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

That's how I began our email on this wine almost two and a half years ago. The first time that I tasted Marsanne, I was stunned and wondered how he managed to keep such a low-profile.

I went deep on the 2015 and am happy to offer the few remaining cases at the lowest price in the country.

Jean-Claude Marsanne is not widely known in the U.S. but is widely admired in France. For many years the majority of the small production was sold to private clients and restaurants. Slowly though, their reputation has reached the U.S., and people are starting to take notice of the value and compelling honesty they offer.

The style here is distinctly old school and without flash. The wines are rugged and subtle, requiring concentration and patience to understand.

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.

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, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden

Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits

2015 Jean-Claude Marsanne Saint-Joseph

Special Bottle Price: $37.95