News — Northern Rhone

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.

"One of the all-time greats" - 1999 Jamet Côte-Rôtie

I'll keep this brief. Jamet's 1999 Côte-Rôtie is legendary, and this is a very small parcel.

On Ancient Vines - A Northern Rhône Surprise:
2016 & 2017 Gilles Les Peyrouses

Guillaume Gilles worked at Chave and Robert Michel, two of the greats in the northern Rhône. Thierry Allemand admires Gilles vineyard work calling it among the best of the appellation. A compliment from Allemand is no small thing. 

Rarely Seen Bénetière: 2007 & 2010 Bénetière Condrieu

There's no point in dancing around the fact that Condrieu and Viognier, in general, are often maligned for being flabby and uninteresting. While you can find many examples of this, it's far from the whole story.

Prime Hermitage - 2 Barrels Produced:
2016 Faurie Hermitage Bessards

Bernard Faurie is well into his sixties, and he's still a driving force behind some of the purest expressions of Hermitage that we know. Today, we're excited to present a true rarity, Faurie's Hermitage Bessards.

The Crown Jewel of the Northern Rhône: 2017 Chave Hermitage

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.

Jamet 1998-2017: From VdP to Côte Brune

The heights that Jean-Paul Jamet reaches has few peers in the entire northern Rhône. They are amazingly elegant, precise, and clear. It's pretty much that simple.

The Swan Song For A Cornas Master
2006 Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale

When Thierry Allemand was a young man, he worked at Michel's domaine and describes it as a formative experience.

“Excellent clarity and lift”
2017 Levet Côte-Rôtie Les Journaries

Levet’s wines are some of our favorites from the northern Rhône. They are true masters of old-school Côte-Rôtie.

The Rhône & Beyond 1989-2017:
Allemand, Chave, Clape, Gonon, Rayas, Tempier & More

I reached deep into our Rhône inventory and checked out what we have from Provence and Languedoc as well. You'll find Allemand Reynard, mags of old Tempier, Verset, and plenty of other rarities.

2017 Gonon Vin de Pays l'Ardèche Les Iles Feray

If you go looking for Gonon's Les Iles Feray, you'll find only one other listing for any vintage. This is a testimony to Gonon's cult status and just how impressive the wine is. 

High-Water Mark Vintage - Revisited:
2016 Marsanne Saint-Joseph

Jean-Claude Marsanne's Saint-Joseph has become a fixture at Crush. It's old-school in style and unflashy. The 2016 represents a breakthrough for Marsanne. At as low $33.95 per bottle, this is one of the great northern Rhône values.