A Solid Northern Rhone Value: 2018 Faury, Syrah

The 2018 Lionel Faury, Syrah, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes balances both freshness and ripe fruit in the unmistakably Northern Rhone fashion.  It is a wine which is cool and elegant at first then you notice the expected floral notes followed by the desired, surprising suggestion of fat.  It could stand half a year in the cellar.  You may find this fine value at MacArthur Beverages.

2018 Lionel Faury, Syrah, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes – $22
Imported by Kermit Lynch.  Alcohol 12%.  Slightly spiced flavors of black fruit gain subtle complexity from floral notes.  The wine is supported by just the right amount of ripe tannin and integrated acidity.  A fresh wine yet the ripeness contributes a layer of fat. It comes across as an early drinker but there is hesitation in the expression.  I suggest trying again in the depths of winter.  ***(*) Now – 2024.

Mature, affordable Syrah

The 2012 Jean-Michel Gerin, La Champine, IGP Colline Rhodaniennes is a bit of a steal for maturing Rhone Syrah.  It comes across as drinking at its peak which means this gentle wine offers a bit of everything as soon as the cork is pulled.  You might grab a bottle or two so you can shake up your mid-week rotation.  Find it at MacArthur Beverages.

2012 Jean-Michel Gerin, La Champine, IGP Colline Rhodaniennes – $12
Imported by Espirit du Vin. This wine is 100% Syrah aged 12 months in used oak barrels. Alcohol 12.5%. Hints of maturity and wood box with a subtle undertone of fat. Of moderate body, there are firm cherry flavors, a little earthy, and fine tannic structure. At the beginning of a gentle, mature state. **(*) Now – 2020.

A good future for the 2015 Rostaing, Syrah Les Lezardes

The 2015 Domaine Rostaing, Syrah Les Lézardes is produced using fruit from vineyards located on the northern border of the Côte Rôtie appellation.  It is, in some sense, a mini Côte Rôtie at an affordable price.  I have drunk two bottles already, one being more open than the other.  This wine is best left to age for another year but with decanting, the floral aromas and fat coated fruit will bring you back for more.

2015 Domaine Rostaing, Syrah Les Lézardes, VdP Collines Rhodaniennes – $35
Imported by MacArthur Liquors.  This wine is 100% Syrah.  Alcohol 13.5%.  Floral and herbal on the nose.  In the mouth this young wine starts dry and tight with a very fine, yet gentle structure.  With air the wine builds flavors of firm black and red fruit surround by a modest coating of fat. ***(*) 2019 – 2028.

2015 Jamet: Cotes du Rhone blanc and Syrah

The pair of 2015 Domaine Jamet wines featured in this post are very different.  Not just in terms of color but nature.  Over the course of three days, the 2015 Domaine Jamet, Cotes du Rhone Blanc remains very focused on only revealing its primary components which are flinty flavors of lemon and other white fruit.  It is, in short, a wine with good future potential that you should just leave buried in your cellar.  The 2015 Domaine Jamet, Syrah, Collines Rhodaniennes IGP is a wine to drink now.  The rounded flavors and infusion of fat enable this to be a wine for drinking now.  However, the generosity of the 2015 vintage does not take away from the Jamet subtlety.   This subtlety of fruit coupled with graphite and fat place this wine unmistakably in the north.  I recommend you drink this delicious wine as soon as you return with a bottle. These wines are available at MacArthur Beverages.

2015 Domaine Jamet, Cotes du Rhone Blanc – $30
Imported by Domaine Select. This wine is a blend of 55% Marianne, 30% Viognier, 10% Roussanne, 5% Grenache Blanc sourced from vines averaging 10 years of age.  It was vinified in both stainless steel and oak barriques.  Alcohol 13%.  This is a pale straw color.  There is a flinty, fruited started with a hint of wood by the middle.  The wine is almost tart with lemon and white fruit flavors.  With extended air it remains very focused, eventually taking on some fine texture through the aftertaste. ***(*) 2019 – 2029.

2015 Domaine Jamet, Syrah, Collines Rhodaniennes IGP – $25
Imported by Domaine Select. This wine is 100% Syrah sourced from 12 year old vines fermented in stainless steel then aged for one year in oak barrels. Alcohol 12%.  The fat on the nose makes way to rounded flavors of minerals, graphite, and red fruit. There is also a subtle fat vein that works is way through the wine.  The flavors become finely perfumed as the wine becomes dry towards the finish.  For the near term.  *** 2017-2020.

