News — Northern Rhone

Saint-Joseph Sweet Spot
2020 Gérard Saint-Joseph Le Blanchard

Xavier Gérard has maintained a low profile, but he's among the most talented winemakers in the northern Rhône. 

Rhône Royalty
2019 Chave Hermitage Blanc

Over the years, Chave's Blanc has steadily assumed a place as one of my favorite white wines on the planet. There's no other dry white wine in the world that ages quite like Chave's Hermitage Blanc.

The Genuine Article
2018 Gilles Cornas

Gilles produces real deal Cornas.

The Other Side of Jamet 2019 Jamet
Côte-Rôtie Fructus Voluptas

Jamet's signature finesse,  with darker fruits and more overt florality.

Jamet: From VdF to Côte Brune

The heights that Jean-Paul Jamet reaches has few peers in the entire northern Rhône.

2013 Allemand Cornas Reynard

Allemand takes Cornas to a level of expressiveness and finesse that no one can compete with. His 2013 Reynard is a powerful example of this. 

2018 Gonon Saint-Joseph

The amount of gracefulness that Gonon is able to coax from the hills of Saint-Joseph is extraordinary.

Essential Cornas - Back-Vintage Clape:
1998 & 2000 Clape Cornas

If Allemand is Cornas as suave, fine and bright, Clape shows the region's dark side, wonderfully bone-crushing and savory. Clape’s Cornas gets to the beating heart of the appellation’s intensely dark and savory side. The wines are wildly complex and utterly compelling expressions of Cornas.

Côte-Rôtie's Master:
2017 Jamet Côte-Rôtie

Jamet's Côte-Rôties are long-standing benchmarks of the northern Rhône.

The heights that Jamet's Côte-Rôties reach have few peers in the entire northern Rhône.

Untamed Côte Rôtie - Revisited:
2017 Levet Côte Rôtie La Chavaroche

Allemand:
2007-2016

Allemand's wines are very special. It's hard not to agree with Vinous Media's Josh Raynolds when he writes: "let me state unequivocally that there is no estate in the entire Rhône Valley making finer wines.”

The Cult Of Gonon:
2016 Gonon Saint-Joseph

The 2016 northern Rhônes have become an obsession of ours. They're so clear, concentrated, and classically proportioned.

The Profound Beauty of Côte-Rôtie: 2013 Bénetière Cote Rotie Cordeloux

In Côte-Rôtie, Bénetière may very well be without peer in terms of balance, detail, and streamlined mineral elegance.

One of the reasons that we've always loved Bénetière's 2013 Cordeloux is that it consolidates all of these qualities brilliantly.

Jamet Rarity, Only Bottles in the U.S.
2016 Jamet Cote-Rotie Half-Bottles

Jamet's Côte-Rôties have few peers in the entire northern Rhône.

It's pretty much that simple. They are amazingly elegant, precise, and clear.

Not The Rhone, Not Beaujolais. Somewhere In Between:
2018 Deplaude de Tartaras Hop La & La Chanse

Deplaude de Tartaras is technically from Coteaux-Du-Gier. More accurately, this is the middle of nowhere between the northern Rhône and southern Beaujolais.

The wines are truly noteworthy for their purity and drinkability.

2017 Gonon Saint-Joseph

The amount of gracefulness that Gonon is able to coax from the hills of Saint-Joseph is extraordinary. It's no wonder that the wines have gone cult.

Allemand Cornas: 2017 Chaillot & Reynards

I'll keep this short. Allemand's reputation is too big, and the quantities are too small to drag this out. Allemand's wines are very special. It's hard not to agree with Vinous Media's Josh Raynolds when he writes: "let me state unequivocally that there is no estate in the entire Rhône Valley making finer wines."

In Peak Form - Northern Rhône For a Song:
2015 Jean-Claude Marsanne Saint-Joseph

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. 

Côte-Rôtie's Master:
2017 Jamet Côte-Rôtie Half-Bottles & Full-Bottles

Jamet's Côte-Rôties are long-standing benchmarks of the northern Rhône. The heights that Jamet's Côte-Rôties reach have few peers in the entire northern Rhône.

Northern Rhône Master: 2017 Chave Saint-Joseph

Tasting through Chave's 2017s has left me astonished by the wines. They are easily some of the best wines produced in the vintage.

The Crown Jewel of the Northern Rhône
- Magnum Edition: 2017 Chave Hermitage Magnums

It's early in the game, but it's very likely that Chave produced the greatest northern Rhône wine in 2017. Of course, this isn't a surprise. The Chave family is Rhône royalty.

Côte-Rôtie In Full Glory - Rare Magnums:
2016 Jamet Côte-Rôtie Magnums

The heights that Jamet's Côte-Rôties reach have few peers in the entire northern Rhône. Jamet hits a level of gracefulness and agility that is reminiscent of Burgundy. This is Côte-Rôtie in full glory, flaunting a poised and detailed expression of minerals, herbs, spice, savory elements, and florality. The aromatics simply soar.

Untamed Côte Rôtie - Magnum Edition:
2017 Levet Côte Rôtie La Chavaroche Magnums

Levet's Chavaroche is one of the most unyieldingly traditional and fascinating wines currently being made in the northern Rhône. Neal Rosenthal, Levet's importer, aptly sums up the wines: "If you want the truest of Côte-Rôties...if you admire both the intellectual and the savage, then this is a must-buy wine."

Hermitage Greatness Meets Value:
2015 Chave Hermitage Farconnet

For the ultimate combination of prestige and value, we turn to Chave’s Hermitage Farconnet. Chave’s regular Hermitage bottling is one of the greatest wines from the northern Rhone and currently sells for hundreds of dollars per bottle. The Hermitage Farconnet, which is part of Chave’s negociant label, maintains every bit of Chave’s exacting standards but costs just a fraction of the price.