2007 Rhône Offer – Not All About the
South!
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The North
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Some famous names on the hills above Ampuis
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A warm Mediterranean wind has been blowing upbeat
news concerning the 2007 southern Rhônes through the
airwaves for some months now and, indeed, following
my tastings in the region last month I can confirm
that this is potentially the best vintage of the
period since 1998 to date, perhaps looking back
considerably further.
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There is also, however, a great deal of interest in
the northern part of the valley. Sure, the growing
season was not as propitious and yes, quality is less
homogenous across the board. Yet there is much to
delight lovers of these wines.
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From my experience, there is a stylistic shift as one
moves north to south. It seemed to me as though the
northern (red wine) appellations - Côte-Rôtie and the upper part
of that vastly elongated vineyard that is St Joseph -
have turned up wines that resemble those of the same
vintage in Burgundy: pure and focussed, fresh and
defined.
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Further south (in the north!), the wines appeared to
fill out, be riper and broader; more like the 2006
burgundies, perhaps.
We have selected the very best for our
offering.
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The Growers
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Domaine Gilles Barge
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Julien Barge getting busy with a pipette
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Côte-Rôtie is
the one appellation of the northern Rhône that
produces wines one could describe as being beautiful.
At their best, they display a purity of fruit, a
complexity of aroma and great voluptuousness in the
mouth. They can rank alongside the greatest red wines
in the world.
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The Domaine Barge finds its origins in the
mid-nineteenth century. They started bottling a part
of their own production as early as 1929, in its
entirety in the early 1970s.
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The domaine is just off the main drag in Ampuis and it’s here that
they vinify the product
of their 6-and-a-bit hectares of vineyards, spread
around the Côte-Rôtie appellation.
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Vinification here is
pretty traditional, although one does see some
smaller barrels in the cellar: a sign of their
willingness to experiment.
The wine below is largely from their holdings in the
Côte Brune
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Domaine Eric and Joel Durand
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The château of Châteaubourg in which
village the Domaine Durand is to be found
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Last year, our tasting at this domaine was hosted by
Eric Durand: a very nice chap indeed, but he does
like to talk throughout one’s tasting, which
makes concentrating difficult. This year, his brother
Joel entertained us and our visit was shorter and
more focussed.
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This is a modern producer, using modern wine making
methods to make the best from their organic
vineyards.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price
IB |
Notes |
Order |
| 2007 |
St Joseph Lauterets, E & J Durand, Northern Rhône, France |
2011-2016 |
12x75cl |
£171.00 |
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| 2007 |
Cornas Empreintes., E & J Durand, Northern Rhône, France |
2014-2021 |
12x75cl |
£201.00 |
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Show all wines with notes in printable format |
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Domaine des Remizières
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In the tasting room with Philippe Desmeures on the left
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A big range of wines here.
Visiting the domaine is always a good opportunity to
have a chat with Philippe and find out about the
qualities of the vintage.
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Tasting sessions at Remizières are lengthy
affairs for a couple of reasons. Firstly, M Desmeures makes a number of
wines from each appellation, some oaked, others not.
Additionally, Philippe’s a very easy guy with
whom to talk. He speaks slow, clear French and makes
one feel as though one’s doing likewise.
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price
IB |
Notes |
Order |
| 2007 |
Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Christophe, Domaine des Remizières, Northern Rhône, France |
2012-2018 |
6x75cl |
£82.50 |
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| 2007 |
Hermitage Cuvée Autrement, Domaine des Remizières, Northern Rhône, France |
2015-2023 |
6x75cl |
£402.00 |
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Show all wines with notes in printable format |
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