2015 Domaine Georges Vernay, Syrah De Mirbaudie

The 2015 Domaine Georges Vernay, Syrah De Mirbaudie,Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes is a strong effort by Christine Vernay.  What I like is that it is not overdone for this vintage, instead it is forward, and it retains a clear Northern Rhone personality.  I would drink this over the next several years.

2015 Domaine Georges Vernay, Syrah De Mirbaudie,Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes  – $22
Imported by Simon “N” Cellars.  This wine is 100% Syrah sourced from 20 year old vines located adjacent to Condrieu. Alcohol 12.8%.  This floral, light black fruit flavors are supported by minerals underneath.  There is a controlled vein of fat and some fine tannins with grip.  With air a ripe, orange citrus note comes out in the finish.  *** Now – 2022.

The Bargain Priced 2013 M&S Ogier, La Rosine

Phil just scored a great deal on the 2013 M&S Ogier, La Rosine, Collines Rhodaniennes.  I opened a bottle two nights ago and Lou did so last night.  We both liked it.  This is clearly a Northern Rhone syrah with floral and meat aromas that are echoed in a savory and fresh manner in the mouth.  The wine drinks well right now but be sure to give it some air or double-decant it.  I found it became more complex over the evening so I suspect it will be even better in a year or two.  Priced at $20 you could make this Northern Rhone wine a daily drinker.  That is usually an unthinkable proposition!  This wine is available at MacArthur Beverages.

2013 M&S Ogier, La Rosine, Collines Rhodaniennes – $20
Imported by Robert Kacher Selection.  Alcohol 12.5%.  With air the nose reminds me of violets and meat.  In the mouth this clean, weighty wine first show floral and mineral infused fruit with almost zippy acidity.  With air it starts to open up, revealing fat by the finish.  In the end this wine offers a savory blend of herbs and floral infused flavors, good length, and black pepper notes in the gentle aftertaste.  ***(*) Now – 2022.

A full-bore Viognier

Xavier Gerard is a young winemaker in the Northern Rhone that has produced wine for roughly one decade.  He has holdings in Condrieu, Cote Rotie, and Saint-Joseph from which he makes five different wines.  I tasted the 2014 Xavier Gerard, Viognier, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes which is essentially declassified Condrieu.   Upon first pour, the wine is and remained very aromatic.  In the mouth are waxy, nutty flavors of tropical white fruit.  My first impression is that this saw some skin-contact but after being open for one week (!) the wine reveals itself as full-bore.  Perhaps a little polarizing, this wine no doubt delivers a substantial amount of aroma and flavor for the price.  Check it out! This wine is available at MacArthur Beverages.

2014 Xavier Gerard, Viognier, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes – $20
Imported by Neal Rosenthal.  This wine is 100% Viognier fermented primarily in stainless steel vats with a minority in oak casks.  Alcohol 13.5%.  Those nose is very aromatic and attractive.  In the mouth are waxy, nutty, tropical white fruit flavors.  At first the wine tastes a little robust and tannic as if it saw skin contact.  With air it shows complex white floral flavors, supportive acidity, and a tropical punch flavor in the aftertaste.  *** Now – 2021.

A pair of wines from Jamet

The Jamet family are masters of Syrah in the Northern Rhone.  Tasting the Cote-Rotie at Robert Kacher’s Annual Portfolio Tasting is always a treat.  I am also fortunate in that I have friends who have shared older bottlings and the experience is always singular.  Fortunately, the portfolio extends beyond Cote-Rotie to present affordable selections for current drinking.  The 2013 Domaine Jamet, Cotes du Rhone Blanc is less fruit-driven than the two previous vintages.  Instead, it offers an infusion of pickled ginger and rosemary both in aroma and flavor.  It may sound crazy but it works and again, presents a singular experience. The origins of the 2013 GAEC Jamet, Syrah, Collines Rhodaniennes is unmistakably Northern Rhone. This wine needs a few hours of air and is best consumed on the first night.  It is a good wine but not quite up to the level of the 2012 vintage.  It is, though, a pure wine which you can turn to when you want youthful expression of Syrah.  These wines are available at MacArthur Beverages.

