Northern Rhône 2019: vintage overview

This was a very hot, dry growing season that resulted in some rich, opulent reds – sometimes overripe and alcoholic. Côte- Rôtie leads the pack, with Hermitage not far behind.

Hermitage

This is certainly an opulent, rich, potent vintage. But if any appellation can generate the concentration, intensity and structure required to balance the excesses of the 2019 growing season, it’s Hermitage. Not all the 2019s are a success – some growers picked too late, resulting in unbalanced wines – but the best are statuesque, thunderous wines that will live for decades.

This may be a vintage for reds, but Hermitage Blanc is surprisingly good too, rich and opulent with low acidity, even for Hermitage. The best find a sense of balance through their concentration and intensity.

Key producers in 2019: Delas Frères, E Guigal, Ferraton Père et Fils, JL Chave, Laurent Fayolle, M Chapoutier, Yann Chave.

Crozes-Hermitage

Chapoutier and Yann Chave both lost 50% of their crops to hail on 15 June; others, such as Gilles Robin, lost closer to 85%. A second storm on 5 July affected areas spared by the first. Remaining bunches were further concentrated by the hot, dry weather.

The best wines are from the northern part of the appellation, which gives a more restrained style of wine, and some of them are excellent. Many, however, have high alcohols and overripe flavours, often compounded by tough tannins from overextraction.

White Crozes was the surprise of the vintage; consistently fresh and fruity, occasionally a little overweight but generally very good.

Key producers in 2019: Aléofane, Esprit, Laurent Fayolle, Laurent Habrard, Marc Sorrel, M Chapoutier.

Cornas

A strange year for Cornas, which produced very ripe, accessible wines often with a fruit coulislike heart. The more moderate, balanced wines are delicious, but most are atypical. This isn’t a year for long ageing in Cornas. There are some interesting wines, but most lack the savoury fruit and chiselled, serrated tannins that make Cornas so engaging and vital.

Key producers in 2019: A& E Verset, Ferraton Père et Fils, Vincent Paris

St-Péray

Usually an appellation I enjoy, I struggled to find many 2019 St-Pérays to recommend – too many lacked acidity and freshness, and a lack of depth and complexity is not uncommon. It’s not a bad vintage, but neither is it terribly exciting.

Key producers in 2019: Alain Voge, De Lorient.