From a breathtaking 0.5 hectare site on Chaban at 400+ metres altitude that was passed on to the Roudier family by the retiring Jean-Marie Teysseire, a legendary figure in Cornas and Saint-Peray. The Syrah vines are 80++ yrs of age on granitic soils including a portion of the mineral baryte, a clear crystal/quartz looking mark that gives the wine its mysterious sounding name. The vines are deeply established on this steep hillside, cut into terraces and oriented East/South-East. An utterly beautiful, natural granite amphitheatre that protects the vines from the cold winds. Beautiful Syrah expresses all its power and finesse on this wonderful Cornas terroir. The debut vintage of this full-bodied terroir wine - which doesn't initially appear to be representative of the "Northern Rhone 2021" vintage - spring frost, harvest rain affected. But from what we have tasted, Cornas in general appears little affected, likely due to the elevation of the vineyards and the gradients of the slopes. So watch out for sleeping Cornas bargains like this from 2021. The wine has a fairly classic Cornas nose, on the palate it is voluminous, lush and suave but fresh and balanced with real tension and energy. The wine is pure and very long. All the fruit destemmed, no oak breeding (all in stainless steel) with a four week maceration. A true terroir wine from a great Cornas site. This 2021 is very impressive now and shall reveal its elegance and finesse over the coming years. What a wine!

Chocolate with pretty notes of cherry and blackberry jam! Very round in the mouth, the length develops intensely. A wine with an assertive, gourmet and round character, centered on red fruits and spices, supported by a beautiful tannic frame. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has cnverted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!

"Of all our vineyards, the kaolin on Château de Larnage is the top site - it’s a unique terroir, maybe 20 hectares of it, giving wines with real style, breeding, powerful and good finesse for both red and white, the whites there more recently planted. Our neighbours there are Desmeure (Remizières), Belle, Olivier Dumaine, Dard & Ribo, Sorrel, the Cave de Tain". Gérald Delhome "This is an interesting newcomer to the ranks in the northern sector of Crozes-Hermitage, with vineyards in the communes of Crozes itself, Larnage, Gervans and Erôme. There are almost 11.5 hectares of Crozes across 20 plots. Romain is the fifth generation; his great-grandfather Flavien Delhome had vineyards, while, on his mother’s side there were vineyards under her family in the shape of Severin Habrard, so there are two old roots at play here". 100% Syrah (1950s) from kaolin, white clay soils on Château de Larnage at Larnage, hand harvested, destemmed, 25 day steel vat vinification at 24°-28°C, pre-fermentation cold maceration at 8°-10°C "to seek red fruits", 20-25 day steel vat vinification at 24°-28°C, pumping overs, part vat emptying/refilling, raised 5% new, 95% 3-10 year 228-litre oak casks 11-12 months, wide bottle, 4,700 bottles produced". John Livingstone-Learmonth, Drink Rhone Outstanding Crozes Hermitage from a wonderful site on kaolin (bright white clay) at 330m elevation on Château de Larnage at Larnage. A beautiful, elegant nose but with plenty of concentration - quite a dark style with a gorgeous floral lift. The fruit is pure and direct, and the balsamic note gives the wine real character which is quite unexpected in a wine so young. This 2022 shall do really well a few years down the line, but it is undoubtedly utterly delightful right now. Again, outstanding.

A blend of Viognier 40%, Roussanne 40% and White Grenache 20%. 20 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of clay, limestone and round pebbles. Peachy aromas, with a fresh and expressive palate that's juicy and very pleasing. More peach flavour from the Viognier and a weighty mid-palate from the Roussanne. Excellent value for money. Grapes are mechanically harvested and vinification takes place in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks, with regular stirring of the lees. This preserves the freshness and fruitiness of the wine. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has cnverted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!