2013 Domaine Jamet, Cotes du Rhone Blanc – $30
Imported by Robert Kacher. This wine is a blend of 55% Marsanne, 30% Viognier, 10% Roussanne, and 5% Grenache Blanc that was aged for 12 months in stainless steel tanks and barriques.  Alcohol 13%.  The beautiful nose is evocative of pickled ginger and fresh rosemary.  In the mouth, the wine is first surrounded by some fat then as the rosemary and other fresh herbs come out, the acidity becomes present on the sides of the tongue.  This distinct wine finished up with some grip and textured tannins on the gums.  *** Now – 2017.

2013 GAEC Jamet, Syrah, Collines Rhodaniennes – $25
Imported by Robert Kacher.  This wine is 100% Syrah sourced from vines averaging 12 years of age on soils of schist and granite.  The fruit was completely destemmed, fermented in stainless steel then aged for 12 months in oak barrels. Alcohol 12.5%.  This is clearly a Northern Rhone Syrah with lovely red fruit that tastes as if from young vines.  The wine sports ample strawberry ripeness, red grapefruit, and some fat.  Unmistakable in origin.  **(*) 2016 – 2018.

Liquid research: tasting recent arrivals at MacArthur Beverages.

This past week I joined Phil at MacArthur Beverages to sample several new wine selections.  With the clear bottle, the color of the 2013 Spook Light, Skin Fermented Pinot Gris, Hawke’s Bay might look odd at first.  However, this is a skin fermented wine so the orange-rust color is correct.  It is a generous and rounded wine that has attractive minerals.  I found the 2010 M & S Ogier, l’Ame Soeur, Syrah de Seyssuel, VdP Collines Rhodaniennes to be a subtle example of northern Rhone Syrah.  Though well-made and enjoyable, it did not knock my socks off.  The 2012 Domaine Gramenon, La Sagesse, Cotes du Rhone is a very interesting wine that continued to change and evolve while I was at the store.  Initially it was quite earthy and young then shortly before I left it was more generous with very clean fruit and a beautiful rosemary flavor.  This deserves to be tasted again!  The bottle of 2012 Domaine Leon Barral, Faugeres reminded me of earlier vintages where I fell in love with the fruit and delivery of flavors unique to Barral.  There was nothing but pleasure from this wine which I recommend you drink within the next two years.  The guys had trolled the Californian dump-bin from which came the 2004 Pax, Red Wine, Sonoma Hillsides, Sonoma County.  Let us just say it was massive.  Tim then returned with a bottle of the 2011 Le Paine, Piane, Colline Novaresi.  I neglected to take a picture but my initial taste of this mostly Croatina based wine was very promising.  There is certainly a different flavor profile to the rather floral, black fruited flavors.  This long, textured wine deserves another visit as well.  Thanks to everyone for letting me join in!

2013 Spook Light, Skin Fermented Pinot Gris, Hawke’s Bay – $35
This wine is 100% skin-fermented Pinot Gris that was rested on the lees in stainless steel until bottled.  Alcohol 13.1%.  This rounded and weighty wine, had red fruit that mixed with a hint of skin/stems, juicy acidity, and a linear mineral streak.

2010 M & S Ogier, l’Ame Soeur, Syrah de Seyssuel, VdP Collines Rhodaniennes – $60
Imported by Robert Kacher.  This wine is 100% Syrah sourced from 13 year old vines that was completely destemmed then aged 18 months in 20% new oak barrels.  Alcohol 12.5%.  The nose bore hints of meat, pepper, and some smoke.  In the mouth were purple black fruit with an initially very modest structure.  The wine was harmonious and mouthfilling with some earth-like complexity.  The structure eventually built as did blacker fruit.  A bit shy at this point.

2012 Domaine Gramenon, La Sagesse, Cotes du Rhone – $37
Imported by Kermit Lynch.  This wine is 100% Grenache sourced from 60 year old vines that was fermented in cement cuve before aging 12 months in barriques.  The animale nose made way to ripe, quickly expanding flavors of dark red fruit.  This wine continued to change, initially possessing floral flavors that poked through before a hint of tea, then took on complexity from a strong rosemary flavor that mixed with fresh, clean fruit.  There was certainly a very fine, drying tannic structure.  Very interesting.

