Four Limited Availability Gems from the Southern Rhône!
Today we explore the monumental range of the mighty Southern Rhône Valley. In four wines, we scale from an impressive Luberon white made by famous Burgundy vigneron Sylvain Morey to a thunderously ripe 600 bottle production Châteauneuf-du-Pape red from vines planted 85 years ago by the winemaker's grandfather.
In between, we have one of the most unique white Rhônes we can remember - a powerfully textured Châteaneuf-du-Pape Blanc made primarily from red grapes - and, the workhorse of the group, an outstanding $15.99 Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge that is one of the smartest buys in the world of wine!
While we would love to feature each of these gems in their own offering, the supplies are simply too limited. Scroll down for the full details on these four outstanding and diverse Rhône wines, then click the Big Green Button to grab a few bottles of whatever catches your eye.
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~ Two Impressive Rhône Whites ~
2022 Sylvain Morey "Panorama" Blanc
Luberon, Southern Rhône, France
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The Rhône's wonderful white wines are some of the most underrated and underutilized out there. Done right, as is the case with this gem from Sylvain Morey, they provide lush mouthfeel, well-integrated acidity and deep mineral cores.
While Sylvain's family celebrates over 400 years in Chassagne-Montrachet, since 1995, Sylvain has spent much time in the Luberon region. Straddling the line between the Rhône and Provence, it is a relatively unknown terroir and, in the hands of a Burgundy master, it’s pure magic!
From 4.5 hectares of limestone vineyards, this organically-farmed blend of Vermentino, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Bourboulenc and Viognier has an eerie resemblance to a 1er Cru Rully for which you’d happily pay 3x the price.
Close your eyes and you truly feel like you’re in Burgundy, with white florals, a beautiful purity of yellow orchard fruit, herb-steeped apricots, a kiss of crème fraîche and heaps of minerality. The wine sees a slow maturation of 12 months on its fine lees in concrete tank before bottling.
It’s a crystal-clean, richly-textured, extremely long-finishing, mineral-drenched, living, breathing white wine with depth, breadth, energy and beauty. And, it presents extraordinary value.
Vin Chicago Price: 17.99
MV Xavier Vignon "Almutia" Blanc
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône, France
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Even if you are among the small number of wine lovers who know and adore the rare beast that is Châteauneuf Blanc, you've probably never before experienced a gorgeously textured, beautifully packaged wine like this singular, multi-vintage expression.
Ever the alchemist, Xavier Vignon harnesses the power of Châteauneuf’s greatest grapes — the red ones and the white ones — to craft this vivid, magnificently textured, palate-saturating white wine. Realizing that the rules did not prohibit him from making a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape from red grapes, he crafted the core of this wine from Grenache Noir (40%), Mourvèdre (25%) and Syrah (5%). Using 10% each Roussanne, Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc to complete the blend, the culmination is a layered white wine with a plushness, richness and sensuousness that is at an entirely new level.
If texture is a white Rhône wine’s key feature, then this one sits on the throne. Featuring an absurdly penetrating and long-finishing palate, it puts a silly grin across our face. Served no cooler than cellar temperature, this contemplative, full-bodied white offers a connoisseur-level experience. Give time for it to blossom in the glass, then revel in the layered notes of honeysuckle, grilled white peach, lime zest, petrol, goldenrod, baked quince and prosciutto-wrapped melon.
Xavier recommends a scallop risotto, where this wine’s vitality and near endless finish would be amazing. Swordfish steaks and white meat mains would be easily embraced by this wine’s structure too. Very cool stuff.
Vin Chicago Price: 37.99
~ Plus, Two Delicious Rhône Reds ~
2022 Guillaume Gonnet "Le Hardi"
Côtes du Rhône Villages, Southern Rhône, France
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Wowee! Full, dark, and densely packed with a grippy structure and expressive suppleness, we were simply overcome by how much authentic amplitude is packed into this extraordinarily affordable package!
A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah from 50-to-70 year-old vines planted on a 60 hectare high plateau vineyard around the village of Signargues, you can practically feel the sun shining on this one. Dark berry and dried cherry flavors lay atop spice, hot stones and dried earth in this powerful, full-bodied red that overdelivers even in this high-value category.
With boldness of flavor and beautiful drinkability, this is a delicious bottle of wine. Looking online we found just two listings, out price beats them both. This is not your ordinary Côtes-du-Rhône, and the price makes it impossible to resist. We only wish we had a bigger supply!
Vin Chicago Price: 15.99
2019 Domaine Albin Jacumin "à Aimé" Rouge
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône, France
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600 bottles. That is the full production of this epic Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Named after the founder of the estate, Aimé, who personally planted the vines for this bottling 85 years ago, this is a BIG, powerful wine.
The soil for their plantings in "Les Marines" vineyard is quite similar to that of the plateau where Château de Beaucastel is located. And just like at Beaucastel, all 13 permitted varieties are included. Unlike Beaucastel, who owns 100 hectares of land, the Jacumin plot is tiny.
From the ripe 2019 vintage, this full-throttle 16% ABV red is not a wine for everyone or for every occasion. When you want a special wine of impact to serve for friends, however, this is a great one to pull out of your cellar.
For a special treat, marinate venison (or wild boar if you happen to have some on hand) and slow cook it in wine for 4+ hours. Serve the resulting ragu with papardelle or polenta, and a bottle of this rare Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We have four cases to offer today.
Vin Chicago Price: 59.99
