Rhone and the Rhone Rangers

Question 1

Jean Michel Gerrin

St. Joseph

2016

Answer 1

AOC:

• Northern Rhone
  
  • St. Joseph

Story:

• In 1988 Gerin made his first purchase of vines in La Grandes Places and added to his holdings in 1996, with the purchase of land on La Landonne. Today the estate covers 12ha in the Côte-Rotie appellation and Jean has been joined by his two sons Michael and Alexis.
• Domaine Jean Michel Gerin embraces a Modern style of Cote Rotie.The Domaine style focuses on round, opulent, ripe and generously textured wines displaying some Oak along with ripe black and red fruit, minerality, spice & pepper ith significant ageing potential.

Viticulture:

• Grown in granite soils on hillside vineyards with South/Southeast exposure.

Vinification:

• 100% Syrah
• 12.5% Alcohol
• Entirely destemmed
• 3 week maceration
• Aged 15 months in barrels of two to four years.

Taste:

• Youthful purple with smoky, focused dark berry and violet scents are sharpened by a suggestion of cracked pepper. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and black currant flavors that show an open-knit character and appealing sweetness. Dusty tannins shape the finish, which hangs on with strong tenacity and repeating florality.

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $20
• Cost: $85

If/Then:

*

Question 2

Faury

Cote Rotie

2017

Answer 2

AOC:

• Northern Rhone
  
  • Cote Rotie

Story:

• Domaine Faury is one of the region’s most artisanal producers.
• Philippe Faury took over this domaine in 1979, turning it from a mixed cultivation of grapes, cherries and apricots to a domaine focused on estate-bottled wine from an expanded roster of vineyards. Now with 17 hectares spread throughout Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie and Vin de Pays vineyards, the domaine is in the hands of Philippe’s son, Lionel. The two work together to craft a very expressive lineup of traditional Northern Rhône wines.

Viticulture:

• 2 ha; soil is mica schist
  
  • Planted in the 90s
• Vines planted on steep slopes (with a grade of up to 45%) facing south by south-east, from two parcels in Côte Brune (Fourvier and Le Plomb)
• Hand harvested

Vinification:

• 90% Syrah, 10% Viognier
• The white wines are whole-cluster pressed and vinified and aged in 60-70% stainless steel and 30-40% oak (less than 10% new).
• Fermentation lasts 18 to 22 days
• Pump-overs occur twice daily
• Aged for 18 months in oak demi-muids (600-L) and barrels (220-L), of which 30% are new

Taste:

• Vibrant, mineral-tinged aromas of blue fruit preserves, candied flowers and five-spice powder, along with suggestion of candied licorice. Palate-staining, concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry and peppery spice flavors show very good clarity and energetic cut. The floral note comes back strong on the subtly tannic finish, which hangs on with serious tenacity and lingering spiciness.

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $47
• Cost: $148

If/Then:

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Question 3

Alain Graillot “La Guiraude”

Crozes-Hermitages

2016

Answer 3

AOC:

• Northern Rhone
  
  • Crozes-Hermitage:

Story:

• Alain Graillot came to wine after a career as an agrochemical engineer. He founded his domaine in 1985 with a parcel of rented vineyards in Crozes-Hermitage. Even with no background in winemaking, he quickly rose to the pole position and today is considered one of the top names in Crozes. The majority of the estate’s production is in red Crozes-Hermitage, though a small amount of white is produced, as are tiny amounts of Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. Alain is now retired (on paper), and his son Maxime (who also makes his own Domaine des Lise and Equis wines) took over the estate in 2008.
• “La Guiraude”: a barrel selection, bottled only in top years

Viticulture:

• Crozes-Hermitage:
  
  • 17.3 ha Syrah (planted in 1973)
  • 2.4 ha Marsanne
  • 0.6 ha Roussanne (planted in 1980)
• soils are sand and clay with large alluvial stones

Vinification:

• The Graillot wines are a hybrid of the traditional and modern approaches in the region. They show ripe, concentrated and clean fruit, but only a maximum of 10% new oak is used in a vintage (most barrels are 228-liter barriques purchased used from friends in Burgundy). The red wines are made from whole clusters. Half of the white wine is fermented in stainless steel and half in 600-liter demi-muids; after seven months of aging sur lie they are blended together for bottling.
• Graillot deliberately avoids malolactic, thus preserving acidity, and blends the components at the end of the winter.

