Northern Rhône 2020

This is one of two signature reds at the domaine (the other is the Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes). It is a fruit-driven style with density and finesse. A long, gentle maceration draws out subtle liquorice and dark cherry notes with a lovely volume.

Alain Voge’s pithy sparkling wine, Les Bulles d’Alain, is unlike anything else we have on our list. It is lively, dry, refreshing, and refined. If you’re in the mood for bubbles, but don’t want the weight of a Champagne, this is the perfect option, and a smart price too. It’s a very good example of why Saint-Péray has built its renown for sparkling wines.

This is the second of the domaine’s signature cuvées (the other is Cornas Les Chailles). It comes from, unsurprisingly, the old vines which are planted further up the slopes at altitudes ranging from 250-400m. Small amounts of whole bunch fruit (20%) add freshness and silkiness. In 2020 it benefits further from fruit that usually goes into a single vineyard cuvée, La Chapelle St Pierre, but because volumes were so small, it has been blended in here, adding extra lift and volume to the fruit. This wine shows superb old vine intensity, with density and precision in its notes of tapenade and cassis.

Alongside their impressive reds, this domaine makes wonderful still whites from Marsanne in Saint-Péray. 2020 is a year to snap up this cuvée, Ongrie, as sadly none at all has been made in 2021. The parcel sits just behind the village, near the river. The vines are over 50 years old and enjoy the clay soils here. It shows Marsanne’s satisfying bitterness and mouth-watering freshness, supported by subtle new oak, giving it a Burgundian feel. Notes of dried honey and lavender make it a stand out white Rhône.

This wine is only made in the best vintages. It comes from a vineyard that sits between Sabarotte and Savaux, right in the middle of the slope. The wine’s intensity is dialled up, thanks to the 30% whole bunch fruit used and ageing in 20% new oak. There is so much density here, with abundant but fondant tannins, and a weight of blackcurrant intensity that warrants long ageing. This will reward the patient.

This domaine only makes one wine, and they throw everything they’ve got at it. It is a blend of five parcels across the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. They are the only domaine still producing just one blend in Côte-Rôtie. But they are fully justified in continuing this tradition; the quality of this wine speaks for itself. 2020 is the first vintage with talented Pierre Burgaud in sole charge, after a smooth handing-over from his father, Bernard. This vintage has deep concentration and wonderful acidity. Pierre calls it ‘exceptionnelle’, and we quite agree. He suggests it will have two drinking windows: one early on, in its first year or two, and another after a decade in the cellar.

This is a standout wine in the appellation, and one of the best value wines on our Rhône list. Stéphane Rousset’s vines are all clustered in the northern sector of the appellation on granitic soils at high altitude (between 120-300m). This 2020 has such a charming red berry fleshy fruit, sweetly scented, with fine little tannins and a refreshing acidity. All in all, a very complete, balanced and charming wine.

The south-facing schist-terraced Les Picaudières vineyard produces age worthy, expressive, sumptuous wines. The 2020 wears a little more new oak than the straight Crozes-Hermitage, and as a result has a richer depth and will require a little more patience. It is focused and vibrant, with a wonderful depth of fruit.

This Syrah comes from old vines grown on the steep slopes in the north of the long, narrow St Joseph appellation, near the domaine in Condrieu. It is dark and brambly, with a brightness and clarity on the palate of crunchy cassis fruit with a twist of licorice.

If André’s straight Condrieu is the benchmark, then this is a wine that transcends its category altogether. The vines here are approaching 70 years old, and the wine has a lifted salty aroma taking it to another level altogether. So much tension and persistence on the palate.

This is so zesty and vibrant, with a beautiful orange zest and floral scent. The palate is silky and mineral - a combination that André Perret, and now his daughter Marie with him, have a dab hand at conjuring from the Viognier grape.

The final ever vintage from Bernard Faurie, as he finally settles into his well-deserved retirement. And what a way to bow out, with this spectacular 2020 vintage. It is a blend of Greffieux, Méal, and Bessards, three of Hermitage’s finest sites. Full of gorgeous, luscious, fluid fruit density, with mineral detail, light-footed, silky tannins, and a superbly sustained finish.

This Gamay is a revelation. It’s made by one of Côte-Rôtie’s most accomplished winemakers, Guillaume Clusel, whose Syrahs are highly sought-after. Here he turns his hand to the lighter variety of Gamay, making a wine that is so juicy and sweet and full of freshness. It is far more than a curiosity. The vines are grown on the decomposed granitic soils that lie south of Lyon. Its silky tannins and a fresh acidity are perfectly balanced. Great value and utterly delicious.

This is Clusel Roch’s classic blend. Indeed, in previous years it had been called ‘Classique’. It comes from a range of vineyards across the iron-rich soils of the Côte Brune, including Le Plomb, Montmains, and Bas de Coteau. The blend has a Burgundian composure, with red fruit fragrance and a lithe, cool length. A little spice in the background gives it texture and depth.

