DOMAINE  de PIAUGIER

This Southern Rhône estate is situated in the village of Sablet, near Gigondas.

It's owned by the Autran family and winemaker Jean-Marc Autran has been at the helm since the mid-1980s.

His great grandfather built the cellar in the 1940s and Jean-Marc expanded it in the mid-1990s.  

The property comprises approximately 30 hectares of vineyards, a small patch in Gigondas and most of the rest split between the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation and that of Sablet.  The vineyards are mature, most being somewhere between 20 years of age on the young side.

Wines from this estate routinely are nicely balanced and well-made.  They have a nice standard of quality.

We've often have the Sablet rouge from Piaugier.  It comes from soils featuring clay, limestone and sand which gives the Grenache a particular spice note.  The wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah and it's medium-bodied, not a big, heavy monster.   The wine has routinely "made the cut" here and customers who buy a bottle often return a day or two later to pick up some more (this is the 'test' of a good bottle of wine...not some numerical score from a critic).

A recent addition is their lovely Gigondas.  This comes from a 3 and a half acre patch of 40 year old vines.  It's Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah.  Autran matures 20% of the lot in once-used wood and 10% in new oak.  This is, then, bottled without filtration.  The 2007 is quite a nice wine and we suggest it as being a good value, too.  Pair this with a savory lamb stew or braised lamb shanks...it's a great combination!

Jean-Marc and Sophie had visited the famous Beaucastel estate in Chateauneuf some years ago and tasted a number of samples of various varietals, one being Counoise.  This is an obscure grape, said to have been brought to the Rhone centuries ago as a gift to the Pope from some emissary who obtained cuttings in Spain.  It's not widely cultivated in the Southern Rhone, but you'll see it listed as a percentage or two in many Chateauneufs.

The Autrans found the wine to be of interest and Jean-Marc started making Counoise on its own back in the early 1990s.  Today they produce a few barrels' worth and label it "Tenebi."  It's a medium-bodied red wine showing a whiff of oak and nice red fruits with an underlying spicy element.  It's quite good and a nice match for braised or stewed meats.


Jean Marc in the cellar

Currently in stock:  2007 GIGONDAS $21.99
2007 SABLET ROUGE $14.99
2007 SABLET "Tenebi"  $18.99

Sophie Autran explaining where they have various parcels of vineyards in Sablet.

A bottle of Tenebi served with some Sablet "home cookin'"

DOMAINE GEORGES VERNAY

The name Georges Vernay is synonymous with the great Northern Rhône white wine of Condrieu.  Vernay worked tirelessly to promote Viognier as a worthy and noble grape variety.  Look at the results: It was a variety on the verge of extinction in the 1970s and today Viognier is grown around the planet.  The wines of Condrieu are the benchmark by which all are judged.  As it should be.

Vernay passed the baton to his daughter Christine and her husband Paul back in 1997.  We met them early that year and they were traveling to scope out the wine world before embarking on their first vintage.  

We've had some Vernay wines off-and-on over the years and today we're "on," but not with a Viognier from the Condrieu appellation.  Instead we have a Syrah from a patch of vineyards that Christine's father planted about 30 years ago which is, essentially, within the Condrieu area.  Of course, since there is no Condrieu Rouge, the wine is labeled "merely" as a Côtes du Rhône.  And it's some rather noble Côtes du Rhône!

The soil is granite and the wine displays a deep purple color and wonderfully spicy, berryish perfume with a bit of pepper.  It's not a wine for extended cellaring, though we're curious to set a bottle or two aside just to see.  For the short term, though, consider serving a bottle of this, cooled to cellar temperature, with a well-seasoned rack of lamb or some sort of roasted duck.  It's a big, exuberant expression of Syrah and it's offered at a most attractive price tag...don't miss it!

 

Currently in stock:  2007 VERNAY CÔTES DU RHÔNE  SALE $26.99







JEAN MICHEL GERIN

The Gerin family has been cultivating vines for 5 generations, but the history of this domaine began in 1983 when Jean-Michel purchased a small parcel of Syrah in the Côte-Rôtie appellation.  In those days, Rhône wines were looked at as less-costly alternatives to Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Today some Rhône wines cost more than similar quality Bordeaux and Burgundy!

Gerin started bottling wine only in 1987 and the domaine continues to grow and excel.   We've followed Gerin's wine for a decade, or so and are pleased to note the quality was good to begin with and it's even better now.  Amazing what happens when the vines get older and the winemaker does, too!

