ripeness. To revisit once in bottle. Drink 2025-2030 Alc 14%
TOP VALUE Guy Farge, Harmonie 92
From 30-year-old vines, bunches not destemmed. Touch of graphite and some florality on the nose, ground into the ripe berry fruit. Very round and ripe, a touch of menthol in the background. Tannins are massy, gently fibrous, but not aggressive or particularly massive. It’s a bit too easygoing, if anything (for a Cornas).
Just a little herbaceous on the finish.
Drink 2022-2025 Alc 13.5%
TOP VALUE Pierre Gaillard 92
£ 22.50-£ 23.50 (ib) adVINture, H2Vin, Private Cellar
From 70-year-old vines, the bunches all destemmed, wine aged for 18 months in barriques, 50% new. Fresher than many this year, this has good acidity and bright red fruits. Tannins are tight and savoury, saline. Not overly sweet or concentrated like many Cornas this year, this has finesse and focus. Tight and snappy. Drink 2022-2026
St-Péray
KEY PRODUCER Alain Voge, Ongrie 91 Honeysuckle, meadow flowers, summer grasses. Full-bodied, good concentration and freshness for the vintage. Acidity is low, but there’s enough to bring a sense of balance. Very rich and opulent this year, better than most other St-Pérays. Organic. Drink 2021-2022 Alc 14%