La Viallière is one of the great sites of the Côte Brune. Its mid-slope position and high proportion of gravelly stones aid drainage and produce wines of great finesse. This continues on from Clusel Roch’s blended Côte-Rôtie, Les Schistes, in the red fruit frame, but it has a deeper, more voluminous back-palate. There is a definition here unique to the specific site.

This cuvée is always the most powerful in the Clusel Roch stable. It comes from vines planted in 1935 by Guillaume Clusel’s great-grandfather. The parcel sits high up, above La Viallière, and makes a dense, complex, and structured wine. The tannins are compact in their youth, and it will need some time in bottle to unfurl. This is gourmand and statuesque Syrah.

This vineyard was planted in 1945, and the old vines are treated with huge respect in the Courbis cellar, where Laurent applies a generous 50% new oak to the wine, that is more than matched by the natural density of fruit. This is a big, powerful, broad-shouldered wine. Its 250m elevation helps it retain freshening acidity, which offers a great foundation to the statuesque density of the wine.

This is the most intense and refined of the Cornas wines in the Courbis cellar. It comes from a vineyard planted in 1990, and the vines have produced such a balanced freshness and smoky depth in 2020. It has great ageing potential if you have the patience, but also great driven freshness if you choose to approach it early. Hugely elegant.

This comes from fruit grown on granitic slopes in the heart of Cornas. It is always the most floral and forward of the Courbis Cornas wines. The 2020 has a lovely dark berry lift on the nose, and a rich mineral depth on the palate. Salty and wonderfully poised along its length.

This bursts with green pineapple perfume. Both exotic and vibrant. It has a silky, textured palate. It comes from a single vineyard in the south of the appellation, in St Pierre de Boeuf. The east/north-east aspect makes this site cooler than many, and its granite and gneiss soils results in superb mineral tension to the wine.

This comes from a blend of grapes from Chavany - which give the wine a fruity profile, and grapes from Vérin - which add minerality and tension. It has a detailed nose of nettle freshness, with a great mineral length on the palate. This is a highly accomplished Condrieu blend, and great value for money.

This site is in Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, just south of Château Grillet in the heart of the Condrieu appellation, where the quartzite mica-schist soils make wines of length and finesse. It is smoky, firm, and energetic, and clearly has plenty to give over the years to come.

Sybarine comes from vines very close to the Garon cellar on the Côte Blonde. Its granite soils make for an open, refined, and silky Côte-Rôtie, and is the earliest drinking of the four Garon cuvées. No new oak is used here, and the 2020 has 10% whole bunch fruit. It is peppery and sappy, it is an upfront and bold style of Syrah with black fruit character and savoury length.

This is one of the finest sites of the Côte Blonde, and it produces a wine of huge elegance and subtlety, although you’ll want to tuck it away for a few years before pulling the cork.

This is a fantastic site on the Côte Brune, shared between just three growers. The vines were replanted in 1980 and 2001, and their youthful vigour produces a juicy wine, with a rounded balance. 30% whole bunch and 30% new oak add silkiness and depth.

This comes from four neighbouring lieux-dits on the Côte Blonde: Lancement, La Triote, Le Combard and Le Mollard. They share a high proportion of white schist in their soils, making for an intense, savoury, and long expression. It has 20% whole bunch, and the fruit is glossy and deep.

This is perhaps the wine that needs the most explanation in the Bott cellar. The name may sound unfamiliar, but it’s one to remember. There are great hopes Seyssuel will be elevated to full cru status within a matter of years. The vines are planted just a 10 minute drive from Ampuis on schist and gneiss soils that glisten in the sunlight. There’s no granite here on this side of the river, and the Syrah is floral and pinot-esque, with an elegant texture and a spicy, salty undertow. Kamata is the Maori word for rock or stone, and a nod to Graeme’s Kiwi origins. Much more than a curiosity.

When winemakers talk about tending their vineyards like their gardens, we understand what they mean, but take it with a pinch of salt. In this case, these vines literally are Graeme and Julie’s garden, which sits between Coteau de Chéry and Château Grillet, below their house in Vérin. They bought the house a few years ago, and on discovering their garden was in fact prime AOC Condrieu, they not only decided to plant it with vines, but also to start their own domaine. So it’s where their story really begins. 2019 was the first release, and 2020 sees them really hitting their stride. The five-year-old vines have made a superb wine that comes in at just 12.5% abv. It smells of dried honey and lavender, and the palate has delicious freshness, with the richness of baked shortbread in the background. This is a special wine indeed.

This is a poised and energetic Condrieu. The Botts are not looking for richness and ripe alcohols in their whites. To that end they pick fairly early. This is a very balanced and restrained 13% abv, and is packed with vibrant fresh fruit flavours and a touch of almond. There is depth but no heaviness here. Julie says the granitic soils of Condrieu gives the wine minerality and freshness alongside natural ripeness. It should be superb after a year in bottle.

This fresh, bright, early-picked Viognier encapsulates Graeme & Julie’s skill at handling this grape. Where their Condrieus are emerging as some of the most interesting in the appellation, this ‘First Flight’ is a great value window onto their style. The vines are grown in granite soils at 300m altitude. The Botts are confident that 2020 is their best vintage for whites so far (they started in 2016) and this little gem is a bargain you won’t want to miss.

