A taste of the top 2022 southern Rhônes
These 40 wines are listed by commune, then by score, then alphabetically by producer, and are a selection based on quality, value or interest from the 223 recommended by Matt Walls from the southern Rhône in 2022. Some are still being aged in barrels or a
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos des Papes, Blanc 96
£50-£55 (ib) Lay & Wheeler, Mann Fine Wine, NY Wines
Open aromas of dried pears, almost slightly hoppy. Full and rich, but good acidity and a lovely mineral touch despite being a big, powerful vintage. It’s not the most fine and elegant, but will be very good in time. The yield was down 50% this year due to hail.
It’s worth waiting for this vintage, it will be wonderfully full and luxurious in time. Equal parts Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Piquepoul and Picardan. No malolactic fermentation. Organic. Drink 2029-2045 Alcohol 15%
1 SOUTHERN RHONE WHITE WINE OF THE VINTAGE Domaine de la Solitude, Vin de la Solitude Blanc 96
POA Dreyfus Ashby
Restrained aromatics yet a full palate with great textural wealth. Not as obviously oaky as the domaine’s other cuvées, this has interesting grain and texture. Powerful, saline, long and well balanced despite its richness and flamboyance. Clairette, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc with 10% each of Bourboulenc, Clairette Rose and Piquepoul Blanc. The third vintage of this cuvée, it’s already one of the most exciting white Châteauneufs available. Organic. Drink 2024-2034 Alcohol 13.5%
2 UNDER THE RADAR Domaine André Mathieu, Vin di Felibre Blanc 94
Floral nose, soft and silky on the palate. A light oiliness with a little mineral glint helps bring freshness. It’s extremely well balanced, and is one of the better white Châteauneufs this year. Poached pear flavours linger underneath the wellintegrated oak. Drink 2024-2029 Alc 14%
TOP VALUE Château La Nerthe, Blanc 93
Buttered popcorn and tobacco leaf on the nose, shot through with expensive oak. Powerful, extremely loud and proud, rich poached pear and star fruit
on a long finish. Almost too powerful, really, but makes a huge impression. 20% new oak. Organic. Drink 2024-2030 Alc 14.5%
Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin 98
POA Wanderlust Wine
Cooked blueberry and liquorice aromas, great palate weight and density, so savoury. A lovely sense of vibrancy and freshness to the fruit, but this has enormous presence: a powerful, dense Hommage that will age for a very long time. About 60% of the blend is from old-vine Mourvèdre in the Courrieux vineyard. Grapes destemmed, fermented in tronconic wooden vats using natural yeasts. Biodynamic. Drink 2034-2055
3 SOUTHERN RHONE RED WINE OF THE VINTAGE Domaine de Cristia, La Guigasse Chapelle St-Théodoric 98
Herbs and juicy strawberry fruit, good balance, exceptionally long with vibrancy and freshness, and a coating of incredibly fine tannins. A very complete wine that’s hard to fault – whole-bunch southern Rhône winemaking at its best – this is pure Grenache grown on sand at the lieu-dit La Guigasse, aged for 24 months in demimuids. Organic. Drink 2030-2039 Alc 14.5%
Domaine de la Janasse, Vieilles Vignes 98
Full, lush and powerful, with a wall of intense tannin, this is an enormously powerful wine that will take many years to approach a state of drinkability. Huge concentration and intensity – in many ways this fits the Châteauneuf archetype of statuesque wines. Be prepared for a long wait, followed by rich rewards. Partly destemmed, fermented in concrete, matured for 12 months in foudres and demi-muids. Drink 2034-2047 Alc 15%
Domaine de la Mordorée, La Reine des Bois 98
£43.84 (ib) H2Vin
Huge and powerful, but so fresh. Great driving intensity with big, structural tannins. A rampaging Châteauneuf that will take time to settle, and will always be wild. Long, vibrant and chiselled. An absolute beast. Mordorée has been massive but overripe in the past; it’s still massive but with this vintage the ripeness is more controlled, and it has transformed into something extraordinary. Fermented and aged 80% in stainless steel, the rest in old barrels. Biodynamic. Drink 2032-2050 Alc 15%
Le Clos du Caillou, La Réserve 97
Very full, with a big tannic base from the ripe Mourvèdre. Powerful, long and undulating with a firm, dry finish. Silky, with great detail of tannin and tangy raspberry acidity. Excellent. Resonant. Grown on sandy soils of lieux-dits La Guigasse and Pignan
sud; matured mostly in demi-muids and some clay amphora. Biodynamic. Drink 2024-2037 Alc 15%
TOP VALUE Clos du Calvaire 95