Jean-Michel makes a range of wines, but it's his Côte-Rôtie wines which excite us the most.  His entry-level wine is usually quite nice and he has a small parcel in Les Grandes Places, too with old, older and ancient Syrah vines.  

I bought a bottle of Gerin's 2004 La Landonne.  Guigal makes a "grand cru" caliber wine from his parcel in La Landonne and has been making it since the 1978 vintage.  Gerin started making wine from his tiny 4/10ths-of-a-hectare patch of vines in the 1996 vintage.  Gerin's wine costs a small fortune, while Guigal's goes for "ransom" money.

Guests found the 2004 La Landonne of Gerin to be a show-stopper.  It's made entirely of Syrah and it's matured in 100% new oak.  After a couple of difficult vintages, 2004 is well-regarded by Rhône valley winemakers, as it produced "classically"-styled wines.  This means the wines are elegant and balanced.  So many consumers are swayed by various critics who routinely tout more "extreme" vintages as being good.  

The 2004 is fairly deep in color and the nose shows a tremendous black cherry-like fruit fragrance with oodles of spice notes and some toasty oak.  Gerin, apparently, finding his Syrah wines to be so intense, prefers a higher level of "toast" to his oak barrels.  Like a top chef, Jean-Michel is sensitive to the vintage and adjusts the time in oak according to the structure and development of the wine.  His 2004 La Landonne is tremendously complex and a sheer delight.  It's gorgeous now and we suspect it may be cellared for another 5-10 years.

We have a few bottles of the 2005, which shows a bit more smokiness than the 2004.  It's a deep, dark red and a shade backwards at this stage.

Currently in stock:  2004 GERIN CÔTE-RÔTIE "La Landonne"  $134.99
2005 GERIN CÔTE-RÔTIE "La Landonne"  $199.99

CLEFS DE MURAILLES

It's great to find fantastic wines from wonderful independent wine growers, but we also appreciate when large wineries make good wine.

This exceptional Southern Rhône comes from a growers' cooperative winery called Vignerons de Caractère along the Route de Vaison la Romaine in Vacqueyras.  The winery was founded 50 years ago and today it has about a hundred families growing grapes for the 3+ million bottles they make.  With such economies of scale, they can offer their wine at a rather attractive price.

We tasted their 2007 vintage Vacqueyras and it's a dark colored wine showing lots of berries and spice notes.  Oak is not a part of this wine...the fruit takes center stage.  It doesn't strike us as a wine for cellaring, so drinking it over the next year, or so, is probably best.  You can pair this with a lamb or beef stew or some grilled meats or sausages.

 

Currently in stock:  2007 CLEFS DES MURAILLES Vacqueyras  $17.99

 

DOMAINE MARCEL RICHAUD

Marcel Richaud is one of the leading lights in the southern Rhône village of Cairanne.  This is one of those towns entitled to use its name on Cotes du Rhône.  The Cairanne designation now is deserving of elevated status and there are a number of good sources of wine in that area.  

 

Richaud has about 35 hectares of vines, mostly red.    Yields are kept rather low, Richaud saying "I don't want to compromise my wines.  I'm not interested in the Parkerisation (lots of oak/lots of alcohol) in my wines.  The wine critics want an international flavor and style to all wines.  That doesn't interest me."    Marcel wants the maximum expression of each variety as well as showcasing the character typical of his particular terroir.  

 

Richaud cultivates a smaller percentage of Grenache than many producers in the Southern Rhône.  Grenache is more prolific than Syrah and Mourvèdre, for example, so it's popular with quantity-oriented estates.  The domaine has about 25% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 15% "others."  A small amount of white wine is made, Richaud having all the usual suspects: Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette and Grenache Blanc.  

Farming is important to Richaud, as he, like many top winemakers, will tell you the wine is "made" in the vineyard.  Cellar treatments are kept to a minimum.  

"The older I get, the less I do to the wines.  I want the most expressive wine possible from my vines.  I want the wine to express the terroir, the vineyard and the vintage."  explains Marcel.

As a result, the wines are not racked frequently.  No acidification.  No fining or filtration.  

 

 

We've found, over the years, the wines from Richaud to be very much to our taste.  His wines became rather scarce here as he stopped selling wine to importers in the United States, having found some of them to be less-than-honorable.  We're delighted that he's resumed sales here, having an honest and quality-oriented firm.

We tasted a remarkable array of  samples at Chez Richaud.  Each wine capturing tremendous character...

His "Les Garrigues" wine is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah.  No oak.  Lots of berries and spice.

The normal bottling of Cairanne is something like 60% Grenache, the balance being split evenly between Syrah and Mourvèdre.  Big, spicy and muscular...no oak.  