100% Viognier from Les Méjeans next to the winery on mix of kaolin white clay, argile calcaire and also decayed granite just above where the northern boundary of Crozes-Hermitage dips southward on the map, but the elevation remains high at 350m in between Gervans and Larnage, just a little to the north. Hand harvested in early morning, steel vat fermented at 18°C, raised 9 months, malo blocked. What a lovely wine from a unique, interesting terroir. A quite serious but relaxed and lovely, aromatic, floral, juicy but bright drinking Viognier with a gentle, gorgeous creaminess on the finish. Delicious as an apero or with semi hard goats cheese, peaches and charcuterie. A classy drop indeed.

There are many delightul Northern Rhone whites from 2023 and this is very much one of them. Performing very well in Crozes-Hermitage tastings in both Terres des Vins and La Revue du vin de France, well up amongst the big boys and girls of the appellation. 70% Marsanne, 30% Roussanne - half from loess soils on l'Homme at Larnage, half from loess soils on Les Pinets at Crozes-Hermitage. 90% steel vat, 10% new 600-litre oak cask fermented, raised 9 months, assembled just before bottling, malo completed. "fine yellow robe; the bouquet has a neat aroma of cooked citrus fruit, is graceful, appealing, carries a light nuttiness. The palate links well, is fresh and continuous, bears lightly salted, delicate content of white fruits with jasmin, white flower trembles through it. It’s elegant, well made, a bel ensemble, is precise, accurate, ends with soft gras, a bonny exit. 13°. 70% Mars, 30% Rouss. 2029-30 Oct 2024" **** John Livingstone-Learmonth on Drink Rhone "13% alcohol. 70% Marsanne, 30% Roussanne. Organic. This is textured, lively and vital with a fine lime and spice finish after a big flow of pear, melon and ripe apple fruit. Good concentration of flavour, interleaving subtly saline, mineral notes with ripe fruit to good effect". 94/100 Jamie Goode wineanorak.com

50% Grenache Blanc, 40% Clairette (planted 1950) from 0.9 hectare on very stony alluvial soils at Sablet and 10% Roussanne on Gramiller at La Montagnette at Rasteau. The wine sees ferment in 80% steel vat, 20% old oak cask. Then bred for 6 months. 2,500 bottles produced. The nose is all freshly cut juicy pears and gorgeous white flowers - so pretty, utterly charming. More fruit and flowers to the palate's silky juice. This is medium-bodied, elegant and long Southern Rhone white wine with fine acid. Really jolly drinking and great with delicate fish or simply as the classiest aperitif.

100% Marsanne from loess soils at Larnage that abut Hermitage. Vendome's name for plot is "Chapelle". Grapes are hand-harvested then destemmed, pressed, steel vat fermented until specific gravity 1040, then new 228-litre oak (steamed not toasted) cask fermented, raised 10 months, malo blocked, first year 2023, wide bottle, organic wine, 2,500 bottles produced. "Yellow robe; the nose has a walnut aroma up front, a peach, infused herbal tea backdrop, discreet cooked lemon. The palate opens with elegance, holds attractive gras, is a little locked away for now, but the quality of the gras - its relaxed nature - bodes well for the future. The length works well, is refined and sure. This is classy, serene. Decant it. 13°. 100% Marsanne. 2030-31 Oct 2024 ****(*) on Drink Rhone, John Livingstone-Learmonth "Pure Marsanne grown on loess next to the Hermitage Hill. Fermented in 500 litre new French oak, but this is steamed, not toasted. Bold pear and peach fruit with lovely density, showing richness but also freshness. Has a fine spicy dimension with beautiful weight and balance. Amazing texture to this wine". 95/100 Jamie Goode on wineanorak.com

Syrah 50% from Mercurol (1970s) & 50% from Larnage (early 2000s), destemmed, 21-25 day concrete vat vinification at 26°C, pumping overs, 2 x part vat empting/refillings, concrete vat raised until March, then raised 1-2 year 600-litre oak casks another 9-10 months, unfined, filtered, 2,000 bottles made. "This is from loess soils in Larnage and granitic soils in Erôme, aged 6 months in concrete and 1 year in barrel. Fresh and vivid with nice brightness to the juicy red fruits. There’s also some red cherry and a bit of plum. Hints of olive and black cherry, too. Very fine and expressive". Jamie Goode on wineanorak.com 94/100

