2015 Rhône

Eric likens the terroir in this high Brézème vineyard to that of Hermitage, although the soils here are more alluvial than strictly granitic. Serine, as Syrah used to be known, is cultivated from authentic and very ancient stock, planted in accordance with the traditional marcottage process (massal selection). The wine is suitably complex and individual, with evocative herbal notes pointing towards the south of the valley, but a fundamental loyalty to the north preserved through aromatic purity and a cool, lifted fruit profile. Drink 2019-2025.
Simon Field, Wine Buyer

La Nerthe has always majored on the fruity side of the Châteauneuf profile. Sometimes, given the venerable vines in situ and the almost perfect cellars, I have hoped for a little more “authenticity” here. Ralph may have previously been making wine for Jaboulet in the North, but this is his most clearly articulated aspiration. One should rejoice in Grenache and garland it in the inevitable complexity offered by the famous palette of varietals, without losing sight of the essential features that elevated the appellation in the first place. The savoury, pleasantly herbal personality of the 2015, sitting perfectly within a dark fruit core, provides a most encouraging expression of this mission statement. Drink 2020-2028.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

The grandest of all the properties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the one closest to actually having a castle, La Nerthe is a virtually contiguous vineyard, with 90 hectares of calcareous and sandy soils located just to the east of the village. With each new vintage they enhance their reputation as one of the leading “classically modern” estates in the region.

Of the 13 plots which make up this wine, the key ones are Beaurenard in the north-west, Charbonnière on the central Crau plateau and Gallimardes in the south... in other words, this has a richly diverse provenance. The blend is 80 percent Grenache, 10 percent Mourvèdre, seven percent Syrah and three percent Cinsault. The wine displays classic aromas of thyme, sous-bois and macerated plum and an equally classic palate, which is long and unnervingly complex. Drink 2020-2028. 
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

The forebears of sisters Sophie and Catherine Armenier have been making superb wines since 1344 it seems, maybe modifying their techniques a little along the way, but not too much. Biodynamic in all but the letter, they are based close to Beaucastel, but their plots, albeit more modest in total surface area, are more widely spaced over the appellation, with the most significant holdings in the areas around Courthézon and on the central Crau plateau. Low yields are key to the exceptional quality of the wines.

Eponymous slopes, suitably adroit, from the near homophone lieu-dit, Les Chailles, host one of Alain’s most sublime pieces of work. Syrah is seldom as expressive in youth, and after only a little time in glass it will cede a cornucopia of woodland magic. Oak plays its part, but discretely, diplomatically, as the fruit rejoins an almost painfully eloquent soliloquy. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

The 2015 Hermitage is in bottle and it's a profound, long-lived wine, although the 2017 may perhaps surpass it in terms of pure pleasure. The 2015 is a bit meaty and cedary up front, backed by a mix of berry fruit and spice variations. But what stands out is the wine's immaculate structure and balance. It's firm and tannic without being hard or unyielding, finishing with fold after fold of velvety richness. While the impatient can certainly derive some pleasure from it even now, I'd opt for cellaring it a decade or more.
Joe Czerwinski - 31/10/2018

Beyond the Grenache, there is now 35 percent of Mourvèdre in the blend, sprucing the finish with balanced acidity, with vestigial Vaccarèse and Counoise and, these days, a shade less than 10 percent Syrah. Mediterranean to its core, in other words, with notes of laurel, eucalypt, liquorice and spice framed by beautifully ripe tannins, and a luxuriant core of Grenache, all cashmere silk and seamless indulgence. Black cherry, blueberry and myrtle dominate the fruit character on the mid-palate and the finish is long and refreshing. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

Just what is it that has made Clos des Papes the most sought-after address in this village? Vincent Avril has much to say, but the key parts of his exposition to me are exceptionally low yields, widely fragmented plots and a refusal to venerate Mammon by introducing of a series of deluxe cuvées. The wine is therefore the definitive statement of a village that is celebrated for blended complexity, deliciously ironic in a man who appears to have a distinctly Burgundian temperament (in a good sense, needless to say!). This aside, Vincent does not actually vinify by plot, but segregates three or four key blends in the March following harvest, blends which are marked by greater or lesser influence of the minority shareholding grapes and which therefore signal both the character of the vintage and the relative importance of Grenache in the ensemble.

Of Daniel’s two Pallières cuvées, Les Racines is sourced from lower vineyards than Les Terrasses, but from older vines – nearly 70 years of age in the case of the Grenache, which makes up 80 percent of this cuvée, with the balance made up from Syrah (8%), Cinsault (7%) and Clairette (5%). The surprisingly feminine floral aromas are followed by a fine and elegant palate, with notes of myrtle and liquorice, mocha and forest floor all in evidence. Drink 2020-2028.
Simon Field MW- Wine Buyer

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe is one of the most renowned estates of the Southern Rhône, with around 45 hectares of vines, and an average vine age of 55 years. Blessed with one of the finest locations in the area, the particularly hot microclimate is such that the Bruniers, owners of the estate for almost a century, are able to harvest as much as a week ahead of their neighbours. Vieux Télégraphe's blend is a typical one, with Grenache accounting for around two thirds, while the rest is made up of Syrah and Cinsault in roughly equal proportions, plus a tiny bit of Clairette. The Bruniers also run a radically different property in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, named Piedlong, and a very attractive property in the hills of Gigondas, Domaine les Pallières.

This is one of the great wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The old vines in question are located over four different plots and four different soil types. Sand, clay, galet and limestone all work together, with over 40 percent of the vines predating 1940. Beguilingly simple winemaking (concrete tank and foudre) does not get in the way of inherent complexity. Christophe waxes lyrical for some time and then, with a gentle smile, suggests accompanying this wine with jugged hare in 12 years’ time. Quite right. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

The brother and sister team of Christophe and Isabelle Sabon continue to work wonders at Janasse. They farm 80 hectares of vineyards spread over a number of wine appellations: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is all located in the north-east of the appellation in the commune of Courthézon, Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, but also Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange and Vin de Table. Concrete tanks are used for the Grenache and oak for the Syrah and Mourvèdre; in other words, everything is fairly traditional. Isabelle Sabon compares the 2015 to 2005 and 2010. Its tannic profile sits somewhere in the middle, as, possibly, does its quality. For all that, they are three outstanding vintages.