Wine & Spirits - February 2018 - 43

YEAR'S BEST NORTHERN RHONE
Our blind panels tasted 168 new-release Northern Rhône wines over the past 12 months. Our critic for the Rhône, Tara Q. Thomas,
rated 47 as exceptional (90+) and 22 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

W H I T E 222640

C R O Z E S - H E R M I TA G E

COLLINES
RHODANIENNES

92 | E. Guigal

226189

88 | Jean-Michel Gerin

$18

2015 Collines Rhodaniènnes La Champine Viognier (Best Buy) ^ Fermented in steel,
this is a clean viognier, honeysuckle-sweet
in scent and juicy in lime and peach flavors. §
Esprit du Vin, Port Washington, NY

CONDRIEU
226124

93 | Delas Frères

$80

2016 Condrieu Clos Boucher ^ From a southfacing parcel near the tiny appellation of
Château Grillet, this shows its power in the
tightness of its build and depth of its savor.
The flavors recall a peach in its entirety, from
the bitter nap of the fuzz to the nuttiness of
the pit; viognier's floral notes flirt around the
edges, more herbal than sweet. It's young,
and yet the restraint makes it easy to drink.
The best thing to do would be to buy a case
and watch it over the next decade. Only
6,000 bottles were made. § Maisons Marques
& Domaines USA, Oakland, CA
226178

92 | Domaine Faury

$59

2015 Condrieu (Best Buy) ^ Elegant Condrieu, this is opulent in texture, plump and
satiny, saturated with peach and apricot flavor. Yet it maintains lift; it's floral in a fresh,
springy way. Lionel Faury farms eight acres
in Condrieu, his oldest vines planted in 1976,
on steep, south-facing slopes. § Kermit Lynch
Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA

COTES DU RH ONE
226189

86 | M. Chapoutier

ST-JOSEPH

226478

$15

2016 Côtes du Rhône Belleruche Blanc
(Best Buy) ^ Ripe and spicy, this needs a
chill to tame the alcohol, so the clean, herbscented fruit can show its charm. § Terlato
Wines Int'l, Lake Bluff, IL

226123
$27

2015 Crozes-Hermitage ^ Savory Crozes, this
smells like high summer-the scent of warm
stones and dried grass mingled with honeysuckle and jasmine. It has marsanne's characteristic waxy, broad texture, with a little
nuttiness from a splash of roussanne in the
blend. One part aged in stainless-steel tanks
on the lees, the other in second-use barrels, it
feels firm and well upholstered but not at all
showy, lasting with a mouthwatering salinity. §
Vintus, Pleasantville, NY
226122

91 | Delas Frères

$24

2016 Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes (Best
Buy) ^ Give this time in the glass and the initial marzipan scents turn to roasted rocks
and Rhône garrigue, earthy flavors that give
the wine staying power. Based on marsanne,
with 20 percent roussanne, it's an elegant
Crozes, lasting on clean acidity and honeysuckle scents. § Maisons Marques & Domaines
USA, Oakland, CA
226325

90 | Domaine
Michelas-St-Jemms

$27

2016 Crozes-Hermitage Signature ^ A blend
of roussanne and marsanne (60/40), this is
lush with vanilla-scented tropical fruit flavors, a sunny, expansive white for roasted
meats. § Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ

H E R M I TA G E
226133

90 | Delas Frères

$67

2016 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes
(Best Buy) ^ Old-vine fruit and ample time
on the lees with frequent stirring contributed to the lush, supple texture of this wine.
The flavors flow with the ease and density
of warmed honey, countering the sweetness
of its fruit with sharper notes of citrus and
savory suggestions of stones. It will make a
good companion to scallops in a cream sauce,
now or in another eight to ten years. § Maisons
Marques & Domaines USA, Oakland, CA

91 | Delas Frères

$18

90 | Francois Villard

$30

2016 St-Joseph Les Challeys (Best Buy) ^
Sunny and firm, this blend of marsanne and
roussanne contrasts apricot-rich fruit with
lemon-zest acidity and delicate floral notes.
It's ripe and yet delicate, charming and balanced, and a steal at $18. § Maisons Marques
& Domaines USA, Oakland, CA
226296
2016 St-Joseph Mairlant ^ Equal parts marsanne and roussanne, this is an opulent StJoseph, as golden as clarified butter, with a
similar nutty richness. The fruit feels roasted,
like grilled peaches, and lasts. For lobster
dipped in drawn butter. § JAE Wine Imports,
Napa, CA

ST-PERAY
226310

90 | Domaine
Bernard Gripa

$35

2015 St-Péray Les Pins ^ Fabrice Gripa farms
nearly nine acres in St-Péray, a small appellation devoted to marsanne and roussanne
at the southernmost edge of the northern
Rhône. The warmth of the region and the
vintage shows in this wine's nutty, spicy
breadth and lemon-curd richness, but the
vibrancy of the acidity keeps it balanced, lasting with a lemony tang and savory minerality. Give it another five years to settle down;
then open it with lamb in a lemon sauce. §
Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ

RED
COLLINES
RHODANIENNES
226548

88 | Cave de Tain

$16

2016 Collines Rhodaniènnes Première
Note Syrah (Best Buy) ^ Supple and juicy
without being sweet, this is a simple, clean
syrah with the black-pepper signature of the
northern Rhône. For lamb kebabs. § Hand
Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA

WINE & SPIRITS

FEBRUARY 2018

43
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2018
