All wines below are red unless otherwise specified.
Bernard BURGAUD
2016 Côte-Rôtie
This is a beautiful and classic expression of Côte-Rôtie. The wine is pure and direct with dark fruits and great freshness. The body is medium-weight and there is extraordinary precision here. This wine can be drunk with great pleasure now and should continue for many years. 13% stated alcohol. Lot L018. 93(+)/A
Domaine les BRUYÈRES/David REYNAUD
2016 Crozes-Hermitage Georges vignes authentiques
The first thing to note about this wine is that it is terribly reduced upon opening. Some not familiar with reduction in Syrah will cry that the wine is vastly over-oaked. In fact, it is raised in cement tanks. So if you drink it now, give the wine a vigorous decant a couple of hours before serving or drop a copper coin in it. Once the reduction is past, this is a wine with classic violet aromas and flavors, a medium-full body, and a silky texture. In other words, no great terroir here, but an enjoyable Syrah wine. Certified biodynamic and organic. Lot L01. 13% stated alcohol. 88/A-
2016 Crozes-Hermitage Beaumont
This wine does not show Domaine des Bruyères on the label and is not shown on the domaine’s website; although certified organic, the wine is not certified biodynamic. Accordingly, it appears to be a negociant wine, but even so, it is very well done. The wine has good concentration, but also lightness, with red fruits that have a jam (but not jammy) character, and the wine has freshness, precision, and some structure. I’d be inclined to drink this young for its fruit, but there is the balance here to allow for some aging. The wine is both fermented and aged in cement. Bottled with a plastic Ardea seal of the type Domaine Ponsot has used for some years (and which I have not found to interfere with aging for Ponsot’s wines). 12.50% stated alcohol. Lot L 170208. 88/A-
Aurélian CHATAGNIER
2016 Saint-Joseph
Chatagnier began his domaine in 2002 and has been gradually expanding it. He is in the northern end of the Saint-Joseph appellation (he also produces Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie), and so like other local producers, his Saint-Joseph has spiciness, which one often finds in the northern Saint-Josephs, but not those from the more southerly areas. The wine also features crushed blackberries, and it is elegant but intense with a smooth texture. I’d drink this wine over the next 4-7 years for its fruit. 13% stated alcohol. L1603. 88(+)/B
Laurent et Dominique COURBIS
2016 Saint-Joseph Les Royes
Wow! If you come across this wine, don’t hesitate; it’s very close to Gonon in quality, that is, at the top for the Saint-Joseph appellation and better than many an Hermitage. The wine is medium-full with a velvet texture to go with ripe crushed dark berry fruit and outstanding balance. You can enjoy it now for the fruit, but there should be no problem for aging another couple of decades. 14% stated alcohol. 93/A
Emmanuel DARNAUD
2016 Saint-Joseph Lieu-Dit La Dardouille
Dardouille is one of the most highly-respected lieux-dits around the original Saint-Joseph appellation. It is just above Les Oliviers, which is best-known as the location of Gonon’s white Saint-Joseph. There’s initially reduction in this wine that many will mistake for new oak. But put it in a decanter for a while and dark Syrah fruits begin to emerge, and there’s good density and concentration, plus the minerality of top Saint-Joseph. I’d guess that peak drinking for this wine would begin around 2021-2022 and continue for a decade or two. The vines here are 30-80 years old, the soils are granitic, and the grapes 80% destemmed. Lot L 01. 13.5% stated alcohol. 88+/B
2017 Crozes-Hermitage Mise en Bouche
Certainly, not a great deal of complexity showing here, but this wine is just so enjoyable for its rich, smooth texture along with deep, broad red fruits. There’s a bit of reduction here which some will confuse with new oak; decant the wine or drop a penny in it to help resolve the reduction. Drink young. 13% stated alcohol. Lot L 01. 88/A-