From a breathtaking 0.5 hectare site on Chaban at 400+ metres altitude that was passed on to the Roudier family by the retiring Jean-Marie Teysseire, a legendary figure in Cornas and Saint-Peray. The Syrah vines are 80++ yrs of age on granitic soils including a portion of the mineral baryte, a clear crystal/quartz looking mark that gives the wine its mysterious sounding name. The vines are deeply established on this steep hillside, cut into terraces and oriented East/South-East. An utterly beautiful, natural granite amphitheatre that protects the vines from the cold winds. Wow, if the 2021 showed some of the extraordinary potential of this incredible Cornas site, this 2022 shows it a good deal more - it is without doubt, an outstanding wine. This time the wine has been aged in 500l. demi-muids, with 25% new. Beautiful floral aromatics on the nose with glorious lifted fruit. on the nose. Dense and multi-layered fruit on the palate that finishes with mineral and iron notes. Beautifully knit tannins wrap all this up wonderfully. Huge potemtial here.

"Of all our vineyards, the kaolin on Château de Larnage is the top site - it’s a unique terroir, maybe 20 hectares of it, giving wines with real style, breeding, powerful and good finesse for both red and white, the whites there more recently planted. Our neighbours there are Desmeure (Remizières), Belle, Olivier Dumaine, Dard & Ribo, Sorrel, the Cave de Tain". Gérald Delhome "This is an interesting newcomer to the ranks in the northern sector of Crozes-Hermitage, with vineyards in the communes of Crozes itself, Larnage, Gervans and Erôme. There are almost 11.5 hectares of Crozes across 20 plots. Romain is the fifth generation; his great-grandfather Flavien Delhome had vineyards, while, on his mother’s side there were vineyards under her family in the shape of Severin Habrard, so there are two old roots at play here". 100% Syrah (1950s) from kaolin, white clay soils on Château de Larnage at Larnage, hand harvested, destemmed, 25 day steel vat vinification at 24°-28°C, pre-fermentation cold maceration at 8°-10°C "to seek red fruits", 20-25 day steel vat vinification at 24°-28°C, pumping overs, part vat emptying/refilling, raised 5% new, 95% 3-10 year 228-litre oak casks 11-12 months, wide bottle, 4,700 bottles produced". John Livingstone-Learmonth, Drink Rhone Outstanding Crozes Hermitage from a wonderful site on kaolin (bright white clay) at 330m elevation on Château de Larnage at Larnage. A beautiful, elegant nose but with plenty of concentration - quite a dark style with a gorgeous floral lift. The fruit is pure and direct, and the balsamic note gives the wine real character which is quite unexpected in a wine so young. This 2022 shall do really well a few years down the line, but it is undoubtedly utterly delightful right now. Again, outstanding.

"I knew our terroirs very well, and knew that we could exploit them to the full. With Romain’s experience of vinifications all around the world, I was happy to launch the domaine". Gérald Delhome "This is an interesting newcomer to the ranks in the northern sector of Crozes-Hermitage, with vineyards in the communes of Crozes itself, Larnage, Gervans and Erôme. There are almost 11.5 hectares of Crozes across 20 plots, Romain is the fifth generation; his great-grandfather Flavien Delhome had vineyards, while, on his mother’s side there were vineyards under her family in the shape of Severin Habrard, so there are two old roots at play here. Father Gérald took over the domaine in 1993, and concentrated on apricots and vines, the grape harvest sent to the Cave de Tain. Son Romain came on to the domaine in 2018; he had worked locally at Gigondas and in the Ventoux at Chêne Bleu, as well as in Virginia in the USA. The cellar was built in 2019. The domaine is HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) registered, a green credential, and the 2022 harvest will be officially organic. A 100% Viognier from a south-facing granite hillside sheltered from the north wind, in the commune of Larnage to the north of the Crozes-Hermitage AOC. Grown organically, picked by hand, grapes directedly pressed in whole bunches. A slow and low temperature fermentation takes place at 14c. Afterwards, the wine is left to age on fine lees in stainless steel for 6 months. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. In the glass the wine shows a pale yellow colour with sparkly, pearly highlights. On the nose, we find fresh and bright stone fruit, citrus hints and fresh white flowers. The palate is fleshy, round, with a nice acidity, making for a delicious and true Viognier. A fresh style, but a serious one. A lovely wine.

80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre and 3% Cinsault. Vinified in stainless-steel tanks. 30% aged in stainless-steel tanks for six months, and 70% in concrete tanks for nine months. "Tasted blind. Sweet red-fruit and mulberry notes. Some peppery notes on the palate. Sweet mid palate and an earthy note underneath. Dense and tight on the mocha-infused finish". Score 16/20 jancisrobinson.com When to drink 2030 - 2040 Date tasted 5 Oct 2023 92/100 Vinous 91-93/100 Jeb Dunnuck

Laure Dubois runs this excellent estate with her husband Romain and has fully converted to Organic farming. The wines they produce are consistently good and elegant, mainly from the Lirac appellation, north West of Chateauneuf-du-Pape but also this Cotes du Rhone from just outside. The 2022 is the third year in five vintages that the wine has won a coveted Coup de Coeur top award in the Guide Hachette, the 'bible' of French wine. Charming, 'irresistible' and ready to drink it also offers outstanding value for money. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has converted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!

A great introduction to this most exciting of estates based in Vacqueyras and Gigondas. Instead of producing a younger vine, cheaper Vacqueyras like many other top Domaines, Adrien's choice is to use such fruit in his Cotes du Rhone. In 2022 we have mostly Syrah (70%) and the remainder of Grenache Noir ALL from the Vacqueyras vineyards 100% destemmed (not usual for the estate) crushed and seeing a short infusion. 100% naturally fermented and bred in concrete for 10 months. This makes for a wonderful wine of fruit and terroir, the link to the classic Vacqueyras and Gigondas of the Domaine. An utterly delightful wine - vibrant Syrah - lifted red and black fruit, a subtle blend of sweet spices and beautiful violet blossom. Delightful and digestible,

50 % bourboulenc, 50 % Clairette that is nervy and racy. Brilliant wine.

Drinking beautifully. Resolved, lifted and nicely complex. "65% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre. Concentrated and bold with a core of sweet raspberry and cherry fruit with some warmth, finishing with exotic Provençale herbs and a slight stoniness. Has some evolution". 89/100 Jamie Goode, wineanorak.com

50% Grenache, 50% Mourvèdre. Vinified in stainless-steel tanks. Aged for 18 months in demi-muids (20%) and stainless-steel tanks (80%). "Tasted blind. The nose is shrouded in sweet oaky notes and raspberry compote. The palate is succulent, dense and concentrated, with firm and very fine tannins. Layered and fine, very well put together and beautifully judged oak on the palate. Very long and will age beautifully". Score 17.5/20 Alistair Cooper MW on jancisrobinson.com When to drink 2030 - 2042 Date tasted 5 Oct 2023 94-96+/100 Jeb Dunnuck

100% Grenache (1920s) from sandy, clay-limestone galet stone soils on Pignan (N-E), destemmed, 5 week vinification at up to 28°C, cap punching and pumping overs, steel vat raised 18-20 months, unfined, unfiltered, 4,000 bottles produced. **** 2022 John Livingstone-Learnmonth on Drink Rhone "Quite a full red; the nose carries spice, with a crushed red berries core, a gentle floral grace. The palate is finely tuned, very true to its place, has an elegant coating that clads it in a supple texture all through, gives a true portrait of its sandy soils from this excellent lieu-dit. It gains a little correctly increased depth into its very calm finish, is well tuned. The finish brings in blood orange, iron notes. There is complexity to be accessed here over time. From 2027 or so to 2047-49". Tasted Oct 2023 "Tasted blind. Some bacon and meaty notes of reduction on the nose. Rich and weighty mid palate and chewy tannins. Good concentration of fruit and a lively red-raspberry finish. An attractive, savoury note alongside the raspberry notes. Elegant and fine, with a saline note creeping in on the end. Sculpted and elegant". 17/20 Alistair Cooper MW on jancisrobinson.com When to drink 2030 - 2040 Date tasted 5 Oct 2023 "An elegant and smooth style of Châteauneuf, ripe but not overly concentrated, with balanced (if gently warming) alcohol and acidity, some sandy mineral notes and precise berry fruits. The super-fine tannins are pure and expressive. It’s not a powerful style, but an intense one, with a long finish. Pure Grenache from vines aged more than 100 years old, from the sandy soils of Pignan nord; all aged in stainless steel". 95/100 Tasted by: Matt Walls for Decanter Magazine Drinking Window: 2027 - 2035 95-97+/100 Jeb Dunnuck 94/100 Vinous

