RHONES FOR DRINKING NOW - The Wine Society

RHONES FOR DRINKING NOWSumptuous 2010s and mature 2006s at affordable pricesERAPR12thewinesociety.com/rhone

RHONES FORDRINKING NOWThe Rhône is currently enjoying anexcellent run of vintages, and 2010 couldwell prove to be the best of the lot. Whatmakes the region so popular with winelovers is its unfailing ability to producegenerously flavoured wines to fit allbudgets. It is both home to some of theworld’s most sought-after, long-lived finewines, as well as an excellent source ofdelicious great-value early-drinking gems.2010 excelled on both counts.Earlier in the year we celebrated the formerwith our en primeur offer; here we payhomage to the latter group with our pickof the best 2010s for drinking now.To provide a contrasting touch of maturity,we also feature some excellent reds fromthe 2006 vintage, now with the extracomplexity and maturity that comeswith bottle age.We also include two outstanding 2010Rhône whites – a style that has now comeof age – and finish with two mixed casesof reds that provide a great blend of winesfrom each vintage.Marcel Orford-WilliamsSociety Buyer2010: SUMPTUOUS REDSThis is one of the greatest Rhône vintages.The more serious wines were offered enprimeur earlier in the year and we havelaid down stocks for the future. In themeantime, enjoy the following delightfulselection of wines that need no ageingand are just delicious now. The style isblack, concentrated, juicy and slinky.See the back page for a mixed case of2010 delights.Luberon, Notre Dame deCousignac, 2010Deliciously full and fruity red fromthe herb-scented hills of the Luberonin Provence. 14%ref ER-RH28841 £5.95 bottle £71 dozenCôtes-du-Rhône, La Friande,Domaine Jaume, 2010This too comes from a hillside but onenorth of the Ventoux among the fieldsof lavender above the village of Vinsobres.A fruity grenache and syrah blend,easy to drink and light enough for adelicious lunchtime glass. 13.5%ref ER-RH28181 £6.50 bottle £78 dozenNEW Côtes-du-Rhône, RiveDroite-Rive Gauche, 2010This is also a blend of grenache and syrahbut here with more syrah in the mix.Black, vibrant and beguiling. Full bodiedand perfect for the barbecue season.The grapes come from both banks ofthe river, hence the name. 14.5%ref ER-RH31011 £6.95 bottle £83 dozen† Côtes-du-Rhône, Château Saint-Jean, 2010A full-bodied grenache-dominant blendfrom the southern Rhône and a youngermember of the influential Meffre family.Great quality for the price. 14.5%ref ER-RH29341 £7.25 bottle £87 dozenSee the back pagefor twoMixed CasesNEW Côtes-du-Rhône, SaintCosme, 2010Gigondas-grower Louis Barruol alsomakes a number of wines from outsidehis realm. His Côtes-du-Rhône 2010 wasjust too good to miss. Black in colourwith sweet blackberry and cherry flavoursand great length; a lovely red for everydaydrinking. 14%ref ER-RH31081 £9.50 bottle £114 dozen† Côtes-du-Rhône, Nature, FamillePerrin, 2010Deliciously fruity red made from organicgrapes from vines close to the Perrinestate at Beaucastel. 14%ref ER-RH31041 £9.95 bottle £119 dozen† Côtes-du-Rhône, Réserve, Perrin, † Syrah, Collines Rhodaniennes,2010Nicolas Perrin, 2010This great Southern Rhône family has A lovely fresh, fragrant and fruity syrahincreased its land holdings well beyond from the Northern Rhône. Selected byChâteauneuf. They still buy-in grapes, Nicolas Jaboulet working in partnershipnotably syrah from the Gard, but even this with the Perrin family. 12.5%Côtes-du-Rhône has a large component ref ER-RH31061 £9.95 bottle £119 dozenfrom their own vines in Vinsobres andCairanne. Full flavoured and rich. 13.5% NEW Côtes-du-Rhône, Lesref ER-RH31051 £8.95 bottle £107 dozen Peyrouses Syrah, Domaine Voge,2010† Lirac, La Fermade, Domaine Alain Voge is one of the top growers inMaby, 2010Cornas often making some of the bestThere is quite a lot of mourvèdre in the wines in the vintage. This is his syrahblend which gives it more weight, depth from both younger vines in Cornas andand complexity. A warm and generous from vines outside the appellation. Dark,mini Châteauneuf. Great value. 14.5% characterful and deliciously fruity. 12.5%ref ER-RH28991 £9.50 bottle £114 dozen ref ER-RH31021 £10.95 bottle £131 dozenNEW Crozes-Hermitage, LesLaunes, Delas, 2010Perfect dark and fruity bistro Crozes.Lovely blackberry fruit with a delicioustouch of spice. Delas produced brilliantwines in 2010. 13%ref ER-RH31031 £12.50 bottle £150 dozen