Taste:

• Opaque ruby. A complex, expansive bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, olive, potpourri and incense, and exotic spice and mineral notes build steadily with air. Sweet, focused and penetrating on the palate, offering intense, spice-tinged boysenberry, cherry preserve and violet pastille flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Blends concentration and energy with a deft hand and finishes with superb, gently tannic persistence.
• Olive, roasted meat and cherry notes mingle easily on the nose and palate.

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $47
• Cost: $160

If/Then:

*

Question 4

Jean Louis Chave “Clos Florentine

St.-Joseph

2015

Answer 4

AOC:

• Northern Rhone
  
  • St.-Joseph

Story:

• One of the legendary wine families of France, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave has, since 1481, been passed down from father to son for 16 generations. The family initially grew Saint-Joseph wines before phylloxera wiped out their vineyards on the hillsides above the domaine at Mauves. A wise ancestor chose to purchase land on the hill of Hermitage and rebuild the domaine there. Now widely considered the greatest grower on the hill, Chave makes world-class white and red Hermitage with exceptional ageability. One of the keys to the Chaves’ success is their ability to blend across multiple climats to create the best possible wine in any given year. To maintain this enviable track record, they do not produce single parcel “reserve” wines, believing that the blended wine is the best expression of the terroir of Hermitage. However, in top vintages they do produce 200 cases of a red, barrel-selection “Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin” that is as expensive as it is rare.

Gérard Chave took over the domaine in 1970 and brought it to worldwide fame; his son Jean-Louis Chave joined in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut and receiving an enology degree from UC Davis. Jean-Louis has also built up the family’s négociant business, J.L. Chave Selection, presenting a more affordable opportunity to experience the family’s winemaking skills as their domaine wines have become increasingly rare and expensive.

• The Clos Florentin is a historic vineyard first planted by monks in the 15th century. It has been harvested and bottled continuously since then. Chave acquired the property in 2009.

Viticulture:

• Organic and Biodynamic
• The Chave’s methods for all their winemaking are traditional farming, super low yields, full ripeness, and minimal manipulation.
• Manual Harvest
• OLD VINES: on average, 80yrs

Vinification:

• Indigenous yeast
• The Chave wines have evolved a bit since Jean-Louis took charge: There is a bit more new oak (10-30% for the reds and up to 33% for the whites—though this has decreased recently), and the wines are cleaner than his father’s.
• The reds are de-stemmed completely, punched down, fermented in stainless steel and oak vats, then aged in 228-liter barriques for 26 months.
• The white is whole-cluster pressed and 90% barrel-fermented in up to one-third new oak, then aged for 18 months.
• All wines are blended in tank prior to bottling. The strength of the domaine lies in the diversity of their holdings across the hill of Hermitage and the family’s mastery of blending, passed down from generation to generation. These factors, combined with their sensitivity to the vintage’s conditions and the classic expression of Hermitage, allow the Chaves to consistently produce some of the finest wines of the appellation.
• Bottled two years after harvest with no fining and no filtration.

Taste:

• WOW. Awesome notes of blackberries, kirsch, pepper, and flowery spice flow to a powerful, ripe 2016 that has fine, silky- tannins, beautiful sweetness of fruit, and no hard edges. While this wine alwaysshows a riper, elegant style, this beauty has true density in 2016 and is a thrilling drink.”

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $54
• Cost: $175

If/Then:

*

Question 5

J.L Chave Selections “Farconnet”

Hermitage

2015

Answer 5

AOC:

• Northern Rhone
  
  • Hermitage = BLEND OF BEST PARCELS. This is where the magic is.