2012 Domaine Leon Barral, Faugeres – $26
Imported by Kermit Lynch.  Alcohol 13.5%.  This opened up noticeably to offer ripe, red, grippy fruit that had a subtle citric note.  It continued to be a vibrant wine with dark, floral potpourri notes, ripe tannins, a grippy nature, and fruit that almost became sweet.  I like the animale flavors.  This bottle drank very well with consistent stability.

2004 Pax, Red Wine, Sonoma Hillsides, Sonoma County – $20
This wine is a blend of 52% Syrah, 47% Grenache, and 1% Roussanne.  This big red wine was evocative of big Australian wine that had a stemmy, mineral side.

Beach bottles!

Our beach week has ended and the first day of class at my daughter’s new school has begun.  Do not be surprised if there are some gaps in my posting as I settle into our new schedule.

We drank some enjoyable wines at the beach this year.  The pair of white Burgundies from Christophe Cordier were in the dump bin to make space for new vintages.  The 2012 vintage was marked by yield reductions due to hail damage.  The 2012 Christophe Cordier, La Verchere, Vire-Clesse emerged unscathed and is an outright treat of a wine at such a low price.  I would wait another year before drinking it again.  The 2012 Edmunds St. John, Rocks and Gravel, Dry Creek Valley is a spritely, lighter bodied wine that already shows good complexity.  It should improve with short-term cellaring but I certainly recommend you try a bottle or two first!

We also tried two wines from Northern Rhone.  I will admit an overall preference for the 2013 Domaine Georges Vernay, Sainte-Agathe, Cotes du Rhone not just because it tastes great but that it will clearly develop over the next several years.  The 2012 Lionel Faury, Syrah, L’Art Zele, Collines Rhodaniennes does have some structure but it is a more forward, fruity wine that gives the impression it should be drunk young. Perhaps it may not develop the same level of complexity but the fat-like quality is seductive.  You should try both wines.  These wines were purchased at MacArthur Beverages.

2012 Christophe Cordier, Vieilles Vignes, Bourgogne Blanc – $17
Imported by Robert Kacher Selections.  This wine is 100% Chardonnay.  Alcohol 13.5%.  There was similar texture to La Verchere at the start but this showed rounder flavors with a hint of cream in the finish.  The acidity was completely integrated with the white fruit, drier finish, and chalky aftertaste.  ** Now-2017.

2012 Christophe Cordier, La Verchere, Vire-Clesse – $16
Imported by Robert Kacher Selections.  This wine is 100% Chardonnay. Alcohol 13.5%.  There was a rich, apple nose followed by focused richness in the mouth.  The gravelly, ripe apple flavors had good texture with toast-like notes on the gums.  The structure and apple acidity suggest that this enjoyable wine will develop in the short term.  **(*) Now-2018.

2012 Edmunds St. John, Rocks and Gravel, Dry Creek Valley – $25
This wine is a blend of 55% Grench, 27% Syrah, and 18% Mourvedre.  This round wine offered up flavors of mandarin oranges and red fruit that was made spritely by the acidity.  The wine progressed to blue fruits with a spice and cola like ripeness that added complexity to the young flavors.  A treat to drink this wine is well poised for development.  *** Now – 2020.

2013 Domaine Georges Vernay, Sainte-Agathe, Cotes du Rhone – $27
Imported by Simon “N” Cellars.  This wine is 100% Syrah sourced from 40 year old vines located near Condrieu.  It was fermented in stainless steel then aged for one year in use barrels.  Alcohol 12.5%.  Clearly a northern Rhone Syrah this wine sported lighter blue and red flavors that slowly built weight and savoriness in the mouth.  With impeccable balance the fine and ripe textured tannins matched the savory and cool fruit elements.  *** Now – 2025.

2012 Lionel Faury, Syrah, L’Art Zele, Collines Rhodaniennes – $30
Imported by Kermit Lynch.  This wine is 100% Syrah sourced from 18 year old vines located near Cote Rotie.  It was fermented in cement vats then aged for 15 months in used demi-muid.  Alcohol 12.5%.  The nose was clearly ripe with fruitier aromas backed by floral notes.  In the mouth the black fruit had weight on the tongue and fat that laid over a low note of structure.  The wine became firm in the finish with dry baking spices.  *** Now – 2020.