This is a delicious Gigondas from Tardieu Laurent and one of the better wines I have tried from this appellation. It has savoury and immediately appealing aromas of boysenberry, blueberry and well integrated cedar. The palate is full bodied with attractive grippy tannins, a refined balance, medium acidity and ripe boysenberry fruit. Long length on…Continue readingTardieu-Laurent Gigondas 2015
From Delas, this is a sound Côtes du Rhône rouge from the 2017 vintage. It has aromas of berry and spices. The palate is medium bodied with moderate acidity and chalky tannins. Ready to drink now. Rating: Good. Website: http://www.delas.com/en/; wine-searcher.com. Reviewed: June 2020.Continue readingDelas Saint-Esprit Côtes du Rhône 2017
Sablet is one of the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellations in the southern Rhône Valley in France. This wine from Domaine de la Roubine is a blend of 70% grenache, 25% syrah and 5% cinsault. It has aromas of stalk, rosemary and a green bouquet garnis character. The palate is full bodied, with medium tannins…Continue readingDomaine La Roubine La Grange des Briguières Sablet 2017
I’ve tasted a couple of vintages now of this entry level syrah from the Cave de Tain and the Collines Rodaniennes IGP in the Rhône Valley, France. The 2016 vintage is reviewed here. The 2018 vintage is also of good quality. It has typical syrah aromas of wet rosemary, spice and bouquet garnis. The Australian…Continue readingCave de Tain Première Note Syrah 2018
This is an excellent expression of Crozes-Hermitage from Jann Chave in the northern Rhône Valley, one of the region’s stronger producers. It has cedar and spice aromatics. The palate reminds of syrah with its pepper and spice character. Some pastille notes express themselves at intervals. Overall, this is a very good wine that is enjoyable…Continue readingYann Chave Le Rouvre Crozes Hermitage 2016
This is a heady Côtes du Rhône Villages wine. It opens to spicy and peppery aromatics. The palate is full bodied and the length on the finish medium. Spices, rosemary and some raisined, but savoury, fruit emerges with time. Ready to drink now. Rating: Good. Abv: 14.0. Price: $20. Website: http://tardieu-laurent.fr/en/la-maison-2/. Reviewed: May 2020. Continue readingTardieu-Laurent Côtes du Rhône Villages Les Becs Fins 2017
Coursodon Saint Joseph Wine ReviewContinue readingCoursodon Saint Joseph 2017
Cave de Tain is a Rhône Valley cooperative that is well regarded. This syrah is from the IGP appellation of Collines Rhodaniennes indication géographique protegée, north of Valence. It has a restrained aroma of plums and anise. The palate has good balance and expression of sour red fruits. Ready to drink now, this is a…Continue readingCave de Tain Première Note Syrah 2016
This is a delicious Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a region whose wines I taste infrequently. From the 2015 vintage, the Clefs des Papes has aromas of savoury plums, stones and smoke. The palate has great length and is moreish. This is a great value CNP that is ready to drink now. Rating: Very Good. Abv: 14.5%. Price: $50.…Continue readingClefs des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015
Here are two sound releases from M. Chapoutier, both from the 2016 vintage. Luberon sits between the southern Rhône valley and Provence, whilst Crozes-Hermitage is in the northern Rhône and quite different in style. The 2016 vintage appears sound in the northern Rhône and a great vintage in the southern Rhône. I find Jancis Robinson’s…Continue readingM. Chapoutier Les Incontournables Crozes-Hermitage and Luberon 2016
This is a deeply coloured syrah wine from Xavier Gérard in Saint-Joseph in the northern Rhône valley. One sniff however and it is immediately a vin de terroir with its very distinctive aroma of rosemary and spice. The palate is dry, full bodied and made in a ripe and approachable style with mid weight tannins. Good…Continue readingXavier Gérard Saint-Joseph Le Blanchard 2016
This is a pretty basic Crozes-Hermitage from Chapoutier. The 2014 vintage has aromatics of syrah spices and earth. The palate is medium bodied. The finish is short and lacks complexity of expression. Current drinking only. Rating: Acceptable. Abv: 13%. Price: $27.Continue readingM. Chapoutier Les Incontournables Crozes-Hermitage 2014