Northern Rhône blend

This wine is sourced equally from the communes of Les Rocoules and La Maison Blanche, probably the two key sources of white grapes on the hillside.  30% of Roussanne adds pear-skin aromatics to the more traditional Marsanne citrus-lanolin descriptors. The palate is dense, exotic and finely textured; potential there is a plenty here.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

The alliance of two of the greatest houses of the Rhône, Jaboulet and Perrin, with Nicolas Jaboulet as the master of ceremonies, has promise indeed, but promise is worth little if the raw materials (in this case the vineyards), are not from the top rank. We have little to fear on this count, especially when it comes to Hermitage itself where, unsurprisingly, the Jaboulet influence has been brought to bear with exceptional results. 

The blend here is 70% Marsanne and 30% Roussanne, both vinified separately and then aged for 10 months in new oak. Only eight casks of this gem were made, alas.  Youthful vanillin notes cede to brioche, hazelnuts and hints of melon.  The finish is generous and complex, all in all most promising.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer 

It is heartening to see how Nicolas Jaboulet, one the gentlemen of the Rhône Valley, has re-emerged after the purchase of his eponymous company by the Fray family.  Joining forces with the Perrins of Beaucastel has proved to be a very wise move, and as a result contracts have been drawn up with some excellent growers across the region, as our selection clearly demonstrates.

The Blonde de Seigneur Cuvée, as the name implies, is sourced from the southern granitic end of the appellation (Bassenon and Lancement both underline its pedigree) and contains 8% Viognier. Eighteen months in cask (25% new) underlines seriousness of intent, but the elegance which Christine seeks in all of her wines is far from absent. Pit-cherry, spice and licorice on the nose is followed by generous floral palate, with crushed rock and pepper adding character and fine linear tannins buttressing the long finish.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

Seeking to secure great wines from leading producers is not always an easy task, simply because the volumes are scarce and they are on everyone’s most-wanted list. Domaine Georges Vernay is no exception. Today managed by George’s daughter Christine and her husband Paul Ansellem, the domaine covers eight hectares in Condrieu, making them one of the top three owners; 2.5 hectares in Côte-Rôtie and 1.5 hectares in the St Joseph appellations.

The Blonde du Seigneur cuvée is sourced from the southern granitic end of the appellation and contains seven percent Viognier. The wine has pretty cherry-fruit notes on the nose, with hints of raspberries and spice also evidenced; the palate is elegant and approachable, cultured and refined, and very much aspiring to the finesse which Christine Vernay seeks in all of her wines.

Vintage variation is one of the great polemics faced by wine consumers, with critics inclined to review a vintage utilising sweeping generalisation and blanket opinions. A wine such as this however, must be judged on its own merits year on year as even in what has been described as a ‘difficult’ vintage such as 2011; Christine Vernay has managed to produce a 100% Syrah of purity, elegance and no shortage of concentration. The nose is full of rose petal, black fruit and wild herbs whilst the palate is energetic and velvety of texture with a warming finish.
Nicholas Stewart, Wine Buying

This is the first time we have persuaded Christine to allow us to offer this superb Côte Rôtie En Primeur. Quite a coup! The eponymous granitic lieu-dit (aka cadastre) is located in the southern Tupins-et- Semons commune and there is a small undisclosed percentage of Viognier in the blend. As always elegance is key, with raspberry, pit-cherry aromatics and an intense velvet-clad palate, which has great potential.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer 

Christine Vernay is close to being a perfectionist, so close in fact that she is sometimes reluctant to taste wines that have not been bottled for fear either of the fact that the work in progress will inevitably differ to a greater or lesser degree from the finished article or that the sample will be poor. To my mind, however, it’s like looking at a work of art, a Holbein drawing say, and then the finished painting. Both are sublime and the appreciation of the former informs that of the later. So it is with these exceptional wines; for Christine 2012 is an improvement on 2011. It flatters but it does not deceive.

A broad, generous and expressive wine, its 30% of Roussanne adding pear skin aromatics to the more traditional Marsanne citrus and lanolin descriptors. The palate is dense, exotic and very generous and long, as indeed it should be given the provenance of the fruit, farmed on fine plots in Les Rocoules and La Maison Blanche.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

The alliance of two of the greatest houses of the Rhône, Jaboulet and Perrin, with Nicholas Jaboulet at its helm, was always a very promising one. The promise has quickly materialised and the 2010s are even better than the already excellent 2009s. The best sites and the best growers have been harnessed. As Nicolas eloquently puts it, the Perrins at Beaucastel exploit many different grapes on fundamentally the same terroir, but his goal here is to cultivate what is essential the same grape (albeit dependent on the colour of the wine) but in differing terroirs.

Made with 8% Viognier from small sites centred on Tupins and Combard in the Cte Blonde, this is a plump, hedonistic and aromatic wine with classic notes of black olive, bitter chocolate, plums and dried herbs. The Viogniers melody is in perfect harmony with the darker bass notes from the Syrah.