Provençal herbs and leaf tea nose, Turkish delight. Full, smooth and plump, robust but generous with plentiful ripe tannins; acidity isn’t high but the wine feels balanced and the finish is long. All destemmed, fermented in concrete tanks, aged mostly in large old foudres and some stainless steel tanks. Very promising and likely to be good value. Organic. Drink 2028-2037 Alc 15%
UNDER THE RADAR Mouriesse Vinum, Tour d’Ambre 94
Crushed strawberries with a perfumed violet note, some sage and bay leaf. Quite powerful with marked acidity, decidedly tannic with a savoury herbal edge – this has an enjoyably wild side. The fruit is sweet and gourmand, but there’s also serious texture. A classic, enjoyably old-fashioned expression. Drink 2030-2038
UNDER THE RADAR Domaine Juliette Avril, Cuvée Maxence 93
Restrained for a pure Grenache, but this is texturally fine and well balanced – elegant, and will be drinkable early or later on. A quiet and discreet style, almost between a fine Lirac and a Châteauneuf. Easy to overlook this wine as it whispers rather than shouts, but it should provide some reliable drinking over the years to come. Pinot-esque. Drink 2024-2032 Alc 15.5%
Gigondas 4 Château de Saint Cosme, Le Claux 97
POA Gauntleys of Nottingham
Aromatically quite closed at the time of tasting, but this has power and vibrancy on a palate of dark and brooding cassis and blackberry. Generous in smooth, ripe fruit and stacked with an intense chewy layer of velvety tannin, this stands out for its sheer driving intensity and focus. No great flesh, but serious depth, and will make an impressive structural style of Gigondas when it’s ready. From old vines, all whole-cluster fermented in concrete, no destemming, indigenous yeasts, matured in barriques equal parts new, second use and third use. Organic. Drink 2035-2047
Domaine des Bosquets, La Colline... 95
POA Liberty Wines
Pretty sugar plum and black cherry nose, then really quite robust and concentrated on the palate, with good acidity and juicy, firm tannins. Balanced and fresh, powerful with an inner sucrosity and a long finish. A single-vineyard selection of old Grenache planted on blue marl and limestone soils at altitude, 80% destemmed, and aged for 18 months in demi-muids. Organic. Drink 2026-2037 Alc 15%
Domaine du Clos des Tourelles 95
POA Cambridge Wine Merchants, Liberty Wines Elegant, ripe and juicy, with incisive acidity. Great tannic finesse, serious concentration and structure but so fresh: a pure, classic example of Gigondas, fast becoming one of the landmark wines of the appellation. From a 4ha parcel around the Clos on the southern edge of the village, a proportion of whole bunch is included. Biodynamic. Drink 2028-2041
Domaine d’Ouréa 94
£29.99 Liberty Wines
Hugely aromatic at the time of tasting, with exuberant blackberry pâte de fruits notes. So juicy, lively and energetic, with balanced alcohol, fairly burly but buffed tannins and good length. Dark-fruited and beguiling. 30% whole bunch, aged 14 months in concrete. Organic. Drink 2026-2032 Alc 13.5%
5 TOP VALUE & UNDER THE RADAR
Domaine de Piéblanc, Les Terres 94
Good fruit intensity, lift and purity. Piercing, tremulous acidity and fine, pixelated tannins. Much longer and better balanced than most 2022 Gigondas, this has real charm and personality. Red-fruited and brisk, with no great concentration, but it’s very refreshing. Sourced from 50-year-old vines at the foot of the village. Organic. Drink 2024-2029 Alc 14.5%
Vacqueyras
6 Domaine Montirius, Minéral 92
Spicy notes and lime leaf on the nose, enjoyably tight and brisk on the palate,
with a fine mineral seam. A fresh, wellbalanced, unoaked style that exemplifies why Bourboulenc is so useful in bringing acidity and cut to a wine. Biodynamic. Drink 2024-2027 Alc 13%
UNDER THE RADAR Labadens, Thomas 91
Elegant aromatics, not overly exuberant like some white Vacqueyras in 2022. Only medium-bodied, this is drinkable but still has the rounded generosity that makes this appellation so distinctive for its whites. Long, creamy. Organic. Drink 2024-2026
TOP VALUE & UNDER THE RADAR Château Bois d’Arlène, Re.Né.Sens 92
A floral, potpourri character on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, there’s a plumpness from the juicy red fruits rather than a mass of tannin. Vibrant, tremulous redcurrant acidity and a firm finish from the fine tannins. Not hugely long, but expressive; it has personality and finesse. Organic. Drink 2024-2027 Alc 13%
UNDER THE RADAR Domaine la Garrigue, La Cantarelle 92
Gorgeous raspberry eau-de-vie notes on the nose. Full and juicy in the mouth but without too much tannic intensity. Bright and expressive throughout, really brimming with juicy red fruits and energy. No destemming, aged in concrete.