Story:

• One of the legendary wine families of France, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave has, since 1481, been passed down from father to son for 16 generations. The family initially grew Saint-Joseph wines before phylloxera wiped out their vineyards on the hillsides above the domaine at Mauves. A wise ancestor chose to purchase land on the hill of Hermitage and rebuild the domaine there. Now widely considered the greatest grower on the hill, Chave makes world-class white and red Hermitage with exceptional ageability. One of the keys to the Chaves’ success is their ability to blend across multiple climats to create the best possible wine in any given year. To maintain this enviable track record, they do not produce single parcel “reserve” wines, believing that the blended wine is the best expression of the terroir of Hermitage. However, in top vintages they do produce 200 cases of a red, barrel-selection “Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin” that is as expensive as it is rare.

Gérard Chave took over the domaine in 1970 and brought it to worldwide fame; his son Jean-Louis Chave joined in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut and receiving an enology degree from UC Davis. Jean-Louis has also built up the family’s négociant business, J.L. Chave Selection, presenting a more affordable opportunity to experience the family’s winemaking skills as their domaine wines have become increasingly rare and expensive.

• The Chave’s methods for all their winemaking are traditional farming, super low yields, full ripeness, and minimal manipulation. Their unmatched metic- ulousness continues through five centuries to render venerable expressions of the purest of Rhône terroir
• Farconnet was the name of a nobleman back in the time of Jean- Louis Chave’s great grandfather. He was actually the man from whom the great grandfather bought the Bessards parcel.

Viticulture:

• Vine age: 10-60
• Soil: Sand, clay, limestone & galets
• The vineyards are dispersed over the hill of Hermitage. In total, they have vines spread among 14 different parcels in 9 vineyards, or lieux-dits.

Vinification:

• 100% Syrah
• Fermented in tonneaux and stainless steel. Aged in barriques for 18-24 months.

Taste:

• “Pepper, herbs and a definite farmy note on the nose. Very finely tannic on the finish. Has the stature and power of Hermitage, if not the full complexity – but that may well come.” - Jancis

Cost vs. Front:

If/Then:

*

Question 6

E. Guigal “Chateau d’Ampuis”

Cote Rotie 2013

Answer 6

AOC:

• Northern Rhone
  
  • Cote Rotie

Story:

• This world famous house was founded in 1946 by Étienne Guigal, who’d gotten his start in Côte-Rôtie at age 14 when he worked in the vineyards of Vidal-Fleury. Étienne’s son Marcel joined him in 1961 (age 18) after Étienne was suddenly struck blind. Together, they built the house of Guigal into the most recognizable name in Côte-Rôtie, and they brought the world’s attention to the wines of the appellation. In 1984, the two bought out Étienne’s former employer, Vidal-Fleury, along with their impressive array of vineyards… and in subsequent years, they went on to expand by buying Domaine de Bonserine, JL Grippat, de Vallouit, and the Château d’Ampuis. They folded the vineyards of Grippat and de Vallouit into their own production while keeping Domaine de Bonserine and Vidal-Fleury operating as separate entities. In addition, they now have their own cooperage to better control the quality of the wood for their aging program. While their very modern wines have not always been the favorite style of the older generation in Côte-Rôtie, Guigal has generally received a tip of the chapeau for the attention they brought to Côte-Rôtie and the continuing success of the appellation.
• Situated between the king of rivers and an exceptional vineyard, the Château d’Ampius was originally a fortress in the 12th Century and was later converted into a Renaissance style château.

Viticulture:

• Côte-Rôtie “Château d’Ampuis”:
  
  • 93% Syrah
  • 7% Viognier
  • sourced from 7 terroirs
    
    • 3 Blonde sites, (source of all of the Viognier)
    • 4 Côte Brune sites
• average vine age is 40-50 years
• For nearly 4 decades Guigal has used only environmentally sustainable methods of pest, disease and weed control. They work to conserve biological diversity, water resources, soils and ecosystems on their land. Packaging materials are recyclable or biodegradable. Lastly, they are committed to achieving a zero waste target.

