2010 Rhone

Pierre-Jean, the former régisseur at Vins De Vienne, set up on his own four or five years ago, purchasing extremely classy and often long-established vineyards in the areas he knows best, that is to say in Seyssuel and St Joseph. The quality of his first full vintage in 2009 was as impressive as the volumes were small; in 2010 the both volumes and quality are on the up, the latter by more than the former…

Didier Negron is the son-in-law of Jean-Jacques Sabon, who tragically died at the end of 2011 after a long illness. Didier is now the chief winemaker at this increasingly impressive property.. He certainly talks the talk, fluently in English as we found out latterly, but to no great surprise, given his ability elsewhere. Owning 15 parcels across 17 hectares over the appellation, Domaine Sabon produce four cuvées of red, the most famous of which is seen as one of the very best wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The secret is out!

The eponymous old men continue to adorn the label, redolent of the Burgers of Calais, patient and civilized. Our patience with Sénéchaux has paid enormous dividends over recent years under the stewardship of the Cazes of Lynch Bages. Winemaker Bernard Tranchecoste bemoans the short harvest, but this can partly be attributed to the vendanges vertes in the vineyard, an additional qualitative statement after coulure severely reduced the Grenache crop earlier in the season.

The evocative names of the surrounding landmarks, specifically the Plateau Des Garrigues and the Dentelles De Montmirail, provide a scenic geographical backdrop to Laurent Daniel’s vineyards. Silky elegance, real Mediterranean warmth and finely balanced tannins are the secrets to Laurent’s success, not forgetting more prosaic factors such as timely picking of the grapes and attention to detail in the winery.

Jean Michel is one of the great characters of the Rhône Valley, a natural leader with a keen sense of humour and an almost Messianic zeal when it comes to promoting the wines of Côte Rôtie and ensuring that they take their rightful place at the High Table of the great wines of the world. And, as seems to be the case in a number of properties in the valley his children are now taking key roles with both Mikael and Alexei sharing their father’s philosophy. 2010, they believe, is every bit as good as 2009, the latter a vintage with more alcohol and less fruit and natural acidity. 2010 is the year of harmonious natural equilibrium and as a result its wines will last longer.

The brothers Pacsal and Vicent Maurel, with a little help from the larger-than-life and near-ubiquitous consultant Philippe Cambie, continue to work wonders with this famous old Domaine, which gets its first BBR listing this year. The property is similar in size to Beaucastel and also has some spectacular parcels of old vines, its centurion-holders mainly situated on the Crau plateau. The winemaking here is traditional, yet the wines themselves seem to marry tradition and modernity with effortless aplomb.

The brothers Pacsal and Vicent Maurel, with a little help from the larger-than-life and near-ubiquitous consultant Philippe Cambie, continue to work wonders with this famous old Domaine, which gets its first BBR listing this year. The property is similar in size to Beaucastel and also has some spectacular parcels of old vines, its centurion-holders mainly situated on the Crau plateau. The winemaking here is traditional, yet the wines themselves seem to marry tradition and modernity with effortless aplomb.

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.

2010 marks a spectacular return to form for this excellent Domaine which is based in St Peray and which has been no stranger to BBR over the years. . From the more traditional end of the spectrum, which in terms of Cornas means wines of incalculable gravitas, the Voge wines are now vinified by Chapoutier alumnus, Albert Mazoyers, and have never been better...

Jérôme Coursodon’s reputation continues to soar. Ideally placed vineyards and a perspective which inclines towards perfectionism have both helped him on his way. Add to that the extraordinary natural benevolence of the vintage, and his legacy seems secure. It is fantastic to see such a famous old estate performing so well.

Jérôme Coursodon’s reputation continues to soar. Ideally placed vineyards and a perspective which inclines towards perfectionism have both helped him on his way. Add to that the extraordinary natural benevolence of the vintage, and his legacy seems secure. It is fantastic to see such a famous old estate performing so well.