SPRINGTIME WHITESTwo dry, full-flavoured whites, bothshining examples of the modern, freshwhite wines now available in the Rhône.2 Lirac, La Fermade, DomaineMaby 2010White wine has always been a strongpointat Domaine Maby. It was Richard Maby’sgrandfather, Armand, who recognised theneed to blend different grape varieties.There is grenache for body and flavour butalso clairette and, even more important,picpoul, which adds minerality, grip andfreshness. This consistently excellent winehas been a mainstay at The Society for 30years and is better now than ever. 14%ref ER-RH28601 £8.95 bottle £107 dozen2 Saint-Péray, La Sauvagère,Paul Jaboulet Aîné, 2010Born-again Saint-Péray is the talk of thetown. The region used to make rather heavysparkling wine that had once found favourwith Wagner. Nowadays Saint-Péray isincreasingly still and very good, in a stylethat is a little lighter than most Rhônewhites, and a little more mineral too andfresher. Jaboulet make theirs from marsannegrapes. Dry, clean-tasting and long, and aperfect match for crayfish salad. 13%ref ER-RH29051 £12.50 bottle £150 dozen2006: A TOUCH OF MATURITY2006 was a very good year in a style that gives nothing but enjoyment. The accent is firmly on the fruit with a certain charm andease and the extra complexity and spice that comes with age. Lovely for drinking now. See the back page for the 2006 mixed case.NEW Cairanne, Domaine del’Ameillaud, 2006No-nonsense Cairanne made by Nickand Sabine Thompson. A big, generousblend of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre andcarignan. This sees no oak and tastessweet, ripe and spicy. 14%ref ER-RH19411 £7.95 bottle £95 dozenNEW Côtes-du-Rhône Villages,Omar Khayyam, Mas du Libian,2006This is one of the top wines of thisoutstanding Southern Rhône estate onthe right bank in the Ardeche. It is 75%grenache, 15% syrah and the restmourvèdre, all biodynamically farmedwith Nestor the horse pulling the plough.Very full bodied and fruity and now aftera few years bottle age it has gained incomplexity and spice. 15%ref ER-RH20901 £8.95 bottle £107 dozenNEW Séguret, Domaine deMourchon, Tradition, 2006This has become the leading estate inSéguret where no expense has beenspared either in the vineyards or theimmaculate cellars. A mountain wine,full bodied and brawny with wonderfulripe fruit flavours. 14.5%ref ER-RH19421 £9.50 bottle £114 dozenNEW Vacqueyras, Saint Roch,Clos des Cazaux, 2006From a traditionally run estate that hasvines in both Gigondas and Vacqueyras.The blend is majority grenache with athird syrah which gives fragrance andcolour. The Cazaux wines are long livedand this 2006 is perfect now. Full ofcharacter and spice and best decanted anhour before serving. Now to 2017. 14.5%ref ER-RH19471 £10.50 bottle £126 dozenNEW Cairanne, Ventabren,Domaine des Escaravailles, 2006A big full-flavoured Cairanne madefrom grenache with a little syrah andcarignan. This is a big fireside red thatwill cope with meat or vegetable stews.Now to 2015. 15%ref ER-RH19441 £10.50 bottle £126 dozenThe Society’s ExhibitionGigondas, 2006Gigondas has the potential to makefabulous wine but in fact rarely does.There are a handful of growers who arebreaking the mould. Louis Barruol atChâteau Saint-Cosme is one and weasked him to create this exclusive blendfor us. Good Gigondas always needstime and the 2006 is only just aboutapproachable now and will keep wellfor another five years. 14.5%ref ER-RH21101 £12.50 bottle £150 dozenTo order thewinesociety.com/rhone ☎ 01438 740222 smartphone app