RHONE-WHITE

100% Marsanne, oak cask fermented and raised until malolactic fermentation completed, then raised 80% oak cask, 20% vat raised 9 months.
Table wax, honey and hazelnut aroma, with a ginger tang, orange zest - captures Marsanne well. The palate presents a butter-hazelnut combination, with a gradual drawing in of its grip, a tightening on the finish. It quietens along the palate, the flavour focused on light flan, toffee. It could have a bit more flair, expression.

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS: "Starting with the whites, and another great vintage, the 2015 Saint Joseph Blanc is as classic as they come. Offering lots of white peach, tangerine and floral notes in a fresh, concentrated, lively package that just begs to be drunk. This wine is a year in, year out no brainer, and while I like it in its first 3-4 years, it evolves gracefully. To give some perspective on when to drink these, the 2013 is incredible today, and I’ve tasted this cuvée going back over a decade with terrific results."

In a bottle with a glass stopper, an elegant Viognier with hints of orange marmalade, apricot and ripe tropical fruits. Precise, crisp and balanced on the palate, with a roundness of generously structured fruit and a long, elegant finish.

Historically, chateau la Nerthe is one of the most important properties in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The vineyards atre planted with all thirteen varietals of the region. This wine resulting in a fresh, crisp and fruity wine, drinkable at a young age but also worthy of cellaring. organicaly produced.

(Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette)
A supple, silky and long-lived white blend from lieu-dits Bedines and Pignan, vineyards best known for their sandy soils, which contributes to the wine its supple, velvety texture.

(Grenache Blanc, Clairette Rose)
A plush and satisfying white wine from older vines that grow within the estate’s “clos,” on classic Châteauneuf soils: a blend of sand and “galets roulés,” or large quartz river stones.

Grenache Blanc, Clairette Rose, Viognier

A more complexly flavored, layered white blend grown within the estate’s “clos” or wall, on classic Châteauneuf terroir. The wine’s aromas in particular capture the regional garrigue, or blend of lavender, wild thyme and rosemary.

WINE SPECTATOR 94 POINTS: "Distinctive, with a bright yellow apple note leading the way, backed by lots of verbena, chamomile and honeysuckle notes before a creamy melon edge drapes the finish. Shows lovely range. Drink now through 2018. 100 cases imported."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS: "The 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc is a step up over the 2014 and offers terrific notes of stone fruits, pears and apple blossom in a medium to full-bodied, fresh, lengthy and elegant style."

A white wine fresh and fruity (peach, apricot, exotic fruit) with vanilla and toasted notes and a mineral finish. Serve within 2 years as an aperitif, fish or cheese (goat cheese, county ...).

50% Grenache Blanc 25% Clairette, 25% Bourboulenc

Aromas of quince, citrus, and tropical fruits. Full bodied with sharp acidity, and round texture. This dry wine invites you to the culinary pleasures of an excellent white wine full of freshness. It's a perfect companion to seafood, white meat and it is very appreciated at the time of aperitif.

Owned by the dynamic father-and-daughter team of Paul and Laurence Féraud, Domaine du Pegau has emerged as one of the most iconic estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A benchmark producer of traditionally-styled Châteauneuf-du- Pape, Pegau's bottlings are justifiably ranked among the greatest wines in the world.Aromas of peach, apple and nectarine, with light floral notes and a touch of minerality. Clean, crisp and fresh, with great acidity.

WINE SPECTATOR 95 POINTS - "Ripe and rich, but focused, with verbena, bitter almond and wet stone notes threading through the core of creamed yellow apple, pear and melon flavors. Very long, with a gorgeous salted butter echo."

A gorgeous wine, Condrieu 'Le Grand Vallon' François Villard 2016 has classic mineral-laced aromas with flavours of ripe peach, apricot, orange blossom and crushed rocks. With a lively acidity and medium body, this is an excellent example of a Condrieu.

BIODYNAMIC

With 35 hectares of vines nestled into the Catalonian foot hills of the Corbières appellation, the Gardies family has been making wine for 7 generations. Jean Gardies took over the estate in the late 90’s to ensure that the wines were being made to express their full potential of finesse and complexity.
crisp, dry, lots of minerals

eROBERT PARKER 91-93 POINTS: "Scheduled to be bottled this coming February and slightly lighter in style, the 2011 Saint-Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice (100% Syrah aged 30 months in 100% new French oak) offers perfumed spice, red currants, blackberry and bouquet garni-styled aromatics, medium to full-body and an overall seamless, forward and silky profile. It should be ready to go on release, yet evolve gracefully for 10-15 years."

ROBERT PARKER 95 POINTS: "Guigal’s 2015 Condrieu is a blockbuster that, if not for its big brother, would be one of the wines of the vintage. Aged in one-third new barrels and two-thirds in tank, it’s a rich, unctuous, thrillingly textured beauty that has plenty of orange blossom, flower oil, tangerine and peach. Fruit-loaded, with just a touch of minerality, it should be drunk over the coming 2-4 years."