Mark Sorrel is a thoughtful and talented vigneron, initially quite reserved, like his wines, but who needs to say much when one owns some of the finest holdings on the hill of Hermitage? . Despite having one foot firmly planted in the traditionalist camp, when it comes to such things as destemming and ageing, he invariably manages to produce wines of great elegance and poise. He compares 2010 with 1978 and 1961. And who needs to say more than that?

Mark Sorrel is a thoughtful and talented vigneron, initially quite reserved, like his wines, but who needs to say much when one owns some of the finest holdings on the hill of Hermitage? . Despite having one foot firmly planted in the traditionalist camp, when it comes to such things as destemming and ageing, he invariably manages to produce wines of great elegance and poise. He compares 2010 with 1978 and 1961. And who needs to say more than that?

Few developments have been as telling or as significant as the progress made by the Perrins in the villages outside of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape fortress. Their aspiration has been clear and it has been honourable; through ownership, partnership and, where appropriate, acquisition, they wish to build a portfolio which shows the very best in the very best of the terroirs which these villages have to offer and thereby to promote both the Perrin philosophy, which is focused on quality and quality only, and in the process, to raise the profile of the region as a whole. The progress made to date has been most impressive! The artists formerly known as Perrin Père et Fils now prefer the title of La Famille Perrin...

A brilliant vintage for Côte-Rôtie, this is René’s favourite vintage of the past 20 years. Long maceration and low temperatures preserve the crystalline focus, yet the ripeness of the fruit gives a balance of opulent richness that makes this wine approachable in youth. There is finesse with black fruit precision with a touch of wet stone minerality, floral jasmine notes and herbs de provenance on the finish. Personally, I feel this wine as it represents the best of the Côte-Rôtie at a reasonable price. Though approachable now, this has the structure to age happily for a decade or more and will continue to give and give. If you have a case of this, I would open a bottle a year and track its progress.
Fine Wine Team

M Rostaing, or RR as we affectionately call him, is something of an enigma, a man giving all semblance of being a classicist, yet whose winemaking philosophy, with its use of rotary fermenters and pragmatic approach to destemming, is far from the old-school. His vocabulary, however, is pleasingly old-fashioned; he likes the 2010 vintage, as there is ‘une belle rigueur’, describing it as ‘Jansenist’ in temperament. The classicism now extends to the names of the wines; the wine formerly known as ‘Cuvée Classique’ has been renamed Ampodium, the Roman name for the town of Ampuis, and the location of his winery.

M Rostaing, or RR as we affectionately call him, is something of an enigma, a man giving all semblance of being a classicist, yet whose winemaking philosophy, with its use of rotary fermenters and pragmatic approach to destemming, is far from the old-school. His vocabulary, however, is pleasingly old-fashioned; he likes the 2010 vintage, as there is ‘une belle rigueur’, describing it as ‘Jansenist’ in temperament. The classicism now extends to the names of the wines; the wine formerly known as ‘Cuvée Classique’ has been renamed Ampodium, the Roman name for the town of Ampuis, and the location of his winery.

M Rostaing, or RR as we affectionately call him, is something of an enigma, a man giving all semblance of being a classicist, yet whose winemaking philosophy, with its use of rotary fermenters and pragmatic approach to destemming, is far from the old-school. His vocabulary, however, is pleasingly old-fashioned; he likes the 2010 vintage, as there is ‘une belle rigueur’, describing it as ‘Jansenist’ in temperament. The classicism now extends to the names of the wines; the wine formerly known as ‘Cuvée Classique’ has been renamed Ampodium, the Roman name for the town of Ampuis, and the location of his winery.

Few developments have been as telling or as significant as the progress made by the Perrins in the villages outside of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape fortress. Their aspiration has been clear and it has been honourable; through ownership, partnership and, where appropriate, acquisition, they wish to build a portfolio which shows the very best in the very best of the terroirs which these villages have to offer and thereby to promote both the Perrin philosophy, which is focused on quality and quality only, and in the process, to raise the profile of the region as a whole. The progress made to date has been most impressive! The artists formerly known as Perrin Père et Fils now prefer the title of La Famille Perrin...