This has fast become a Lay & Wheeler favourite. It’s a juicy, pure, light-footed, and expressive Syrah that comes from vines planted just beyond the limits of the Côte-Rôtie appellation. The 2020 has a poised cassis character with a leafy freshness, and a perfume of violets and peonies. Smooth and appetising. Stock up.

This comes from old vines planted in the historic vineyard of Rocoules. It is powerful and deep, and will certainly benefit from a few years in the cellar.

This is a blend of two parcels and is the hidden gem of Sorrel’s range. 20% comes from Bessards, and 80% from Les Plantiers, just below Le Méal. These vines produce fruit with real power, and this wine has a great presence. But the floral tones and salty fruit make it more accessible than the Gréal, and mean it should start to open up a little earlier.

Sorrel's whites are as interesting and profound as his reds. This wine from Crozes is a little more forward and floral than the Hermitage wines, making it delicious in its youth.

This is grown in kaolinite soils, a clay-limestone soil that only accounts for around 1% of Crozes-Hermitage. These white soils result in highly mineral wines. Always peppery and juicy, with tapenade notes and spiced fruit.

Le Gréal is a unique and special blend, and the signature wine of the Sorrel domaine. 90% is drawn from the lauded Le Méal parcel, at 10% from Les Gréffieux, on the Hermitage hillside. There is a small amount of Marsanne co-planted amongst the Syrah that makes it into the blend, adding freshness and mollifying the tannins. These Sorrel vines date back to 1928 and produce exquisite concentration, making it a wine that rewards cellaring.

Although Domaine Ogier is based in Ampuis in the Northern Rhône, Stéphane has made one very savvy investment in the South. From a site near Cairanne he produces this brilliant value Cotes du Rhône. It delivers fantastically juicy, lightly grippy length, with an abundance of sweet red fruit flavours, thanks to the 60% Grenache in the blend, which is filled out with 40% Syrah. It has smooth, attractive tannins thanks to the high proportion of whole bunch used in its fermentation.

Stéphane Ogier’s reputation is built on his Côte-Rôties. This cuvée is a blend of ten plots, mostly from the northern part of the appellation. It was first created in 2010, with Stéphane wanting to create a blended Côte-Rôtie that has all the signature style and spice of the hillside, but is accessible a little earlier than some of his single vineyard wines that are released later. It comes mostly from his younger vines, between 10 and 30 years old. It is bursting with Syrah black pepper and red currants, with a floral note lifting the palate. Salty tannins carry through onto the finish.

This Vin de Pays comes from vineyards situated just behind the hillside of Côte-Rôtie, on the same granitic soils as the famous slope. It is a floral and dark-berried with a glossy freshness. It’s a great introduction to Stéphane’s Northern Rhône range. A mini-Côte-Rôtie.

This Condrieu has a pithy, mineral tension, with some lovely bite on the mid-palate.

As you move up through the Ogier wines, the amount of whole-bunch fruit used in their vinification climbs. Here, it starts to show in the creamy, dark, cassis-drenched fruit, with layers of black olive tapenade. The wine is dense and dark, with silky tannins and a long poised finish.

Pierre only started bottling this vineyard separately in 2016, and it has since proved it’s a cuvée well-worth following. It comes from a half hectare parcel just north of La Landonne which is home to 80-year-old vines planted by Pierre’s grandfather. He decided to isolate the parcel as he says every year these vines make such a pure and quintessential expression of Côte-Rôtie they deserved their own spotlight. In 2020 it is stridently Syrah, with dark cassis fruit and an aromatic freshness.

Like the Côte Blonde, this is only produced in tiny volumes, and demand is always huge. It has a fabulously expressive nose in its youth, and so much power on the young palate, this will surely go on for decades.

Rostaing’s Condrieu has something of a following. Unlike many others, this is all vinified and aged in stainless steel, rather than oak. It comes from a granitic south-west facing parcel, and the 2020 has a pretty lemon sherbert aroma, with notes of yuzu and kumquat. The palate has a smooth, soft freshness.

This is the emblematic cuvée of the Rostaing domaine, which blends 15 lieux-dits from around Côte-Rôtie. It showcases the Rostaing style brilliantly, with intensity, fruit purity, and decadence. There is a graphite slant to Syrah’s black fruit pallet here. It’s made in a lovely moderate, savoury style, making for a highly appetising wine.

This is one of the most sought-after wines in the Rostaing stable, and only produced in tiny volumes, It displays a decadent nose, with a palate of ample structure and volumes. It will need time, but this has a promising future ahead.

This is quite possibly Côte-Rôtie’s most famous vineyard. In Pierre Rostaing’s hands this 2020 is dense and grippy, with a sophisticated restraint. Powerful and captivating.

This comes from many parcels dotted around the central and southern part of the appellation. Sylvain intelligently handles his fruit: the young vine bunches are destemmed, while the older vines’ stems are kept intact, combining them to produce a highly juicy, perfumed style. It's a spicy Syrah, with lots of black licorice and freshly cracked peppercorns. The palate is admirably composed and smooth, with a gliding length.