Drink 2024-2028 Alc 16%
Beaumes de Venise TOP VALUE Domaine la Ligière, Les Garennes 93
With aromatics of thyme, rosemary, oregano and blackberry, this is only medium-bodied but has searching tannins and vibrant herbal characters. Very drinkable and fresh, textural and not overly concentrated. Destemmed, fermented with natural yeasts and aged in concrete, unfiltered. Likely to offer very good value. Organic. Drink 2025-2028 Alc 13.5%
TOP VALUE & UNDER THE RADAR La Ferme Saint-Martin, Les Terres Jaunes 92
Gorgeous herbal, mentholated nose. Medium-bodied, really quite fresh and approachable, not overly tannic; the acidity is low but the balance feels natural and the finish long. Destemmed, no additions, matured in concrete. Organic. Drink 2024-2028 Alc 13.5%
7 Domaine de Fenouillet,
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 90
A light, pure and drinkable style. It’s sweet-fruited, with good, citrussy acidity. The alcohol is gently warming, but it’s remarkably refreshing for a 2022 Muscat de Beaumes de Venise – this has real vibrancy and intensity. 110g/L residual sugar. Organic. Drink 2024-2026 Alc 15%
Cairanne 8 TOP VALUE Domaine Les Hautes Cances, Blanc 90
Fresh star fruit aromas, acidity a little low on the palate, nonetheless refreshing and drinkable, and would work with or without food. Crisp, fresh and precise, but still very Cairanne. A blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier and Bourboulenc. Drink 2024-2026 Alc 14.5%
TOP VALUE & UNDER THE RADAR
Domaine Clos Romane 92
Fresh, expressive and lively throughout the nose and palate, this is really bright. It’s structured with big burly tannins, so give this some time to settle, and drink it with robust dishes. Long, concentrated, fresh and balanced, one of the best Cairannes this year. Drink 2025-2030
Domaine Richaud, L’Ebrescade 92
POA Thorman Hunt
Tangy violets and elderberries on the nose, fresh and velvety on the palate. Lively, with a little volatile-acidity lift. Expressive, vibrant and rambunctious, with slightly leathery tannins. Organic. Drink 2024-2033
Rasteau Domaine Elodie Balme 94
£11.25 (ib) Lea & Sandeman
Very dark in the glass. Wonderful aromas, brimming with garrigue herbs. Full-bodied, lovely fruit sweetness, smooth and velvety. More thyme and bay leaf on the long, juicy finish. Great now, and it will develop in the bottle. Destemmed; 20% aged in barrels, the rest in concrete. Likely to be good value. Drink 2025-2032
9 TOP VALUE & UNDER THE RADAR Domaine Fond Croze 93
A charmingly expressive, fresh style with well-defined blackberry and plum fruit, bright acidity and muscular tannins. The finish is long and the alcohol doesn’t feel excessive. A touch of perfumed strawberry and cinnamon on the finish. An estate on the up. Organic. Drink 2025-2030 Alc 15.5%
Domaine Gramiller, Sol 93
£16.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants
Lovely smoky nose, herbs and liquorice, then more thyme and ash on the palate. It’s fresh and open, the tannins particularly well managed and the finish long. Great drinkability, alive and expressive. Drink young. Likely to offer good value. Organic. Drink 2025-2032 Alc 14.5%
Domaine la Luminaille, Grenat Vin Doux Naturel 93
Fresh plum, damson and menthol. Very smooth and full but not massive, with fine tannins. Silky and fresh, this will be delicious young and will age well, too. Fermented with wild yeasts, aged in stainless steel. Organic. Drink 2025-2037 Alc 16%
