Wine & Spirits - February 2021 - 43

YA K I M A VA L L E Y
521409

94 | W.T. Vintners

$49

2017 Yakima Valley Boushey Vineyard
Syrah ^ This distills its cool-climate vineyard
to its essence. Made in a similarly hands-off
fashion as Damavian (also recommended
here), this wine smells like a spectacular
arrangement of purple flowers, pink
peppercorns and coolly elegant fruit. It
feels especially well constructed in 2017,
the texture fluid and invigorating, framed
with an undercurrent of fine basalt dust. It's
poised to age beautifully; then uncork it for
smoked pork chops. -P.J.C. (W&S 10/20;
73 cases) §
521412

93 | W.T. Vintners

$49

2017 Yakima Valley Grande Côte Vineyard
Syrah ^ Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen's 2017 from
Grande Côte feels like it's in an unformed
state at present, a churning mix of savory
elements-iodine, black cherry, dark herbs,
smoke, olive and fine white pepper. Despite
the tumult, the texture is sleek and suedelike,
buoyed by blackberry and black cherry
flavors. This needs time in the cellar to knit.
-P.J.C. (W&S 10/20; 101 cases) §
521331

91 | àMaurice Cellars

Our blind panels tasted 129 new-release Northern Rhône wines over the past 12 months.
Tara Q. Thomas, our critic the Rhône, rated 46 as exceptional (90+) and 7 as Best Buys.
Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

WHITE
COLLINES RH ODANIENNES
279590

88 | Christophe Pichon

$25

2018 Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier
(Best Buy) ^ From a small estate in Chavanay,
this is a pretty viognier, all flowers and fresh
fruit, with a lanolin-like note adding texture
and weight. It will brighten a roast chicken
dinner. § DB Wine Selection, Framingham, MA

CONDRIEU

$42

2018 Yakima Valley Boushey Vineyard
Syrah ^ A dark-robed syrah, this leads with the
variety's classic cool-weather scents of thyme,
olive, clove and white pepper. The flavors are
dark and compelling, with an earthy core of
black fruits and suave tannins. For barbecue.
-P.J.C. (W&S 10/20; 251 cases) §
522291

90 | Tenet

Year's Best
Wines of the
Northern Rhône

$40

2017 Yakima Valley The Pundit Syrah ^
Tenet is Ste. Michelle's partnership with
one of the southern Rhône's whiz-bang
consultants, Philippe Cambie; together,
they've expanded their bottlings into multiple
appellations. This one is rich and powerful,
belying the coolness of the Yakima Valley in
its concentration and depth, its black plum
and fig notes augmented by sumptuous oak.
Pour it with beef stew. -P.J.C. §
522178

91 | Chateau Ste. Michelle $40

2016 Yakima Valley Boreal Syrah ^ Boreal is
a limited series from Ste. Michelle that seeks
a slightly lighter, more delicate style than the
winery's broad-release offerings. And it nails
that style here, with a mildly spicy nose of
clove, peppercorn and mulling spices. The
plummy flavors are chewy and restrained,
the texture compact and lean. For roast pork.
-P.J.C. §n n

279587

94 | Stéphane Ogier

$82

2019 Condrieu La Combe de Malleval ^
Stéphane Ogier is best known for his syrah
wines from Côte-Rôtie, but this viognier
earns a place right beside those reds. Sourced
from seven acres of vines in granite soils in
Malleval and La Combe, it delivers a direct
shot of sweet, dense red-blushed peach flavor
directly to the pleasure centers of the brain.
It's rich, smooth and satiny, with rosewater
scents that lend it delicacy while nutty notes
add a balancing savor. The wine remains
firm and focused for days after opening,
boding well for its development in the cellar. §
Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL
278506

93 | E. Guigal

$68

2018 Condrieu ^ This shows viognier in all
its silky, peachy opulence, elevated by the
savor and structure imbued by Condrieu's
challengingly steep, cool vineyards. The
flavors are as concentrated as pâtes de fruit,
with a similarly tender chew, but the acidity

keeps the wine lifted, the wine long, ready to
elevate a roast chicken to a special-occasion
meal. (W&S 10/20) § Vintus, NY
279592

93 | Maison Christophe
Pichon

$98

92 | Delas Frères

$96

90 | Christophe Pichon
Père et Fils

$65

2018 Condrieu Caresse ^ This is an intense
Condrieu, so concentrated that it feels
almost as though it were chiseled out of the
region's granite soils. From a small parcel of
vines planted in the 1970s, the wine is slow
to emerge from its stony savor, but give it
time in the glass and it blooms, with gardenia
scents and ripe apricot notes. Hints of herbs
and licorice add interest, their lean lines
cutting through the wine's rich texture. § DB
Wine Selection, Framingham, MA
279549
2018 Condrieu Clos Boucher ^ Delas Frères
produces this cuvée only in exceptional
years, sourcing it entirely from the vines in
Clos Boucher, a patch of granite in Vérin,
near the appellation of Château-Grillet. It's
a fresh, bright 2018, with crunch to its peach
fruit and arugula-like herbal notes. Broad
and rich, it's also a little flinty in flavor right
now, suggesting that it could use more time
to settle before drinking; give it until next
summer, when it will make a fine match with
a roast fish. § Maisons Marques & Domaines,
Oakland, CA
279594

2018 Condrieu ^ This is immediately
appealing, from scent through flavor: It
has just enough floral character to mark
it as Condrieu but not so much as to be
overpowering. The wine's fleshy peach flavor
is balanced by earthier notes of gingerroot
and white pepper. The satiny texture ties
it all together, making for a Condrieu with
flexibility at the table. § DB Wine Selection,
Framingham, MA
279598

WINE & SPIRITS

FEBRUARY 2021

43
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Wine & Spirits - February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2021
