It's taken the world some time to catch up with Jean-Claude Marsanne.

If you haven't heard of them, it's no surprise. Production is small and most of it is sold to private clients and restaurants.

Also, the style here is distinctly old school and without flash. The wines are rugged and subtle, requiring concentration and patience to understand. Slowly though, their reputation has reached the states and people are starting to take notice of the value and compelling honesty they offer.

The 2015 vintage provided Jean-Claude Marsanne with the perfect conditions to make a standout wine. The 2015 Northern Rhônes are packed with soaring dynamic energy, power and complexity. Even Jancis Robinson has come and said: "grab northern Rhône 2015 reds with both hands."

Marsanne is based in Mauves, the same village as Gonon. The methods are similarly traditional, delivering wines of extreme purity, with an edginess that we love.

Marsanne's 2015 Saint-Joseph offers up beautiful aromatics with an assertive core of dark minerality and violets. This is a very precise rendering of Syrah concentrating on dark fruits, crushed rock and floral tones. For all of its directness, there's something nicely elegant about the wine.

There's no getting around the fact that Northern Rhône pricing has really climbed in the past five years. It's really exciting to be able to offer an expression of the Northern Rhône with so much character and fascination at an affordable price. In this regard, Marsanne is without peer and the 2015 shows his work in peak form.

To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden

Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits