There 14 products in this category
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Dom. d'Ourea
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 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,
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Dom. Gramiller
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% abv) and pleasingly light, soft tannin. Utterly great on its own or with lighter meat dishes. Wonderful and unique. "Rhonejolais", if you will.
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Dom. Gramiller
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.
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Dom. Gramiller
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!
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Dom. Gramiller
A stunning single site Rasteau from organic vigneron Frederic Julien whose name is on everybody's lips. 80% Grenache (1960), 20% Syrah (2002) from south east facing blue clay, galet stone covered limestone, red soils, loose gravel at 250 metres on 'Gramiller' on the route de Saint Roman, a fresh zone, 70% destemmed, 3-4 week vinification at 25°-26°C of varieties apart, small daily pump overs, no press wine added, concrete vat raised for 6 months, unfined, filtered. Certified organic wine. 6,000 bottles produced.
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Dom. Gramiller
Domaine Gramiller's Les Marcels is from a single vineyard (Les Marcels) planted to 85% Grenache (1.9 ha, planed in 1901 and 1960), 15% Mourvèdre (0.3 ha, 2011) from south west facing yellow marl soils on Les Marcels behind Les Girasols. The bunches are 70% destemmed and see a 3-4 week vinification at 25°-26°C. Both varieties are vinified separately. The wine sees small daily pump overs and no press wine added. The wine is then bred in concrete vat for six months. Bottled unfined and filtered. Certified organic. Only 2,000 bottles produced. A wonderful mix of rich ripe fruit that is so pure along with garrigue herbs, spices and fine dark chocolate, but with more freshness than one may expect. The wine still carries good matter and shall age very well, but Gramiller are top tier Rasteau that drink from the off.
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Domaine Vendome
100% Syrah from Larnage, destemmed, steel vat fermented, raised 9 months, unfined. Pleasing aromas with red fruit, pepper and savoury notes of freshly baked bread. Charming, drinkable and quite delightful Syrah. A class entry-level from this outstanding new domaine.
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Domaine Vendome
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 2022 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.
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Domaine Vendome
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!
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Dom. Gramiller
A pure fruited, natural wine without additional sulphites. Shimmering fruit backed up by gorgeous savouriness and delightful floral notes - this is a real star for those who like a little restraint and class in their glass (only 13% abv). This is an utterly delicious take on Côtes du Rhône with Syrah leading the way backed up by Carignan and then Grenache. Beautiful balance and real elegance. Vigneron Frederic Julien has some talent!
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Dom. d'Ourea
Wow. A literal "Wow". We were completely knocked out with this cuvee upon discovery back in January, at an organic wine fair in Southern France. Across from d'Ourea's stand was the stand of one of our longest standing and most successful producers who also makes a similar style of lifted, elegant Grenache. I passed him a glass of d'Ourea's Vacqueyras 2021 to which the winemaker put under his nose, "Wow". He continued "This is beautiful, the perfect balance in the aromatics of Grenache, a lovely use of wholebunch". "The stems (of the grape bunches) are the most beautiful part of the grape - they bring freshness and aromas of garrigue, herbs, and complexity to the wine". Adrien Roustan, Vigneron at d'Ourea The selection in 2021 is 85% Grenache Noir, 5% Cinsault, 5% Carignan Noir and 5% Mourvèdre. An outstanding Vacqueyras from a selection of Adrien's finest terroir. Being a blend of "Hautes Garrigues" (a red clay gravel) and "Pendants" (a blue and yellow marl). Each terroir brings its original personality. The "Garrigues" finesse and minerality. The "Pendants" the power and depth. Vineyards planted in 1950. "The Grenache here is at the northern end of its ripening range, and that means its wines have finesse and elegance". We could not agree more. A truly charming wine and a real "Wow". John Livingstone-Learnmouth of Drink Rhone on the 2022: 4/5 stars "Red robe, pale top; the bouquet has a herbal tone, smoke and red cherries, almost a cordite aspect. The palate gives red cherry, redcurrant fruit, stands out of the loop with its quiet, pure fruiting and lightweight presence. The finish brings in some Grenache floral notes with a green pepper manner on the aftertaste. It’s a hands-off, spiced Vacqueyras, drinks fluidly now, carries a little late tannic depth, has subtle appeal. Drink until 2027-28". (Feb 2023) "There is marked promise here, a name to note".
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Dom. Gramiller
Fruit! Glorious fruit! Oh my, what a delicious wine made up of Alicante Bouschet 50% and Grenache Noir 50%. 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.
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Dom. Gramiller
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!
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Dom. d'Ourea
From the Grand Montmirail, high altitude vineyards (400 to 520 meters). The foot of the vineyards consist of a red marl that brings the muscle and virility. In middle and higher slopes limestone bedrock is increasingly present, this transmits the wines tension and raciness. Direct, pure wines. 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault in 2022. Grapes destemmed, crushed and a short infusion follows. Wildly fermented and only matured in concrete tank to expose the complexity and natural tension of the wine. This is a full, broad wine, but elegant and still vibrating. The originality and beauty of the site is transmitted with energy. This Gigondas shows you this character, this minerality - water of rock, wine of rock. 4/5 stars from John Livingstone-Learnmouth on Drink Rhone: "Mild red robe; the bouquet shows a mild sweetness, an air of red berry jam, is a relaxed opening, bears a hint of rosemary that adds interest. The palate is suave and smooth from the off, streams along with pleasing, lightly scented red fruit, has been made with a light touch, capturing purity of expression. The finish brings in a note of mineral and leafy freshness. This is refined Gigondas, is in the money thanks to that, gives an enjoyable glass. It can be decanted to open it out a little more. It’s close to where it wants to be now". Drink until 2034-36 (Feb 2024)