2015 Rhones - What are you buying??

[Daniel_Kim]

@Robert Alfert

What’s the deal with Domaine Courbis? Style? Some of the notes sounds pretty modern, glossy, but I’ve never had it.

If you like them a little glossy and riper, Voge and Paris 30/60 are solid buys. Not my style, but total crowd pleasers.

I’d say it’s similar to Voge and Paris.

TBH, besides Allemand, Juge and Clape, Cornas producers seem to be all producing the same style. It’s hard to distinguish them young, and I drink a lot of N. Rhone.

2015 I’m planning on buying or have bought:

Cote Rotie: Jamet, Level, Barge, Texier, Benetiere, Clusel-Roch, and Gallet
Hermitage: Faurie, Graillot, Greal and maybe Chave
Cornas: Juge, Allemand
St. Joseph: Gonon, Faury, Domaine de Misquettes, and Perret

[Alan_Rath]

A new one to me in 2015: Graillot St Joseph, is quite good.

[Nicos_Neocleous]

Cote-Rotie from Ogier.

[Robert.A.Jr]

@Alan Rath

If you want to turn it up a notch, another wine to try is Clape’s Renaissance.

And don’t limit yourself to 2015. 2013 was an excellent year (slightly under the radar), and 2014 got snubbed by the critics. It was indeed a more difficult year, but good producers made some very fine wines.

While I have selectively purchased Clape’s Renaissance, like in a killer year like 2010, I’ve generally believed it is over-priced, and I’d rather just pay the additional premium for the main Cornas bottling.

I concur on looking at vintages that remain available, 2013 being one of them. An strong vintage. I also really like 2011, and some stuff is still out there.

[Alan_Rath]

@Robert Alfert

While I have selectively purchased Clape’s Renaissance, like in a killer year like 2010, I’ve generally believed it is over-priced, and I’d rather just pay the additional premium for the main Cornas bottling.

I fully understand. But for those of us non-lawyers who can’t just flip some art when they want to buy more wine, $60 vs $100 makes a difference And the Renaissance is a great bottle of Syrah, I think extremely competitive in its price range

[PCLIN]

Bought from these producers:

Bonnefond
Champet
Clape
Gonon
Jasmin
Vincent Paris
Rostaing
Marc Sorrel

[Josh_Grossman]

For 2015, I’ve bought:
Nicolas Serrette Cornas Les Saveaux
Domaine Faury St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes
Remy Nodin Cornas Les Eygats
Remy Nodin St. Joseph
Domaine Gilles Barge St. Joseph Clos Martinets
Johann Michel Cornas
Christophe Billon Côte-Rôtie Les Elotins
Christophe Billon Côte-Rôtie Côte Rozier
Guillaume Gilles Cornas
Ferraton Père & Fils Cornas Lieu Dit Patou
Emmanuel Darnaud St. Joseph
Domaine Durand Cornas Empreintes
Michèle Luyton Hermitage Prestige
Michèle Luyton St. Joseph
Ferraton Père & Fils Cornas Les Eygats
Domaine des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Sainte-Epine
Laurent Habrard Crozes-Hermitage
Domaine de la Côte Sainte-Epine St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas La Geynale
Domaine Jean-Claude Marsanne St. Joseph

Wishlist:
Alain Voge Cornas Vieilles Vignes
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Trois Sources
Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul
Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) Cornas Pur Noir
Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie
Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet (Hervé Souhaut) Sainte-Epine
Pierre Jean Villa St. Joseph Tilde
Mas de Boislauzon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Tintot
Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie La Chavaroche
Domaine Gilles Barge Côte-Rôtie
Franck Balthazar Cornas Chaillot
Domaine Courbis Cornas Les Eygats
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas
Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places
Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard

[Bryan_Carr]

Was just there and picked some up, though we both prefer lighter wines so we grabbed many '14s as well.

Our acquisitions thus far:

Franck Balthazar Chaillot
Rostaing Ampodium
Rostaing La Landonne
Rostaing Cote Blonde
Dom. du Tunnel Cornas
Alain Voge Cornas VV
Clos des Papes

Those Rostaing wines were just unbelievably beautiful, stars of the trip by a long shot.

Was surprised at how much wasn’t ready for sale when we were there, Clusel Roch, Verset, Delas, Telegraphe and more were still sitting on their '15s, or hadn’t even bottled them yet. The bottling truck was cranking away outside of Pegau when we were there.

