Vintage report: northern Rhône 2019
Following extensive tastings for Decanter Premium, Matt Walls shares his expert overview and buying advice for the northern Rhône 2019 releases. The successes in this warm year came where growers were able to manage the heat, or benefitted from well-timed
Heat and drought were the defining characteristics of the 2019 vintage in the Rhône. The heat spikes were lower in the north than they were in the south, with temperatures rarely topping 40°C, but you still feel the sun in the wines. Neither was the lack of water as extreme as in the south, with showers in July and August helping to maintain steady ripening.
With potential alcohol levels skyrocketing at the end of the season, it was the producers that were able to exert precise control over picking dates that prospered.
Stylistically, 2019 is similar to 2018, but fresher and more elegant. The wines enjoy more acidity and carry less weight. Hot vintages can sometimes obscure the signature of each appellation, but that’s not the case in 2019.
Except for some mighty Hermitage, the finest 2019 reds are largely found to the far north. Côte-Rôtie had more rain than most, and it seemed to make all the difference. Northern St-Josephs also fared well. Further south, the
‘The best Hermitages are statuesque, thunderous wines that will live for decades’
heat proved more problematic, resulting in some unbalanced, overripe wines, especially around Cornas. Crozes-Hermitage was twice hit by hail, as if the vintage wasn’t challenging enough.
When it comes to whites, Marsanne and Roussanne performed better than Viognier. Hermitage is head and shoulders above other northern Rhône whites, but there are some enjoyable wines in St-Joseph at more accessible prices. It was an awkward year in Condrieu and St-Péray; buy with care.
Around the regions Côte-Rôtie
‘You hope for a few vintages like this in your life,’ says Jean-Paul Jamet, describing 2019 as ‘magical’, due partly to 30mm of summer rain that brought freshness and balance. Pierre Rostaing reported temperatures hitting 40°C, but says that ‘we had grapes that were ripe and clean’. Rostaing compares the vintage to 2017, albeit with more extreme weather. The overall quality in Côte-Rôtie is high, in a very ripe style. Acidity levels tend to be good however, and where alcohols are in check, there are plenty of deliciously deep, unctuous wines to choose from. Wines from schistous soils (northern Côte Brune side) showed markedly better than those from gneiss (southern Côte Blonde side). Philippe Guigal believes the 2019s ‘have great capacity to age’.
Key producers in 2019: Benjamin et David Duclaux, Christophe Billon, E Guigal, François et Fils, Jamet, Rostaing, Stéphane Ogier.
Condrieu & Château-Grillet
Growers in Condrieu had an impossible choice on picking dates this year, as sugar levels
‘You hope for a few vintages like this in your life’
spiralled upwards while flavour ripeness lagged far behind. As a result, most 2019s fell into one of two camps. Some had grassy, underdeveloped flavours but were otherwise fresh and balanced. The others had good depth and concentration, but were noticeably alcoholic or had very low acidity.
There are a handful of really delicious wines, and it’s the riper styles that will deliver the most satisfaction (see p75), even if alcohol levels are raised. The best sites rose to the top, managing to balance the natural opulence of the year with salinity and minerality.
Key producers in 2019: Cave Yves Cuilleron, Château-Grillet, Clos de la Bonnette, Stéphane Montez du Monteillet, François Merlin.
St-Joseph
Tasting the wines of this 50km-long appellation underlined the difference in style and quality in 2019. Those from around Chavanay, towards Côte-Rôtie, benefited from the extra rainfall, and here it’s a lovely vintage. Further south, towards Cornas, the wines are often heavier.
St-Joseph reds in 2019 are often rich, lush and concentrated; overripeness and high alcohol is a recurring theme, but there were some exceptional wines produced when winemakers found balance – often by using stems to build freshness. Whites are big, rich and round, and will be best drunk young.
Key producers in 2019: E Guigal, Gonon, Guy Farge, JL Chave, M Chapoutier, Pierre Gaillard, Vignobles Chirat.
Matt Walls is a Decanter contributing editor and the Decanter World Wine Awards Rhône Regional Chair. His latest book, Wines of the Rhône (Infinite Ideas, £ 30), has just been published, and for a limited time, European readers can receive a 40% discount off the cover price using the code RHONEDECA40 at www.infideas.com (US readers please visit www.infiniteideas. directfrompublisher.com)