The flagship 2004 Run Rig is 96.5% Shiraz and 3.5% Viognier with the Shiraz component aged for 30 months in a mixture of new and used French oak. Yields were a minuscule 14 hl/ha (about 1 ton per acre). Saturated opaque purple/black, it has a remarkably kinky, exotic perfume of fresh asphalt, pencil lead, smoke, pepper, game, blueberry and black raspberry. Full-bodied and voluptuous in the mouth, the wine is dense and packed, with amazing purity, sweet tannins, and a complex collection of sensory stimuli. The wine demands 10 years of cellaring.

Torbreck, under the leadership of owner/winemaker David Powell, remains a Barossa Valley benchmark as well as one of the world’s greatest wine estates. The top cuvees are limited production and expensive but there are also some outstanding values in the portfolio. With regard to the current vintages for the Barossa red wines, David Powell states “? 2004 is more savory while 2005 has more purity and definition. 2004 is more classic, 2005 will take longer to come around.
Jay Miller - Wine Advocate #173 Oct 2007 

The Descendant cuvee is made from grapes taken from a single vineyard planted in 1994 with old RunRig vines (RunRig has some of the oldest vines in Australia). The blend is 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier and, as a result, the wine has extra richness and a touch more ‘zip’ than The Factor. It has a huge volume of fruit but it is well controlled and still has bags of complexity and the trademark epic finish.
(Mark Ross, Fine Wine Commercial Manager)

The Blonde de Seigneur Cuvée is sourced from the southern grantic end of the appellation and contains 7% Viognier. Christine Vernay has achieved a wonderfully elegant wine, careless of the tannic potential of 2007, but in no way lacking structure and depth. A pleasant pepper and cassis attack leads to a harmonious and well-rounded palate.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

This single vineyard wine, located next to the winery. Planted by Dave Powell in 1994 with cuttings of old Run Rig vineyards - some of the oldest genetic material in Australia and the World. A blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier. Impenetrable, opaque core.

This stands out from Torbreck’s other 2012s in that it has a more singularly fruit focused nose of sweet, rich, dark plum and cherry and some attractive stewed notes in the background. A velvety smooth cloak of chocolate and vanilla hides an almost minty freshness beneath but this is about as close as one can get to Black Forest Gateau in a glass. A decadently delicious Descendant. 2018 – 2025+
Peter Newton, Private Account Manager

According to Robert Parker, “Torbreck remains a Barossa Valley benchmark, as well as one of the world’s greatest wine estates.” The wines of Torbreck have a very strong Berry Bros. & Rudd staff following. We whole heartedly agree with Robert Parker (above) and Neal Martin when he says “….this is one of my favourite Australian wines, big and bold like many others, but each wine imbued with its own individuality.”

Torbreck is one of the most iconic estates in Australia and they craft a large yet quality-driven portfolio ranging from the deliciously dry Steading blanc and juicy Cotes du Rhone styled “Cuvee Juveniles” to the vinous colossi that are “RunRig” and “The Laird”. Balance is the key to these wines. This is a quality that often eludes the wines from hotter regions such as the Barossa Valley. With only good soil and middle age vines it is easy to make blockbuster reds in the Barossa; what is very difficult is to make wines with power combined with balance, lift and purity that comes with the very best old vines. It is this balance of power and purity that is the hallmark of Torbreck wines and, quite simply, this is why we like them so much. All the wines are impressive, and the estate deserves all the praise it gets.

A fabulously fresh and pure Condrieu from one of the best producers in Cote Rotie. Wonderfully fresh apricot and honeysuckle characters, twined with lovely acidity. An energised, vibrant white.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

From steep granitic vines above the precipitous village of Malleval, Stéphane’s Condrieu is particularly successful in 2011. Buzzing with energy and notes of white pepper and cardamom adorning the more usual apricot and honeysuckle descriptors, this is a pure delight.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

Stéphane Ogier is now, arguably, the leading producer in Côte-Rôtie. Confident, modest and courteous, in short he is the perfect ambassador for the appellation. Stéphane now farms 12 parcels in Côte-Rôtie and has also launched a well-named Côtes du Rhône (Le Temps est Venu which we will sell elsewhere). He held his nerve through the rainy patches in September and the relatively late-picking has been rewarded with a superb range of wines. Stéphane compares their style, with more acidity and less alcohol than usual, to 2006, a vintage which has developed very nicely indeed.

A single vineyard planted in 1994 with cuttings from old RinRig vines (hence the Descendant) – some of the oldest genetic material in Australia. This is Barossa’s first co-fermented Shiraz/Viognier – the Shiraz is crushed directly on top of lightly pressed Viognier, fermented then matured for eighteen months in barrels previously used for RunRig.

Deep red clay soils give the wine a savoury edge and a rich texture, with silk-like mouthfeel. This will age impeccably well for those that have the patience.

