Rhone 2012 and 2011: updates

Last week Rhone growers gathered together to show their 2011s, and the odd 2012 under the table, in Avignon at the Palais des Papes, Tain Hermitage, Mauves and Ampuis.  Aswell as the bad and the ugly there was significant representation from the great and the good.  In a strong show of viticultural "fraternite" growers were out in force, it was an impressive display.

I found some very good Rasteau, Lirac, Vacqueyras and Gigondas wines. It is clear that when carefully chosen these areas can offer wines of great character and exceptional value, though there is still too much inconsistency, perhaps this may have been a little exaggerated in a year like 2011 where less capable growers stuck out like saw thumbs. The vintage is also inconsistent in Chateauneuf and one that really separates the wheat from the chaff.  Some wines can be just a little lacking and overly alcoholic whilst others were delightfully delicious already - well-balanced, fragrant and easy on the brain with enough structure and character to make them interesting, whilst not being too demanding.  Thank goodness because 2009s and 2010s are intense and don't look like budging anywhere soon.  The highlights of those I tasted last week were Pegau, Barroche, St Prefert and Vieux Telegraphe.  It is a vintage that favours the North, certainly. However from the odd 2012 i tasted north and south of Montelimar, its seems that the situation is reversed a little.  2012 looks to be an excellent year in the Southern Rhone. It is certainly something to keep a close eye on.

The Northern Rhone provided a plethora of 2011 wines that gave immense pleasure.  I would guess that a good 98% of top producers accross all of the appellations in the North turned up last week, it was a veritable Mecca for the Syrah lover.  2011 may not be a 2010 or 2009 but it offers a suave texture and openness that is rather unusual for young Northern Rhones, and whilst this suggests they will drink well young (good news) there is enough depth and complexity to suggest good medium term, 10 -12 year ageing potential.  Hermitage provided some highlights, but this was trumped by Cornas. Hermitage may have exceptional terroir but Cornas is a haven for young and established wine-growing talent.  There were 6 domaines that in my view produced excellent quality 2011s, more than in Hermitage, our own Domaine du Coulet and Thierry Allemand being two of them, not to mention the distinct but brilliant Clape wines, aswell as those of Vincent Paris, in addition to two other growers not on the Wine advocate radar who will remain nameless, don't want to be giving too much of the game away!

The Cote Rotie tasting was a roll call of the greatest names in the region, including Messrs Guigal and Jamet, and there were a clutch of impressive 2011s on show but it still remains a frustrating appellation, you really get the feeling that there is so much more potential than is being delivered.  The bright star that outshone all others was without doubt Clusel Roch, these are wines that have equal measures of refinement, character, depth and lightness of touch. They strike the balance better than any.

Back to Britain through blizzards only to come back again to Burgundy yesterday , more in a few days.

Rhone 2011 & other vintages: The North

The sunshine and warmth still holds out as I travel north, and its approaching mid October.  The 2012 crop is all in, from Hermitage to Cote Rotie, and successfully bubbling away in the cellars.  After the stress and hard work growers experienced during the summer it is fair to say they are pleased as punch with results that, a few months prior, they did not think possible.  It should be a very good vintage, though at this stage it seems the south has the edge over the north.  However there is a long way to go, a lot now depends on fermentations and elevages. 

Back again to 2011.  My first tasting in the North was with the garrulous and affable Mathieu Barret of Domaine du Coulet.  Cornas for breakfast might not be everyone’s cup of tea however Mathieu’s increasingly refined style made tasting young Cornas from barrel at 9.00 in the morning an absolute breeze.  It was a sheer pleasure to sample these wonderfully fine, precise and intense wines, they must be pretty unique in the appellation. He is a seriously talented and dynamic winemaker, his 2011s are irresistible.

Meandering further north to Tournon and Tain L’Hermitage chez Faurie, Domaine du Colombier, Pochon and Delas.  The wines here were exquisite, fruit sweetness, power but with the finesse and smoothness that seem to characterise this vintage.  Hermitage seems an excellent match for 2011.