His "Cuvée L'Ebrescade" is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre and comes from a four hectare vineyard not far from another famous Southern Rhône village: Rasteau.  Lots of violets, berries and spice in this wine.

Marcel showed us single varietal samples:
Grenache from his vines having lots of boysenberry, pomegranate and spice notes.
Mourvèdre is described by Richaud as being "wild and animal-like. I adore it!"  His shows lots of juicy, berry notes.
Syrah is fabulous!  Spicy, structured, full-bodied and big.
Roussanne, tasted in March, was still fermenting in his new, cool cellar. 
Viognier was leaner than the Roussanne, showing the typical apricot aromas.

"The new cellar," explains Richaud, "permits a perfect environment for oak aging, not so much for adding wood to the wines, but for the even maturation of the various lots. It adds another 'plus' to the wines."

This is one of those winemakers who is constantly striving for perfection and seems to never be satisfied by his results, no matter how good.  That's the sort of fellow we like to know, because they're constantly raising the bar.

The 2007 Cairanne is a lovely Rhône wine, showing fantastically berryish fruit and hints of Provençal spices.  It's beautifully balanced and a really magnificent red wine.  As an enological cheapskate of sorts, I can say it IS expensive for a Côtes-du-Rhône, but it's quite reasonably priced for what's in the bottle.  We tasted this wine alongside far more costly Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines and much prefer Richaud's wine.  It is the sort of wine which requires hearty Mediterranean cuisine.  Don't skimp on the garlic and rosemary when pairing this wine with food.

The 2004 L'Ebrescade is even more intense and spicy.  It has a bit more of a "meaty" note (the Mourvèdre, perhaps?) and can be cellared for 5-10 years, maybe more.

Availability of these wines is limited.  While few Americans know Richaud's wines, his fame goes far and wide amongst top sommeliers and wine merchants in Europe.  Wine drinkers over there have beaten a path to Richaud's door and for good reason (as you'll find out if you treat yourself to a bottle).

Currently in stock:  2007 Cairanne Rouge $27.99
2004 Cairanne "L'Ebrescade" Sold Out Presently

 

DOMAINE LES TERRASSES D'EOLE

Though the vines are old, the winery is brand new.  Owned by the Saurel family, the fruit from these vines in the Côtes du Ventoux village of Mazan used to be delivered to the local grower's cooperative winery until 1998.  Young Stephane Saurel is interested to make his own wine and he seems to be on the right track.  The winery takes its name from the God of Wind, "Eole."  

 

 

The property comprises some 20 hectares of vines.  They cultivate Carignan, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Viognier.  The Carignan vines are from Grandpa Saurel, those vines being rather elderly.  The cellars are new, but not  reeking of modernity.  In fact, they strive to move the wines by gravity, rather than pumping, for example.

 

 

With dad in the vineyards and the son in the cellar, these guys have an unusually good, rather "serious" quality Côtes du Ventoux wine. 

We had a good wine from them a couple of years ago, but our importer chose to skip an "off" vintage here...now we're delighted he's found something worth bringing here...the wine displays a bright, berryish fragrance of red fruits.  The flavors confirm the aromas, being beautifully balanced.  Fans of 16% alcohol California wines will probably find this wine to be too "delicate," but it's marvelously flavorful and dangerously drinkable for those who don't have lead palates.  

We suggest serving this wine at cool cellar temp.  It's not a bottle for "cellaring."  You'll want to drink this now.

 

Currently in stock:  2007  Côtes du Ventoux Rouge $9.99


MY LUNCH WITH THE SAUREL FAMILY A FEW YEARS AGO

 

DOMAINE DU COLOMBIER

The wines from this small Northern Rhone property are very difficult to obtain as the Viale family has but 1.61 hectares in Hermitage and 10 hectares in Crozes-Hermitage.  Apparently Guigal used to buy wines from this estate until they began bottling their own wines.  

Despite favorable reviews from The Critics (The Wine Spectator reviewed a wine from the Viales saying the wine was so good it made you "want to write poetry."), I find the wine appeals to some and others have quite a different reaction. 

 Colombier's 2005 Hermitage is a lovely example of Northern Rhone Syrah, showing lots of deep fruit and a note which some find reminiscent of cassis and others liken to cured olives.  This is moderately tannic and yet it's drinkable now.  We expect it will continue to develop with additional cellaring.

