May 2025 Club: Reds

1. Saint-Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Étincelle” 2022
GRAPE: 100% Syrah
TYPE: Red Northern Rhône from Crozes-Hermitage
YEAR: 2022, ripe and approachable vintage
NOTES: Saint-Clair’s “Étincelle” is pure Syrah with Northern Rhône elegance – a supple, fragrant red showing blackberry fruit, violets, and cool graphite. The 2022 vintage adds a layer of lushness, making it more inviting young than usual. There’s no oak here, just clean, expressive fruit with a stony core. It’s a classic bistro Syrah – peppery, fresh, and eminently drinkable.
FOOD: Grilled steak or lentils with herbs
AVAILABLE: $25/bot ($20 with discount)

2. Goubert Gigondas “Florence” 2020
GRAPE: 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
TYPE: Bold Southern Rhône red from Gigondas
YEAR: 2020, structured and serious
NOTES: Florence Cartier’s top cuvée “Florence” is deep and polished, with rich tannins and a refined core. The 2020 is classic Gigondas – powerful but detailed, with dark fruit, licorice, and forest floor. Aged for two winters in oak, it shows impressive texture and complexity without overt woodiness. This is a wine to sit with – structured and built to age, but already drinking beautifully.
FOOD: Duck confit or beef stew
AVAILABLE: $58/bot ($46.40 with discount)

3. Joncuas Vacqueyras 2022
GRAPE: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault
TYPE: Old school, organic red from the Southern Rhône
YEAR: 2022, juicy and sun-filled
NOTES: The Chastan sisters’ Vacqueyras is rustic and soulful, a dark-fruited blend with Mediterranean warmth and depth. The nose shows blackberries, dried herbs, and earth, and the palate is punchy but not heavy. Raised entirely in tank with no oak, it’s an old-school Southern Rhône red – full of character, spice, and integrity. Unfussy but expressive, this is excellent weeknight material.
FOOD: Lamb sausages or ratatouille
AVAILABLE: sold out