FERRATON Père & Fils
2017 Crozes-Hermitage La Matinière
This wine is rich and velvet in texture with some minerality to its dark plum fruit and a bit of soy to go with it all. Smooth tannins make this a wine to drink over the next 3-4 years. Lot 1CEMATI17R05. 13% stated alcohol. 88/B+
2017 Crozes-Hermitage Calendes
Initially quite, closed, with time this wine opens to a smooth, deep, dark fruit ina medium-weight body: a classic Syrah. If you open it now, I suggest decanting an hour or so ahead of serving. Certified organic and biodynamic. Lot 1CECAL17R475. 13.5% stated alcohol. 89/A-
Domaine FINOT
2017 Crozes-Hermitage
Thomas Finot is working both in the Northern Rhône and in Savoie. For this wines, he has grapes on the slopes in Larnage, just around the corner from the Hermitage hill. The result is a dense wine with some creaminess of texture and also some minerality to go with strawberry fruit. There’s not the precision of a Crozes from Graillot, but still, this is an enjoyable wine for what it is. 13.6% stated alcohol. 87/B
2016 Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Claude
This is a more expensive cuvée (in a heavier bottle for those who need non-gustatory signals). It is rich with strawberry and raspberry fruit and some earth overtones. 13.1% stated alcohol. 87(+)/B
GARON
2018 Vin de Pays des Collines Rhondaniennes Les Grandes Parcelles Syrah
This wine is attractive with lavender aromas and flavors dark fruits, and a medium-weight body and a fair amount of density. No indication that this is a hot-vintage wine. 86(+)/B
Pierre GONON
2017 Saint-Joseph
This is an unusual powerful and concentrated Saint-Joseph from Gonon, and there’s no shortage of tannin, either. In an extremely dense, medium-weight body, the wine shows deep red and dark plum fruit. But this wine probably needs 10-15 years’ cellaring to reach full maturity. Certified organic. 13.5% stated alcohol. 90+/A-
Alain GRAILLOT
2018 Crozes-Hermitage blanc
The wine has light honeysuckle aromas and fruit with enough acidity and freshness, but for the moment is rather generic. 13% stated alcohol. Lot L3. 86(+)/C
Laurent HABRARD
2017 Crozes-Hermitage Le Vigneron Heureux
This is one of those wines that is so delicious that you want to gulp it all down immediately, yet at the same time does not sacrifice its seriousness. The wine medium-weight with luscious red fruits and a bit of soy. The sensual velvet texture invites immediate drinking. Certified organic. Lot CHR17meb1. 13% stated alcohol. 89/A-
Domaine JAMET/Corrine, Jean-Paul & Loïc JAMET
2017 Côtes du Rhône blanc
A somewhat oily texture with freshness, spiciness and some acidity to go with yellow fruits. It is not a complex wine, but it is delicious and typical of the region. The wine is a blend of Marsanne and Viognier with a little bit of Roussane and Grenache blanc. 13.5% stated alcohol. 88/A
2018 Côtes du Rhône rouge
This wine is from Syrah grapes near the Côte-Rôtie appellation. In some vintages, they can produce an extraordinary wine; that was not the case here, although it is, indeed, a very good wine. Plenty of ripe dark plum fruit here with some black pepper and other spice in a medium-full body. Acidity is moderate and the precision is less than in better years, but the wine is nevertheless a pleasant drink. At elevated and speculated prices that this wine sells for on the secondary market, though, it’s not interesting. 13% stated alcohol. 87/B
Vincent PARIS
2017 Cornas Granit 30
This is Paris’s wine from younger vines and less steep hillsides (and from granitic soils, too). The vines have been aging, though, and in this vintage, the Cornas character comes through very well (in some vintages, the wine has been more about Syrah than Cornas). At the price, it is a bargain. Dark plum fruits, minerality, and density in a medium-weight body characterize the wine. It drinks well now, but it should also be able to take 15+ years of cellaring without a problem. Lot L1. 13% stated alcohol. 92/A
Stéphane ROBERT/Domaine du TUNNEL
2016 Cornas Vin Noir
This wine is from vines more than 100 years old that are on granitic soils on the Cornas hillsides. It is dense, pure, deep, concentrated, intense, and balanced. The aromas and flavors are very deep, smoky blue fruits and there is quite a bit of power to this wine. In short, it is an ultra-classic Cornas. The bottle says to serve at 18ºC (62-63ºF), which is indeed most important, and also suggests that the wine will be at its peak in ten years. If you do drink it now, decant an hour or more in advance. Bravo, M. Robert! 13.5% stated alcohol. 94/A