I know people are mixed on '14 but we found many of the better producers made wines with considerable finesse and grace, the Delas Bessards was impeccable and the Telegraphe La Crau was downright ethereal for a CdP.

[Robert.A.Jr]

@Alan Rath

@Robert Alfert

While I have selectively purchased Clape’s Renaissance, like in a killer year like 2010, I’ve generally believed it is over-priced, and I’d rather just pay the additional premium for the main Cornas bottling.

I fully understand. But for those of us non-lawyers who can’t just flip some art when they want to buy more wine, $60 vs $100 makes a difference And the Renaissance is a great bottle of Syrah, I think extremely competitive in its price range

Never! I just bill more!

[Glen_Gold]

Can’t say enough about the 2015 Balthazar Côtes du Rhône for the price.

Based on the 2014 Christophe Billon “Correndies,” also excellent for the price, I took a shot at getting a couple of his higher-end 2015 cuvées.

Also: Johann Michel Cuvée Jana.

[CFu]

guys guys let’s call down on this Franck Balthazar love. I’d like to keep the wines under $50 if i can.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Fu. You started this! You never ever posted about Cornas. It was like country hooch to you. You had a revelation. You went bonkers. Posted your man-love repeatedly. All your hipster followers jumped lemming-like, causing a run on the market. Now you wanna go isolationist!?

[Scott_Watkins]

I remember buying the 11 Balthazar for $39 ahhh the good old days And yes I blame Fu!

[Ed_Gonzales]

i would focus on cornas and st. joseph. that’s where it’s at. cote rotie and hermitage are shit. in the southern region avoid rayas, charvin, and marcoux.

[Bryan_Carr]

Not sure what you guys are complaining about, just fly to Cornas and pay <€30 at the cellar door! Seriously buying ex cave in Cornas and Cote Rotie on our honeymoon last week has our value proposition all out of whack. We were appalled when we went to CdP and were expected to pay retail.

[BrianMarshall]

Faury and Gonon for now. Looking for Levet. I’ve been thinking / looking for Balthazar, funny to see it mentioned so often here.

[Marcus_Dean]

For me its
Rostaing
Levet
Jamet
Tardieu Laurent (I quite like them now that they have gone away from their previous heavy handed oaking)
Clape
Chave
Gonon

[Robert_Panzer]

The producers I represent alll made very very good wines in '15, and as Alan mentions, there is no shortage of very good wine from '13 and '14.
Pierre Benetiere (drank Cordeloux '13 over the last three days…Class!)
Vincent Paris
Stéphane Rousset
Clusel Roch
Cedric Parpette
Georges Vernay
It continues to puzzle me how I hear zero speak of Vernay reds of the recent several years among N Rhone fans. St Jo Terre d’Encre is wow good.
Fwiw, there will be much to admire in the '16 N and S…

[Zachary_Ross]

Among 2015s, so far I have bought:

Barou Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Cuvée des Vernes
Gonon Les Iles Feray
Jamet Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes
Jerome Despesse Côtes du Rhône
Rousset Crozes-Hermitage Les Picaudières
Barou St. Joseph Un Autre Monde
Gonon St. Joseph
Clusel-Roch St. Joseph
Julien Barge St. Joseph Les Coteaux de Legende
Domaine de la Côte Sainte-Epine St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes
Emmanuel Darnaud St. Joseph Dardouille
Faury St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes
Domaine de Fauterie St. Joseph Les Combaud
Gilles Barge St. Joseph Clos Martinets
Domaine les Alexandrins St. Joseph
Domaine des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Sainte-Epine
Bernard Burgaud Côte-Rôtie
Gilles Barge Côte-Rôtie Le Combard
Cédric Parpette Côte-Rôtie Le Montmain
Guillaume Gilles Cornas Nouvelle R Les Rieux
Marcel Juge Cornas
Remy Nodin Cornas Les Eygats
Dumien-Serrette Cornas “Henri”
Dumien-Serrette Cornas Les Saveaux
Jacques Lemenicier Cornas

And I have drank a number of these. The vintage is big, ripe, but balanced and man, they seem good.

I want to buy:

more Barge Cote-Rotie (all)
Levet Cote-Rotie (any and all)
Benetiere Cote-Rotie
Gilles Cornas
Despesse Cornas
Lionnet Cornas


I will let others buy:

Jamet Cote-Rotie
Clape Cornas
Allemand Cornas
Chave Hermitage
any Hermitage

[CFu]

Zach, lemme know if you get offers for Allemand that you want to pass on