Vinification:

• 4 week maceration and alcoholic fermentation
• 38 months in NFO
• About 30.000 bottles annually
• Guigal is credited as a pioneer in bringing modern winemaking techniques to the Northern Rhône. The house favors lush, ripe fruit supported by long aging in new barriques

Taste:

• A wine from a tannic and muscular vintage due to the hot climate. Solid tannins, well rounded by long oak ageing.
• “Impressively deep aromas of graphite, tar, dark plums, blackberries, chocolate, pepper and all manner of baking spices. The palate has a super rich and attractive feel with smooth tannins, saturated in blackberry and chocolate flavors. This has such dramatic depth and youthful power still”

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $70
• Cost: $195

Question 7

Jean-Luc Jamet

Côte-Rôtie 2016

Answer 7

AOC:

• Northern Rhone
  
  • Cote Rotie
    
    • “Côte Rôtie is the bridge between Burgundy and the Rhône”; the finesse and elegance of the North, coupled with the power and opulence of the South. Jean-Luc Jamet is considered a benchmark of this particular geographic expression among “classicists”. Forget the big, extracted and oaky Côte-Rôties, you’re in finesse territory here.

Story:

• Jean-Luc Jamet is one of the most iconic producers of Côte-Rôtie and Côte du Rhône. His journey began in 1991, working alongside his brother Jean-Paul at the famed family estate “Domaine Jamet”. The magnificent Domaine occupied some of the the best parts of Côte-Rôtie and Côte du Rhône – but in 2013, the brothers parted ways and split the 16 hectare estate into equal halves.
• With a brand-new winery (literally separated by one wall to his brother’s) and the same marvellous vineyards at hand, Jean-Luc – the ‘phoenix’ of Côte Rôtie – started a new adventure. He now applies his craft in making wines of extreme delicacy to his own exacting taste and standards.
• Jean-Luc has always sought to plant and grow vineyards in the best parts of Côte-Rôtie, both on Côte Blonde and – more commonly – on Côte Brune. His preferred and famous areas such as “Lancement”, “Chavaroche”, “La Landonne”, “Les Moutonnes”, “Les Rochins” are recognized as complex, Syrah suitable land composed of schist and granite.

Viticulture:

• Blend of 20 different parcels across Cote Rotie

Vinification:

• Jean-Luc uses less whole bunch (only 30 to 35%) in order to champion the floral elements of the wines.
• 100% Syrah
• Whole bunches, maceration for about three weeks
• 22 months in barrels of which 15% are new
• For many people, Domaine Jamet is THE reference point for classically styled Côte-Rôtie. The grapes are partially de-stemmed according to the vintage— though the decision is not by rote. For example, the warm 2009 vintage was fermented as whole clusters, as was the much cooler 2011, but unique aspects of each vintage led to Jean-Paul’s corresponding decisions. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks in their refurbished, gravity-flow cellar, and the wines are aged in barrel for 18-22 months (maximum 20% new oak for the Côte-Rôtie; 33% new oak for “Côte Brune”). The wines are neither fined nor filtered at bottling.

Taste:

• “Candy, blackcurrant, black cherry, fibrous tannin. Ripe and fleshy. Full and delicious but not as nuanced as it can be – just too young? Very grainy.” - Jancis

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $76
• Cost: $230

Question 8

J.L. Chave Selections “Mon Coeur”

Cotes-du-Rhone 2017

Answer 8

AOC:

• Cotes-du-Rhone

Story:

• One of the legendary wine families of France, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave has, since 1481, been passed down from father to son for 16 generations. The family initially grew Saint-Joseph wines before phylloxera wiped out their vineyards on the hillsides above the domaine at Mauves. A wise ancestor chose to purchase land on the hill of Hermitage and rebuild the domaine there. Now widely considered the greatest grower on the hill, Chave makes world-class white and red Hermitage with exceptional ageability. One of the keys to the Chaves’ success is their ability to blend across multiple climats to create the best possible wine in any given year. To maintain this enviable track record, they do not produce single parcel “reserve” wines, believing that the blended wine is the best expression of the terroir of Hermitage. However, in top vintages they do produce 200 cases of a red, barrel-selection “Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin” that is as expensive as it is rare.