Deep, juicy, weighty but fresh and textural 100% old vine Clairette fermented and bred in clay amphora with no additional sulphites at any stage. Really pure and elegant - pears, honey and white flowers on this full bodied Southern Rhone white wine. A triumph. A future classic. Bravo Frederic Julien!

A new Vacqueyras 2023 from d'Ourea - 100% old vine Grenache loveliness.

50% Viognier, 25% Clairette Blanche, 25% Grenache Blanc from sandy, galet stone covered clay soils on Boislauzon at Orange, Saint-Dominique at Courthézon, hand harvested, all varieties steel vat fermented apart, 25 days at up to 18°C, raised 5 months, then assembled, malo blocked. Organic wine. 9,000 bottles produced.

Pale gold coloured wine with light green reflections. Elegant and precise nose of white peach, pear and then honey and pine kernel. Pure and flavourful palate with a contrasted balance between Mediterranean roundness and fresh finale. 100% Clairette Rose whole-bunch pressed, from sandy, galet stone soils on Pignan (N-E, 0.8 hectare, 1979-80) & Bédines (N-E, 0.2 hectare, 1982, 1984), Saintes Georges (N-E, 0.2 hectare, 1960s), 50% steel vat, 50% 1-year 228-litre oak cask fermented at up to 17.5°C, raised 5-6 months, 1-2 lees stirrings a week, malo blocked, 1,000 bottles only.

Aromas of flaky pastry and apricot, then powerful on the palate, with rich, unctuous baked apricot fruit. There's good, deep-set acidity within and it finishes dry with a luxurious spread across the palate. Classic white Châteauneuf that has sufficient interest and flavour even without any oak. Drink young. Fermented then aged in stainless steel.

This full-bodied, cedar and richly tannic wine finishes with flourishes of cherry and vanilla. It's a bit modern and ripe but frankly delicious. Dom. La Lôyane: The Winemaker Established at the foot of the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce sanctuary in Rochefort-du-Gard, not far from the ancient marshes drained by monks in the Middle Ages, this estate, founded in 1994 from the merger of three small holdings, has demonstrated great consistency in quality. Succeeding his parents, Jean-Pierre and Dominique, Romain Dubois and his wife, Laure, now sole proprietors of the estate, have created a new cellar and converted the 20 hectares of vines to organic farming. A (very) reliable asset.

Delightful pet nat from Gramiller. So fine, fruity, fresh and elegant. 50% Clairette and 50% Ugni Blanc. Pear, white flowers and cut grass on the nose. The palate unfolds with these flavours whilst being juicy but oh-so fresh and very fine and elegant Pet Nat. An outstanding effort.

Wonderful Rose made from a direct pressing of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Frederic Julien seeks a balance between the aromatic purity of the fruit and freshness. The grapes come from a place named "La Giraude" in Sainte Cécile les Vignes. The soils can be likened to "nourishing" garrigues. The wine shows pink grapefruit, red fruits and flowers, gorgeous texture and perfect weight and freshness. Fine length. Unique and wonderful. Can be drunk on its own or will match well at the table with grilled vegetables, fish and light meat dishes.