Co-fermented with a splash of Viognier, the 2007 Run Rig gives a very deep garnet-purple color and a perfumed nose of warm cassis, crushed blackberries and blueberries over anise, cassia, cloves, tea leaves, rose hips plus earthy hints of black truffles and tilled loam. The full-bodied palate offers rich, ripe but not over-ripe fruit with a taut structure of firm grainy tannins and crisp acid, finishing very long with a gamey / savory character coming through with some cedar and baking spices.

Not a man known for his modesty, David Powell was notably less humble than usual during my recent visit. That overly confident smirk that he wears when he’s about to reveal a winning hand has no doubt incited more than a few barroom riots. It was only human nature that I was subconsciously willing his current releases to be even a little underwhelming. And I almost wish I could tell you they were. If his demeanor can at times be enough to set bloods boiling, before I get to the tasting notes I’ll inject a few words about what does impress me about Powell.

He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what happens in his vineyards, perhaps more so than in the winery. He has close relationships with his growers and calls the shots when it comes to vineyard management, recently telling me he had to end the contract with a grower of a fabulous vineyard of ancient vines this year because the grower simply refused to follow his instructions. The structures of his red wines particularly stand out to me.

Through developing an individual approach to tannin management and extracting a quality and texture of tannins that comes purely from grape skins that are carefully reared and harvested within a tight window of ripening, he creates some truly iconic reds…though even at the more modestly priced wines can age very gracefully. Finally Powell does not release wines that aren’t up to his high standards and as smug as he can be about his successes...
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate # 192 Dec 2010

RunRig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant & tautly structured wines produced from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie.  A beautiful and flawless blend of 97.5% Shiraz and 2.5% Viognier.
 
A brooding darkness of morello cherry, blackberry fruits, spiced apricots and olive tapenade on the nose gives a hint at the serious beast of a wine we are about to encounter.  The palate is powerful with a huge mid palate of taught tannins and acidity, perfectly matched by a rich core of fruit, dark chocolate and espresso.  A beguiling, multi-faceted wine. One for the long haul, drink 2018 – 2030.
Stuart Rae, Fine Wine Manager
 
For me, the finest wine of Torbreck and one of the most impressive New World wines you could ever hope to taste. There’s a dash of Viognier here to enliven and lift the aromatics, but it’s the old vine Shiraz driven rich, black fruit characters, chocolate, liquorice and spice notes which set the tone. Layer after layer, this is super charged but somehow a sense of precision and finesse remains. The real joy of the great Torbreck wines is the marriage of texture and big dark flavours with a refinement, balance and poise rarely seen in the Barossa.
Martyn Rolph, Fine Wine Manager

This single vineyard wine, located next to the winery. Planted by Dave Powell in 1994 with cuttings off old Run Rig vineyards - some of the oldest genetic material in Australia and the World. A blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier.
 
The two Descendant grapes are co-fermented with one another and the freshness is what impresses me most of all. There is a wonderful aromatic and spicy lift from the Viognier and a brooding, black punch of flavour and weight from the Shiraz. The wine is aged for 18 months in seasoned French oak and has a huge volume of fruit characters that lingers for more than a minute. This may only be a 19 year old vineyard but the precision and depth of flavour achieved already in the (relatively) young vines is admirable. There are only 5000 bottles of this incredible wine made so do your best to secure a case.
Laura Atkinson, Fine Wine Manager

Malleval is maybe better know for St Joseph wines, but also has significant plantings of Viognier. The Combe’s south-facing vines are located at altitude of 300 metres, perched on the edge of a modest eponymous valley. In 2015 the wine is finely textured with honeysuckle, stem ginger and white peach all evidenced, but beyond all that a substratum of minerality in deference. A wine with both literal and metaphorical gravitas. Drink now to 2019.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

RunRig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant & tautly structured wines produced from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie.  A beautiful and flawless blend of 98.5% Shiraz and 1.5% Viognier.

Very serious Old Vine Shiraz (the oldest vines are over 100 years old), this is dark and pure with mineral laced black and blueberry fruit with notes of violets, anise, pepper and scorched earth.  Full bodied, layer upon layer of fruit but not overdone – the wizardry here to produce such a dense and opulent wine which somehow remains pacy, light on its feet; real finesse. Fine, silky tannin and crisp acidity. 
A few percent of the Viognier grape is added to the blend, lifting the aromatics and injecting even more vigour. A Runrig showing the power we expect with remarkable refinement. Drink 2019 – 2045+
Martyn Rolph, Sales Manager

A single plot high above the village of St Pierre de Boeuf, with appropriately venerable vines deferring to one of the founding fathers of the appellation, this old-vine cuvée is rich, poised and elegant with that tell-tale salinity on the end of the palate, in this instance telling tales of exceptional terroir and a naturally gifted winemaker. 
Drink now to 2018.
Simon Field MW – Wine Buyer