Currently in stock:   2005 Hermitage $73.99

 

DOMAINE DE NALYS

I can recall tasting wine from this fairly large estate many, many years ago and finding a perfectly pleasant wine, but it was more like Beaujolais than full-blooded Rhône Valley red.  That's because the owner of the estate, back in the day, was interested in making a more immediately drinkable Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Dr. Phillipe Dufays ran the estate from the mid-1950s into the mid 1970s, but his spirit lives on today.  The property encompasses some 50 hectares divided amongst three parcels.  One parcel surrounds the winery and the others are "Le Bois Sénéchal" and "La Crau."  They cultivate a considerable amount of Grenache, as one might expect, but an unusually high percentage of Syrah, as well.  The domaine has a fair bit of older vineyards, some parcels dating back to the early 1900s!

We have the 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape in stock.  It's a medium-bodied wine, not heavy or robust.  If you're looking for the Parkerized 2007s, this is not your wine.  The wine is dry and not especially high in alcohol like many wines from the vintage.  If you're a slave to numerical scores and appreciate "extreme" wines, you probably will find this wine to be lacking.  It's nicely balanced and drinkable in the short term and will be fine in 5-10 years, too.   We like the berry and spice notes on the nose and palate.  It's the sort of wine which can accompany a range of foods, from something 'light' such as a roasted chicken to something more flavorful as a leg of lamb.  

Currently in stock:  DOMAINE DE NALYS 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape SALE $29.99

 

CHATEAU DE MONTMIRAIL

The Archimbaud family has holdings in both Vacqueyras and Gigondas.  We've had numerous vintages over the years and find these to be rather deeply fruity reds with a hint of a jammy note.  They are good examples of their appellations and, thanks to a local importer with a great deal of integrity, the wines of Montmirail arrive at prices which should catch the attention of those searching for value.  

The vineyard has been in the family for years and they've been making their own wines for more than 50 years now.  If I understood them correctly, the winery began bottling its own products in 1980.

They make several bottlings of Vacqueyras, some basic Côtes du Rhônes and the Cuvée Beauchamp Gigondas.  As they tend to be wines of modest acidity, we feel these are best consumed in their youth.  Since the wines, further, tend to be so approachable, they may be served with white meats as well as red. 

Oak is not a major part of the wines of this house.  Only a few lots see any wood and, as you can see to the right, the wood that's there is quite old and neutral.  The 2007 reflect the warmth of the vintage and are nice, reasonably-priced bottles of wine.  

Currently in stock:  CHÂTEAU DE MONTMIRAIL 2007 Gigondas  $23.99

CHÂTEAU DE MONTMIRAIL 2007 Vacqueyras $19.99

CHÂTEAU LA CANORGUE

A top producer in the Côtes du Luberon, Jean-Pierre Margan is a believer in organically-farmed vineyards.  Located in the town of Bonnieux. he is much-envied by the neighboring viticulteurs.  The red wines of the Côtes du Luberon are made of the same varieties you'll find in the southern Rhone.  Knowing the neighbors are jealous, he told some blabbermouth that he had "Cabernet" in the vineyards.  The neighbors then called the authorities who came out to Bonnieux to investigate and make an arrest.  Much to their dismay, the "Cabernet" Margan had "out in the vineyards" was of a four-legged variety.  That is, "Cabernet" was the name of Margan's dog!  When we visited him we saw a couple of dogs.  I asked which one was Cabernet. 
"Oh, Cabernet died," replied Monsieur Margan. "Now I have Merlot!" 

 

We heard a report that a wealthy American family sent an emissary to the estate with a blank check and asked Jean Pierre to "fill in the amount and then leave."  He told them "Non, merci."

While we appreciate his sense of humor, we really enjoy his terrific red wine. 

 

Canorgue was the location of the Russell Crowe film "A Good Year."  Given the critic's reviews of this movie, we can say at least the wine always garners greater accolades.  (We saw the film and thought it was delightful.  No, it's not a classic, but it was entertaining and a lovely story.)

I might mention that we tasted a 1995 red from Canorgue two  years ago.  What a grand bottle that was!  Still young, too.  It shows you can set aside something which doesn't cost a fortune and still have something special a few years down the road.  The 2004, I suspect, will mature as handsomely...

Since the 2005 vintage, we've found the red wine to be a bit leathery on the nose and showing some meaty notes.  We have the 2007 in stock and the wine is representative of the vintage, being big and ripe.  

A couple of Americans run a small tour company in the area.  Check their website if you're interested.  Click on the photo below...

PHOTOS (and more) OF CHÂTEAU LA CANORGUE

Currently in stock:  2007 Côtes du Luberon Rouge $16.99

2007 Côtes du Luberon Rosé Sold Out

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Last modified:  September 2, 2010