A blend of Clairette 70% and Grenache 30%. 80 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of red sand, clay and round pebbles. Grapes are hand-harvested and vinification takes place in 100% old wooden casks. The wine is matured in large ‘demi-muid’ barrels for 6 months on the lees. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has cnverted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!

"I knew our terroirs very well, and knew that we could exploit them to the full. With Romain’s experience of vinifications all around the world, I was happy to launch the domaine". Gérald Delhome "This is an interesting newcomer to the ranks in the northern sector of Crozes-Hermitage, with vineyards in the communes of Crozes itself, Larnage, Gervans and Erôme. There are almost 11.5 hectares of Crozes across 20 plots, Romain is the fifth generation; his great-grandfather Flavien Delhome had vineyards, while, on his mother’s side there were vineyards under her family in the shape of Severin Habrard, so there are two old roots at play here". Father Gérald took over the domaine in 1993, and concentrated on apricots and vines, the grape harvest sent to the Cave de Tain. Son Romain came on to the domaine in 2018; he had worked locally at Gigondas and in the Ventoux at Chêne Bleu, as well as in Virginia in the USA. The cellar was built in 2019. The domaine is HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) registered, a green credential, and the 2022 harvest will be officially organic. 100% Roussanne planted (only 0.3ha) on the very special and unique white Kaolin soils of Chateau de Larnage. This is phenomenal wine from such a young vine (planted in 2018). When looking at the 2022 vintage of this wine our senior buyer Stewart Travers thought the vines need to come on a little to show the terroir a little more to stand up in the market. We were literally knocked straight off of our feet on tasting the 2023 vintage, the vines and the fruit from this wonderful terroir have come on LEEPS and BOUNDS. Deep golden yellow colour, full, rich nose of flowers, quince and a touch of warm spice. Juicy and impressively deep on the palate with the fine acid brilliantly and elegantly holding everything finely in tune on the utterly delightful finish. What a wine, and simply another reason why we so look forward to following Dom. Delhome. Young Romain is a star!

A delightful, stylish blend of Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul. This wine has a bright straw yellow colour. On the nose, it reveals subtle aromas of citrus, melon, peach, with delicate notes of infused white flowers. The palate is rich and deep, both smooth and juicy, offering a beautiful balance and a cool, mineral and persistent finish. Lovely stuff.

Vinsobres is the most northern appellation of the Southern Rhône. The Perrin family owns around 80 hectares here. The vineyards grow at altitudes of 200 - 450 metres, in terraces, with the Prealps on one side and Mont Ventoux on the other. The soils are stony and sandy marl on the slopes, and stony quaternary alluviums on the terraces. A very particular microclimate protects the village and the vines planted which are planted in amphitheatre formation. Summers are hot and dry, with the local Mistral and Pontias winds bringing cooler air at night.

25% each of Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. 100% destemmed, vinification in stainless steel then ageing mostly in concrete tank with <5% in 228-litre used (1 to 5 wines) barrique. In conversion to organic. "Tasted blind. Super-expressive nose with cassis, crushed mulberry and liquorice notes. Medium-bodied with vibrant pastille fruit, a dense mid palate with firm chewy and textured tannins. The palate is ripe and bursting with energy and fruit - pure, engaging and with a delicious, long, layered finish". 16.5/20 jancisrobinson.com Date tasted 10 Oct 2023 "Fresh and brambly with some bay leaf notes. Juicy, rounded, fruity with juicy tannins. The acidity is quite low, but it has a feeling of herbal freshness. Feels refreshingly low in alcohol. A quarter each of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.". 90/100 Decanter Magazine Tasted by Matt Walls 8th Sep 2023 Drinking Window 2025 - 2028

From a pebbly vineyard located on the sandy banks deposited by the river Ouvèze. A beautiful mix of indigenous, rare and wonderful grapes (Grenache Noir, Aramon, Counoise and Oeillade) vinified whole-bunch with a short maceration and then 6 months breeding in concrete vat produce a relaxed, supple, savoury and classy drinking and tapas wine. A great introduction to this most exciting of estates based in Vacqueyras and Gigondas. Serve cool (16c).