Gérard Chave took over the domaine in 1970 and brought it to worldwide fame; his son Jean-Louis Chave joined in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut and receiving an enology degree from UC Davis. Jean-Louis has also built up the family’s négociant business, J.L. Chave Selection, presenting a more affordable opportunity to experience the family’s winemaking skills as their domaine wines have become increasingly rare and expensive.

• Though the Côtes-du-Rhône is technically made from purchased fruit, Chave generally has financed his sources and takes their grapes by a métayage(sharecropping) arrangement. He has more or less complete control over the farming, which is organic. The grapes are shipped to Chave’s facility inside his Saint-Joseph Le Clos site in Mauves.

Viticulture:

• Sharecropping arrangement
• Organic
• Vine Age: 20-60 years

Vinification:

• More Syrah than Grenache, ~5% Mourvèdre
• Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks and élevage is in an assortment of new and old barrels, demi-muids and large foudres at the magnificently restored cellar at Le Clos.
• At the conclusion of élevage, the wines are assembled and transported to the original “Selections Cellar” next to the Domaine where the wines under-go filtration, collage, etc. and are bottled. Total production is approximately 15,000 cases.

Taste:

• “Tar, leather, dark black fruit with delicious leathery character on the finish. Proper fine-grained tannin. Up there with the best of them! An absolute delight” - Jancis

Cost vs. Front:

*

Question 9

Les Pailleres “Racines”

Gigondas 2016

Answer 9

AOC:

• Southern Rhone
  
  • Gigondas

Story:

• Les Pallières was once a famous domaine with wines of impeccable character, yet the property had slowly fallen into disrepair. Two great frosts of the twentieth century had killed off many of the olive and fruit trees, and both the winery and the vineyards were badly in need of repairs. By 1998, the Roux brothers wanted to make a change. With no future successors to take their place, they decided to sell.
• The Brunier brothers, Daniel and Frédéric, of the famed Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape ( click here for their family history), were rising stars in the Southern Rhône at the time, having distinguished themselves time and time again with world class wines. A casual discussion over lunch at Chez Panisse between Daniel and Kermit Lynch, the Brunier’s longtime American importer, spontaneously turned into a game plan to revive the faded jewel—Les Pallières. Though the competition to buy the domaine was fierce with very reputable names in the mix, the Roux brothers finally decided to sell to the Bruniers and Kermit. After decades of neglect, Pallières’ renaissance had begun.
• A focus on the terroir and its potential soon led to a clear, new direction. The vineyards range from 250-400 meters in altitude, with varying proportions of sand and clay interwoven with limestone scree descending from the Dentelles. Terraces were built and reinforced, allowing for better water retention. A new winery was built to receive the harvested parcels individually in gravity-fed tanks. The many lieux-dits, once blended into one cuvée of Gigondas, have been separated into two, starting with the 2007 vintage, in an effort to best express two remarkable personalities. Cuvée “Terrasse du Diable,” encompasses the low-yielding vines from the higher altitudes that express great structure and intense minerality. Cuvée “Les Racines” showcases the vineyard parcels surrounding the winery—the origin of the domaine with the oldest vines—with the emphasis on freshness and extravagant cornucopian fruit.

Viticulture:

• 65 years average
• Property is located at the extreme north of the appellation
• Vineyards are situated on stepped, terraced land from the lieu-dit, Les Pallières, located around the winery and cellars (at 250 meters in altitude)
• Sustainable
• Hand Harvests
• Sorted 2x
• Grapes are partially de-stemmed and pressed gently by pneumatic press

Vinification:

• Blend:
  
  • 80% Grenache
  • 15% Syrah – Cinsault (co-planted)
  • 5% Clairette
• Traditional fermentation lasts 25-30 days in temperature-controlled cement cuves and wooden vats
• Wine ages in cuves for 10 months, then in foudres for 7-9 months
• Wine is bottled unfiltered and is released two years after the harvest

Taste:

• “Perfumed floral and red fruits on the nose – impressively open and expressive on the nose already. Rich and mouth-filling and lengthy with the most delicious purity right from nose to finish.”

