Some wines we import are meant for grand occasions. These are the famous wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne – bottles to pull from the back of the cellar when the moment is significant. (Yesterday’s “magical” 2017 Grand Cru Chablis would qualify.)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the quintessential winter red wine. Grown under the brilliant Provencal sun, the best examples combine richness and elegance in a way that’s hard to match anywhere in the world.
Vines have covered the steep hillsides of the Rhône river for over 2000 years. Sprouting from vertiginous granite slopes, gnarled syrah vines bake in the summer sun and produce intense, concentrated juice that becomes deep and unmistakable red wine.
There’s a sense of ancient history in the south of France. Roman-era towns and crumbling ruins dot the countryside -- even the modern highways follow the ancient “Via Agrippa” of the Romans. Winemaking here is just as old, and archeologists have found presses dating back to 400 BC.
With frigid air arriving this week across the country, the warm sunlight of summer in Provence may seem a long way off. But pour yourself a glass of smooth, cozy Châteauneuf-du-Pape, close your eyes, and you might even forget to check the temperature outside.
Cornas is a tiny appellation. Its 145 hectares (compare to Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s 3,133) are at the southern end of the Northern Rhône. The name Cornas comes from the Celtic word for “burnt earth,” and its grapes often ripen two weeks earlier than the rest of the region.
In most cellars, Côtes du Rhône is the workhorse wine. Hosting thirsty guests? Go with a Côtes du Rhône. Pairing anything from salad to stew to soup to sirloin? Côtes du Rhône fits the bill. The best examples are crowd-pleasing, inexpensive, and full of character.
Eric Chauvin’s story is a familiar one. A fifth generation winemaker inherits his family domaine. He begins to bottle the wines himself, tightens up the quality, converts to organic viticulture. We stumbled across Chauvin’s tiny Domaine le Souverain in the Rhône Valley a few years ago, and have been delighted at the discovery.
We spend lots of time reading about French wine regions, following critical reviews and leafing through guides. But our favorite discoveries often come from time spent on the ground. One such pleasant surprise came from a wine list at a small outdoor bistro in Séguret a few years ago.
For several decades the Domaine les Goubert has produced some of the most popular wines in our portfolio. Grown in the warm Provençal sunshine around Gigondas, they’re smooth, accessible, welcoming red wines perfect for a cozy evening by the fire.
Today’s wine comes from one of the most famous names in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We imported their wines for our Futures group for decades, but their national importer kicked up a fuss about us a few years ago. So to avoid conflict we’ve taken them out of our main sales channels.
For many years at the start of every tasting, Rhône winemaker Denis Basset would give us small taste of his only white. “Just to set the palate,” he’d explain, before continuing on to his rich, syrah-based reds. The white was always lovely — floral and fresh, beautifully expressive, and a perfect way to start a tasting. And every year, when…
There’s no wine quite as cozy as Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The best Châteauneufs all contain a splash of southern sunlight, combining the region’s rugged, sunbaked earthiness with rich, mouthfilling fruit. With cold weather upon us on the east coast, Châteauneuf is as essential as a crackling fire or warm jacket.
Sometimes the most impressive wines come from the most unassuming of winemakers. We see our fair share of egocentric vignerons, but often the most talented winemakers are the quietest.
The wines of Côte Rôtie have been celebrated for thousands of years. They appear in the writings of Plutarch and Pliny the Elder, and today are among the favorite wines of the sommelier Instagram set. Made from pure Syrah at its northernmost growing limit, Côte Rôtie represents the grape at its most refined.