A beautiful, precise Rasteau wine. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre woven together to produce a very elegant style. A complex nose of baked plums, blackberry, garrigue herbs and hibiscus flowers. Very fine balance on the mid-weight palate. Simply irresistible and utterly moreish. Bravo!

Dvine pet nat from Gramiller. So fine, fruity, fresh and elegant. 99% Clairette Brut, sown with 1% of the freshest Alicante which together give it aromas of white peaches, wild strawberries and red currants. The palate unfolds with these flavours whilst being juicy but oh-so fresh with the finest of tannins. An outstanding effort.

Fruit! Glorious fruit! Oh my, what a delicious wine made up of Alicante Bouschet 70% and Grenache Noir 30%. The very friendliest Alicante we have ever tasted. Dreamy, sweet blueberry and fresh blackberry fruit that is pleasingly aromatic, juicy, seamless that sits just right on the palate. Perfect for when you want the pleasures of gorgeous fruit with nice depth and presence but with a delightful lightness of touch because of the moderate alcohol (only 12.5% abv) and pleasingly light, soft tannin. Utterly great on its own or with lighter meat dishes. Wonderful and unique. "Rhonejolais", if you will.

80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre and 3% Cinsault. Vinified in stainless-steel tanks. 30% aged in stainless-steel tanks for six months, and 70% in concrete tanks for nine months.

A lovely red Crozes produced with fruit from the Domaine's established 50-year-old plus vineyards in eastern Les Chassis at Mercurol and in the south of Les Chassis at Pont de L'Isere. Both sites are marked with the classic Chassis terroir of red clay limestone with large, rolled pebbles. This cuvee in 2023 has elegance and lift, with suave, deep but charming fruit that has a lovely lush quality mixed with classic, complex iron notes, a nice tension and a lovely freshness. The tannins are beautifully judged here. Drinking now is a lovely experience, but this shall show well for a good few years to come. A gorgeous Crozes-Hermitage. Vendome are an established Domaine but have only started producing their own wines in the last couple of years. The wines have been very warmly received in both the French and international wine press in the debut 2020 vintage and in the following far trickier 2021 vintage. We are very happy to have struck up a relationship with the Domaine at such an early stage. The whole range is impressive across the board. Their classic red Crozes a great place to get acquainted. "Fair red robe; the nose has a smoked, pumice stone air, a leafy intonation, with discreet raspberry on the inside, is a calm opening. The palate carries a note of iodine, salting, that freshens it, is nicely droit, gives perfumed red fruits with a little vegetal tang that isn’t discordant. This fits together agreeably, has some of the crispness of the northern sector, its clarity. It can gain, amplify with another year or so, has commendable detail, some subtlety". **** John Livingstone-Learmonth on Drink Rhone "13% alcohol. Organic. Concentrated, fine and layered with a core of sweet berry and cherry fruits, with some peppery detail and also some subtle iodine and blood notes. Very fine and detailed, combining sweet fruit with some peppery framing and good energetic flow across the palate". 94/100 Jamie Goode wineanorak.com

Laure Dubois runs this excellent estate with her husband Romain and has fully converted to Organic farming. The wines they produce are consistently good and elegant, mainly from the Lirac appellation, north West of Chateauneuf-du-Pape but also this Cotes du Rhone from just outside. The 2022 is the third year in five vintages that the wine has won a coveted Coup de Coeur top award in the Guide Hachette, the 'bible' of French wine. Charming, 'irresistible' and ready to drink it also offers outstanding value for money. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has converted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!

The 30 hectares of Coudoulet are located just east of the vineyard of Beaucastel on the other side of the A7 motorway. For reasons that have now become obvious, Coudoulet is often considered the baby Beaucastel. The Coudoulet soil has many similarities to that of Beaucastel. It is made out of Molasse seabed covered by diluvial alpine deposits. These pebbles called 'Galets Roulés' play a big role: They take in the heat during the day and let it if off slowly at night which gives a good start to the vines in the Spring.