As always, my visit with Marcel and Philippe Guigal is one of the highlights of my entire time spent working in the northern Rhône. As I think the list of wines demonstrate, this is a huge lineup, yet the theme across the entire range is incredible quality. Looking at the top Côte Rôties, the current releases in bottle are the 2012s and these are rich, supple, sexy, even flamboyant wines that will be relatively approachable in their youth, yet have broad drink windows. The 2013s are much more backward and restrained, and built for the long haul, but the long élevage favored at this estate is certainly helping to soften the tannin and give the wines a suppler texture. As to the 2014s, I was shocked at the depth and density this team was able to get in these wines, but this is another vintage that will be approachable in its youth. Lastly, and from vintage described by Marcel as the best of his lifetime (how’s that for perspective?), the 2015s are inky and primordial, with mind-boggling depth and density. These will be reviewed two to three more times before release, but start saving today! Lastly, it’s also worth pointing out that the estate has started utilizing a new cork technique that guarantees no TCA. This doesn’t come cheap and is close to two Euros per cork, but it’s just another example of the attention to detail and the level of effort that this estate puts forth to ensure the quality in the bottle. Hats off to them.

Grape variety : 65% Viognier, 15% Roussanne, 8% Marsanne, 8 % Clairette, 2% Bourboulenc, 2% white Grenache.

Eye : Yellow gold, clear and brilliant.

Nose : Freshness marked by the distinctive aromas of Viognier ;white flowers, apricot, acacia and white peach.

Palate : Fruity with plenty of richness and body.

Overall : A well-rounded wine with elegance, strength and balance.

Our comment : Loyal followers of the GUIGAL Côtes-du-Rhône will enjoy this wine which flatters as much as its famous red cousin !

"Easily one of the greatest Condrieu I’ve ever tasted is the 2015 Condrieu La Doriane. A wine that needs to be tasted to be believed, it possesses a huge nose of toasted brioche, liquid rocks, apricot, flower oil and salty minerality. Unctuous, full-bodied, massively rich, yet also elegant and graceful, with beautiful freshness, enjoy this tour de force over the coming 5-6 years."

The wine is made from pure Roussanne from mature rootstock that hails from the walled 4-hectare 'Clos Forentin' vineyard which the Chaves acquired in 2009. Fewer than 400 cases are produced annually and it is popular on export markets as with many Chave wines. It has lovely almond and acacia flower scents and wonderfully-textured white stone fruit palate with a long, elegant finish.

The Muscat expresses itself with finesse. Delicate flavours tingle the tongue with notes of pear and apricot.Traditional. In stainless steel tank at 15°C, bringing a volume of 7 to 10% neutral alcohol, to limit fermentation to a density of approximately 1050 so that at least 110 grams of sugar remain per litre.

ROBERT PARKER 93 POINTS: "The 2010 Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc is 100% Marsanne from the vineyard known as Maison Blanche situated at the top of the Hermitage appellation, above the famed lieu-dit for white Hermitage, Les Rocoules. This cuvee is very limited in availability so I’ll keep my notes brief. Aromas of white currants, pepper, quince and apricot marmalade are present in this full-bodied, gorgeously rich, pure, stunning white. Completely locked down at present, it should be forgotten for 8-10 years and drunk over the following two decades. It will unquestionably be a very long-lived white wine."

The name originates from the 45th North parallel, which runs two kilometers from the domaine's cellars near Tain L'Hermitage. This cuvee began in 1950 and represents the Jaboulet commitment to producing France's finest Rhone value.

20+ years old vines on average

Sourced exclusively from 5 family farms that are increasingly practicing sustainable farming. Most of the fruit is sourced from the right bank of the Rhone River.

50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Marsanne, 20% Viognier, 10% Bourboulenc

Grenache endows a silky flesh, Marsanne lending a sleek vivacity, Viognier brings the aromatic exuberance, and the Bourbolenc delivers with floral freshness

Blocked malo, aged in stainless tanks

A lively mineral-laced Rhone white, with wet stones and laser pure white fruit in a lip smacking and succulent white. Delivers the elegance and texture of the finest cool climate white wines

Pierre Bénétière is a self-made man and staunch Northern Rhone traditionalist cut from the mold of the great icons of the region, Gentaz-Dervieux, Verset, Juge, Allemand, etc. While Pierre grew up in a wine family, his parents did not actually produce wine, but were merchants in Condrieu selling local table wines to the bars and restaurants in the area. He eventually studied Enology and started his winery in the late `80s by acquiring a small parcel of land in the southern end of Cote Rotie (in the lieu-dit of Cordeloux near Condrieu) and clearing and planting the vineyards himself. He later added two small vineyards in Condrieu itself as well as a small parcel of old vines in the heart of the Cote Rotie appellation, on the Cote Brune and right in the middle of Guigal’s famed “La Turque”!

The Condrieu is nicely phenolic in texture, and avoids the cloying quality that one often finds in this appellation. The richness of the wine is nicely balanced with an underlying acidity (he is clearly picking on the early side).

ORGANIC