Vinsobres Famille Perrin, Les Hauts de Julien 92
POA Cambridge Wine Merchants, Liberty Wines Dark, inky colour. The oak is quite dominating aromatically now, but it will integrate eventually. Great concentration and immensely smooth tannins. Dark chocolate, black olive, blackberry. Clay-like tannins on the finish. Has a big impact, but be patient. From a 4ha parcel, 50% is pre-phylloxera. All aged in demi-muids, 50% new, 50% one-year-old, for 24 months. Biodynamic. Drink 2030-2042
Lirac Château de Montfaucon,
Vin de Madame la Comtesse 91
Has some power and vinosity, with subtle fennel and aniseed notes. Long, with an inner freshness despite the low acidity. Slight waxy note, and a touch of butter. Aromatically discreet, but has character. Organic. Drink 2024-2029 Alc 14%
TOP VALUE Rocca Maura, Blanc 90
Aromatically restrained, but this is fulsome and cooling on the palate, with a gently creamy texture. The oak adds some shape and salinity. Interesting, very Provençal, not aromatic but enjoyably rich. Drink 2024-2025 Alc 14%
TOP VALUE & UNDER THE RADAR
Domaine de Castel Oualou, Réserve Syrah 90
Lifted spicy freshness. Full, really quite luxurious in texture, with juicy blackberry pâte de fruit. Very well balanced and satisfyingly fruity. Drink 2025-2029 Alc 14%
Tavel Château de Manissy, La Belle Etoile Rosé 92
£14 Amathus Drinks
Pale red in colour. Some slight reduction but still assertive aromatics: strawberry, pomegranate, cranberry. A lovely fresh mouthfeel, little herbal nuances adding complexity and a slight touch of sandy tannin. Balanced, good ageing potential. A contemporary Tavel, the new generation. Biodynamic. Drink 2024-2030 Alc 14%
Domaine Lafond, La Relève Rosé 91
A dark pinky-purple colour. Savoury, slightly herbal-scented style with a dry finish. It’s an insistent rosé, more like a pale red, really, with a little tannin and noble bitters on the finish. Good length. Organic. Drink 2024-2029
TOP VALUE Prieuré de Montézargues, Rosé 90
£18.20 Vinatis†
Immediately expressive on nose and palate, good acidity and concentration, feels very Tavel. Balanced, with a long finish. 50% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Cinsault, and 10% each of Syrah and Clairette. Organic. Drink 2024-2026 Alc 13%
Other Domaine Gourt de Mautens, Vaucluse 96
A tasting with winemaker Jérôme Bressy of six different barrel samples showed all are distinctly different. The overall impression of his 2022 red is that this is a really tannic vintage, as it’s a very structural wine, with complexity of texture from the different plots. It will be excellent, given time. Potent, with plenty of energy and tension, great depth and length. Organic. Drink 2033-2053
Château de Fonsalette, Cuvée Syrah, Côtes du Rhône 95
Two parcels: the first is grown on galets, clay and sand and has an intensely spicy profile with oregano notes and grainy, grippy tannins that will need time to soften; the second is more herbal than spicy, with deep blackberry jam flavours, fleshy and silky and chewy tannins. The final blend (if it is indeed bottled separately) will have a strong bearing on the eventual wine, so take the score here as a guide only. It will need long ageing to show its best, whatever the blend, and should be highly complex when ready, and likely to always have quite textural, grainy tannins. Drink 2035-2050