Cost vs. Front:

• Front: $27
• Cost: $95

Question 10

La Vieux Télégraphe

“Télégramme”

Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2017

Answer 10

AOC:

• Southern Rhone
  
  • Chateauneuf-du-Pape
    
    • On a plateau called La Crau: high up, alluvial deposits, lots of galets
    • Telegramme is the second label of fruit not worthy of La Crau

Story:

• The Brunier family founded Vieux Télégraphe in 1898 and bottled their first wine by 1900. The property is still family owned and operated, currently run by the fourth generation. All of Vieux Télégraphe’s vineyards are located in a single-vineyard block in the lieu-dit La Crau. This parcel is particularly well known, especially for its ability to retain water even in dry years. The name, La Crau, has appeared on the label of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1994, although it does not refer to a special bottling. The estate prides itself on using old vine material in their wines; any vine younger than 25-30 years is vinified separately and used for the second label, Vieux Télégramme. Prior to 2002, their second label was called Vieux Mas de Papes.
• Télégramme (Blanc and Rouge): from young vines (less than 25-30 years)

Viticulture:

• 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Cinsault
  
  • Grapes sourced from these lieux-dits: La Crau, Pignan, Colombis, Escondudes, Rascassa, Font de Michèle, Blaireaux
• 35 years average
• Sustainable
• Hand Harvest

Vinification:

• Winemaking is traditional at Vieux Télégraphe, with a few modern influences.
• Grapes are de-stemmed and co-fermented in a combination of stainless steel and 100-hl oak vats.
• Post-blending, the wines are aged first in concrete vats and later in old, 70-hl foudres.

Taste:

• The elegance and velvety texture make “Télégramme” easy to appreciate in its youth, with rich, generous, red fruit, uncharacteristic freshness, and beautifully integrated tannins. Its finesse and drinkability make it the Châteauneuf-du-Pape for restaurant lists and for wine lovers who do not have a cellar for aging.” - Kermit
• “Gorgeously ripe red fruit with cranberry and redcurrant flavours. Lightly spiced, superbly balanced structure with tannin and acid counterbalancing nicely. Finishes with a firm, ageable grip and lovely long savoury persistence.” - Jancis

Cost vs. Front:

• Front:
• Cost: $115

Question 11

La Vieux Télégraphe

“La Crau”

Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2017

Answer 11

AOC:

• Southern Rhone
  
  • Chateauneuf-du-Pape
    
    • Grapes sourced from La Crau, the lieu-dit that is known for the galet roulés, or rounded stones, that cover the vineyard as far as the eye can see

Story:

• ​The Brunier family founded Vieux Télégraphe in 1898 and bottled their first wine by 1900. The property is still family owned and operated, currently run by the fourth generation. All of Vieux Télégraphe’s vineyards are located in a single-vineyard block in the lieu-dit La Crau. This parcel is particularly well known, especially for its ability to retain water even in dry years. The name, La Crau, has appeared on the label of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1994, although it does not refer to a special bottling. The estate prides itself on using old vine material in their wines; any vine younger than 25-30 years is vinified separately and used for the second label, Vieux Télégramme. Prior to 2002, their second label was called Vieux Mas de Papes.
• The wines of V.T. are classic, displaying strength, rusticity, earthiness, and tremendous longevity. The final assemblage consists solely of old-vine fruit from La Crau, imparting incredible depth, concentration, and a filtered-through-stones minerality that provides excellent freshness.

Viticulture:

• 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, Clairette, etc.
  
  • Sourced solely from La Crau
• Old vines - the premier wine from the chateau
• Sustainable
• Hand Harvest

Vinification:

• Grapes are partially de-stemmed
• Traditional fermentation between 25-35 days in stainless steel cuve and wood cuves (all temperature-controlled)
• Wine rests in cement tank for 10 months, and then ages for another 12 months in foudres
• Wine is bottled unfiltered, after 22 months of aging

Taste:

• “Lovely fragrance on the nose, and a strong savoury, herby twang on the finish. Strongly tannic palate with a refreshing acidic counterpoint. Fine, dry, chewy finish. Surprisingly light body though, making this tempting to drink soon.” - Jancis

Cost vs. Front:

• Front:
• Cost: $170