There are some very smooth, attractive Cote Roties in 2011.  Clusel Roch’s for me were the pick of a good solid bunch. One perhaps expects rather less of St Joseph, being a large and highly variable appellation in all but the most consistent of years, though it must be said when you hit on one from a good producer its quality, value and sheer drinkability is second to none.  I found the 2011 St Joseph reds at Perret and Villard highly successful, the latter producer has refined his red winemaking style over the last three years, his ‘11s seem to be the culmination of these efforts – thoroughly moreish, seductive Syrahs that mix ripeness, elegance and a Rhone typicity.  They bear little resemblance to the bigger versions of his early years.

Many of these 2011 Northern Rhone reds gave me immense pleasure, I found them a notch above the Southern Rhone wines and considerably more consistent.  It was potentially a large crop here, as with their cousins further south, so limiting yields was important but unlike Chateauneuf and the Southern villages, alcohol levels were restrained, averaging 13 degrees natural.  The resultant wines offer ripe, fresh flavours, round textures and tremendous overall balance. They will be very enjoyable in their youth over 3-5 years after bottling, though i suspect the top wines will still be drinking well from 7-10 years after, best normally to avoid the 4-7 year hole after bottling when some vintages can go into a closed phase.  Producers compare 2011 to 2004 (a vintage drinking exceptionally well now) or 2006 but with a little less structure and acidity than the latter.  Other Northern Rhone vintages drinking well now are 2008, 2001 and 2000.  In Hermitage they recommend the 2006s already, whereas in Cote Rotie they are a little more tentative about the readiness of this very fine vintage.  

Rhone 2011 & other vintages: The South

The sun has been shining gloriously in the Rhone this week.  I spent Monday and Tuesday tasting in the South under bright skies and there was the distinct air of optimism and contentment amongst the growers, all of whom seem delighted with the 2012 harvest.  It has been a late vintage, not helped by an extremely dry season that resulted in vines shutting down.  As soon as a little rain arrived at the end of August ripening continued in brilliant conditions.  The crop is a small one but promises much, we will see.

My main purpose here, of course, is to taste the 2011s.  This is a very different vintage to 2012 and to any other Rhone vintage of recent years, for that matter.  Spring and early summer were unseasonably fine and hot, flowering was therefore very successful and the potential crop high.  This was one of 2011's challenges, limiting the crop.  The other was a heat wave at the end of August that resulted in grapes increasing in sugars and therefore potential alcohols very quickly, two degrees in a matter of days as one grower quoted me.  Summer had been mixed, there was not the drought that characterised the last two vintages. There was enough rain so ripening the grapes was no issue, limiting the ripeness and alcohol was the key as well as reducing yields enough to ensure a sufficient level of depth in the wines.

The results can be very good, they are not as concentrated as the 2010s or 2009s, in fact they are more supple in texture than any vintage since 2000, certainly no bad thing when the cellars are full of concentrated Rhone vintages such 2010 or 2009.  The best wines have lovely ripe red fruit flavours, great aromatic qualities, soft tannins and the glycerol sweetness you expect from the Southern Rhone.  The most successful wines are those that are not too ripe or alcoholic.  Chateauneufs with a good proportion of Mourvedre or Counoise, that temper the ripe Grenache with their freshness, have done well - such as Beaucastel or the Felix from Versino. Higher cooler areas have been successful, namely Gigondas, particularly those from the high Dentelles vineyards like Clos des Cazaux's Tour Sarrazine; Vinsobres or way up high in the Dentelles the better than ever wines of Chene Bleu.

2011s will be ideal to drink young in the first 5 years after bottling and will give lots of pleasure in the process.  This is good news, as there are few other vintages that look like being ready any time soon.  2010s and 2009s are too young.  2007s have gone into that typically Rhone mid-life crisis, they have shut down  and should be left in the cellars for a good 5 years.  If you are looking for something to drink now then the initially maligned 2008s are very attractive and "digest", while still in the flush of their youth.  If it is something older you are looking for then, after a closed phase, 2004, a Chateaneuf vintage we have always championned, is starting to show quite brilliantly.  This is a vintage of tremendous balance.  Otherwise head for the ripe, seductive and complex 2000s

News from the North at the end of the week.