Rhone 2015

Jim Agar

Jim Agar

Location
London
Thought I'd start a thread for what promises to be a sensational year,especially in the North.With the majority of wines released early next year I was surprised to receive an email re Sorrel's Le Greal so early,but with a quick check on J.L-L's site-6 stars- bought my first case of 2015's!
What are other Rhone aficionados waiting for most eagerly? Any inside info on tastings so far from members of the trade would also be helpful for amateurs like myself too.
 
Just having a Gigondas Domaine du Cayron 2006 for lunch! These 2006 Rhones are really delicious at the moment.
2015? I am just getting too old for long keeping vintages... but 2015 could be a mix of 2003 and 2009 i.e hot vintage. The best is to wait for 2015 tastings in November to guess whether they are your kind of thing
 
John likened 2015 to 1990 but with more freshness. That'll do for me!
He did say Le Greal will drink to 2053-57 too so few of us may not see them reach full maturity but hey-ho,forever the optimist.
 
I'm toying with Clape when it's offered. However I cannot justify his top cuvée so have considered his second wine.

What's the Forums opinion, am I better looking at a lesser Producers top cuvée or go for the second from Clape?
 
Chiu, sorry, John Livingstone-Learmonth who is probably the foremost expert on wines of the Rhone valley. He has a website Drinkrhone,com which is well worth subscribing too if Rhone is at all your thing. He gives most wines a one to five star rating but occasionally one gets a sixth star including Sorrel's Le Gréal 2015.
 
Jim Agar said:
Chiu, sorry, John Livingstone-Learmonth who is probably the foremost expert on wines of the Rhone valley. He has a website Drinkrhone,com which is well worth subscribing too if Rhone is at all your thing. He gives most wines a one to five star rating but occasionally one gets a sixth star including Sorrel's Le Gréal 2015.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim. I drink Northern Rhone occasionally, may just buy some even though I am not getting any younger!
 
For me the question with en primeur these days, is what's worth getting this way - and that has to revolve around what's rare, and what's cheaper. Is it worth getting Le Greal e.p.? You can get older vintages at what, to me, look like the same price and have already had someone else pay the storage on them.

Southern Rhone en primeur is pointless, I think. Cote Rotie, if you have a Jamet allocation, but otherwise??

I guess rhone e.p. is a chance to try to get hold of a few superstar wines in that particular vintage at a price that would be the same as in a normal vintage, or when that particular wine isn't the star of the show. I'll have to do some homework on what it makes sense to buy e.p. for rhone 2015...
 
Certainly agree on Southern Rhone and not buying EP with aim of making money,I just have some spare cash now and a few holes to fill in my cellar, so storage free and I can guarantee they'll be kept in perfect conditions so for me, still quite an exiting part of wine buying and planning for future drinking. Gave up Bordeaux EP after the 2005 vintage though.
 
Just going back to the Cornas question. Some lesser known domaines worth seeking out would include Frank Balthazar, Guillaume Gilles and Dumien Serrette but others may be able to add more.
 
How I would love to have a cellar instead of my Liebherr!
Coming back to Greal... It gets high scores, but somehow seems to sit a little below the radar - or is it just me that thinks that.
 
To answer Jonathan's question about Clape, I'd say that Clape's Renaissance in good vintages is a buy. It also has the advantage of reaching maturity well before the grand vin. The 1999 Renaissance is fully mature for example, whereas Clape's 1999 grand vin is very definitely not, and even the 1990 and 1991 grand vin drunk this year are still tasting fairly primary - for Clape you need immense patience in top vintages. I would second Jim's recommendations for other growers that are worth consideration. I don't think I've convinced many people about Dumien-Serrette, but in good vintages these are lovely wines - less sauvage than some but with a beautiful red fruit profile with fine tannins - the 1998s and 1999s are stunning. Another wine I rate as a well-priced earlier drinker, well worth having in good vintages, is Voge's Les Chailles (the 2012, which I think I recommended to Jonathan L in the past, is a stunner). The 2004 is fully mature now for instance. Finally, Durand's Empreintes is always fair value, although admittedly it has a more modern profile than some wines - it too can go the distance, the 2001 is not yet fully mature. The producer I have struggled with most is Courbis - I've bought a good many odd bottles, including mature ones, but have yet to be moved by them.

Cornas is getting seriously expensive for back vintages from good producers in good years, so buying EP is well worth it if you're prepared for the long haul, and to my palate they need 12-15 years in the bottle before showing their best, and even more for the top wines if you can manage it.

Just typing this makes me want to open a bottle...:)
 
Apart from Cornas, I might buy some Cote-Rotie in 2015 (an appellation that I have ignored for a long time), and quite probably some St. Joseph. If anyone is interested in splitting cases or even half cases of these, please PM me. I will probably wait for the TWS offer before buying. I have so much N. Rhone in the cellar that I need to be restrained with the 2015s.
 
Had to look them up but 1960's Syrah from a top site and in new premises with a lighter touch on the oaking so could be very good in 2015. Think I'll hang on to see how Faurie's wines turn out before taking the plunge on more Hermitage and supposed to be concentrating on Côte Rôtie and Cornas but thanks for the tip,will check out their list.
 
I assume a few on here got the VT 15 offer. Not bought any since 09 but the price looked pretty steep!

Is this going to be the approach for the entire vintage?
 
£40+ for VT takes it out of my league in QPR terms. Shame as they were always pretty reasonably priced compared to Beaucastel,Clos etc. Shall be concentrating on the North anyway, fingers crossed the hype and the collapse of the pound doesn't do the same for other mid-price favourites, Gonon especially.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top