While cruising the main street through villages like Ampuis and Condrieu one cannot help but spot some very famous names on signs and buildings. Most of them are at most a stone’s throw away from the main street indeed. To get to Jamet (well, both of them actually) however it’s quite a long drive up the hill way past the famous vineyards, to an area close to the forest where there are almost no other buildings nearby. While it was going to be a warm day it felt very chilly up there. We were supposed to be welcomed by the son of the family, Loïc, but as there was an urgent need for him to be elsewhere it was instead Fanny Jamet, his sister, who opened the door. She turned out to be a very pleasant person to be around and despite her young age more than prepared to answer all our questions.
It was Jamet’s 2005 Côte Rôtie that opened my eyes to what wine can be and kind of got me started on this journey so getting this visit arranged was a pretty big thing. Even more so it was great to see how nice the people behind the wines are. We tasted the five wines pictured so not the grander stuff but a nice tasting nevertheless. The whites here are on the fresher side, very nice expressions. I am not generally a buyer for Rhône whites - they always taste great in the region but less so back home - but enjoyed both. I hadn’t tried the Condrieu Vernillon - hailing from the Vernon and Châtillon vineyards - and was surprised of the freshness (13% ABV I believe) and brightness. Definitely a contemporary style and very successful.
The IGP Syrah is a quintessential midweek vin de soif type of a thing with very pretty and lively, unadulterated blackberry fruit. Côtes du Rhône Equivoque was a new one for me in the reds. I have been buying the regular Côtes du Rhône (both 100% Syrah) every now and then and really enjoy it once it has spent some years sideways. This is definitely a major step towards a proper Côte Rôtie experience with more structure and depth (also appropriately aged, the basic CdR is always quite primary on release), not surprising given its origin right next to some of Ampuis’s prime vineyards. I had to get a couple of bottles, however this is not for early drinking despite its designation. The 2022 Côte Rôtie is another superb iteration of this wine. Warm vintage, and yet the wine has great freshness and terrific balance, both Jamet hallmarks. I had the 2021 a couple of weeks later and it showcases the cool vintage very clearly with less ripeness and a somewhat herbal style. I strongly prefer the 2022. All five wines were available for purchases at good prices (Côte Rôtie 85 €, Equivoque 39 €).
I was left with the impression that Jamet is a very forward-thinking winery that is always looking to evolve. I guess that is not that surprising given the relative young age of it. I will continue to be a Jamet fan boy and cannot see them not being a leading light of the appellation moving forward.
Fanny instructed us to take a different bath down the Ampuis to get a proper view of and from the vineyards. There is indeed a steep road down by Côte Brune.
As was our habit we asked Fanny to recommend a place for lunch, something again where we would not end up by accident. She suggested Les Jardins de Saint-Germain in Vienne, another slam dunk. The temperature had risen quite nicely so the fresh cooking here was very welcome. We also welcomed this bottle of PYCM which importantly suited the food well, even if it wasn’t the best I’ve had from this address.
- 2021 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin (17.5.2025)
Very typical PYCM nose of reduction, tangy fruits (lemon, even grapefruit), leesy notes and a faint hint of oak. Very saline. On the palate has some volume but is quite linear and energetic all things considered with nice brightness. Really youthful and on the tangy side, ripeness is on the low side but it is by no means underripe. There is something hollow about this, I feel it is way more about style than substance.
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An awesome crème ninon type of a dish with goat’s cheese.
Rather perfectly seared tuna with a curry.
After lunch we headed to Tournon to walk around a bit. The walk mostly took us to La Compagnie de l’Hermitage in Tain, a fairly legendary wine shop formerly run by a man called “The Greek”. It’s now his son who is running it but the vibe remains similar. He is pouring a new wine to taste constantly and is more than happy to discuss especially up and coming producers. He had a proper wine list to browse and almost immediately I spotted Marc Sorrel’s 2001 Le Gréal there. It was his final bottle so we decided to buy it together to take home and share in the near future while reminiscing this trip. Otherwise I didn’t have too much room left in my luggage for purchases but I noticed on the counter 2016 Chevillard Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte Mondeuse, a Savoie red I had been looking to try for a while and couldn’t pass on the opportunity.
Next we headed to Cornas to a familiar address. A visit to Franck Balthazar was one of the highlights of me and Mikko’s 2018 trip and we wanted to repeat. When I emailed Franck he had no recollection of our previous visit but happily welcomed us. It followed a very similar script: first he is reserved and measures us a bit, then he starts to warm up and eventually we have spent a couple of hours there and have to start running to make it to our dinner. Franck is as nice as they come. His wines, especially Chaillot, right up there with the best of them. We tasted the 2023 and 2024 vintages and both seem extremely promising with majestic fruit and moderate alcohol levels. What was new this time was that Franck had long been unhappy with his labels and wanted to do something about it. The 2023 will have the new design, totally different from the current ones. Traditional but refined, we loved the look. A lovely visit again, Franck said he is expecting us back in 6 months so. I wish!
Mikko had read about a place called Le Cerisier in Tournon which seemed very promising for the second dinner in this area. They do not have a wine list online but they list the names of the producers they work with and that was enough to convince me. Well, also the fact that one of their desserts is chocolate soufflé with Chartreuse ice cream.
If we are talking about vibes again, well they were on point from the get-go. We were the first diners, as we often are being that we are Finns, so it was empty. The sommelier made us feel extremely welcome and comfortable and he had this aura about him, like he had been doing this for a minute and we were in good hands. The wine list is serious. Lots of pages, lots of names you wish to see, lots of vintages. We knew which wines we wanted and only needed to discuss with the somm to get the right vintages. The prices were excellent. It’s been many years since my last Les Chétillons, too many I would say. This is one of my favorite Champagnes out there and I really should put in the work to acquire some for my cellar. The Reynard is still young but of course offered much more than the 2019 Le Gréal a day before. Doesn’t really scream 2014, it is a very complete wine. Service was great, we were asked about glass preferences and I think also decanting was discussed.
- 2014 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (17.5.2025)
A very intense nose where the fruit is a bit more towards the red end of the spectrum. Minerally with a distinct black pepper note, bouillon and pleasant smokiness. On the palate the fruit remains very youthful and intense, as do the confidently gripping tannins. It is ripe and structured for the vintage, good to go with appropriate fare but otherwise still young. The quality here is excellent and in ten years this will be killer.
- 2016 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (17.5.2025)
Hauntingly beautiful and expressive on the nose with complex citrus and apple-driven fruit, massive chalkiness, baking spices, brioche and smoky notes. Very attractive level of ripeness. On the palate very much on the dry side and majestically chiselled with a great acidic structure. A real powerhouse of a Champagne with huge intensity and a markedly savory style. Expansive with a very long, grippy finish.
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Delish amuses.
“The Champagne will be great with the foie gras”. Indeed it was!
Lamb in five different ways. Really really well cooked, obviously great in itself and with the Allemand.
A typical cheese service of legendary quality.
The aforementioned soufflé with Chartreuse ice cream and birthday greetings. We wanted a beverage to go with this and were fully expecting the somm to suggest a Chartreuse. Not so, he wanted to find something more personal and special for the occasion and came up with a Rivesaltes from my vintage. Much appreciated and a really nice choice as well. I am really becoming a fan of these French fortifieds after this and loving the 20 year old Maury that I had in Amsterdam last November.
- 1985 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Rivesaltes (17.5.2025)
Delicious sweet Armagnac nose of dried fruits, tobacco and nutty notes. On the palate sweet, spicy and powerful with awesome vitality. Not heavy at all, super drinkable. The finish is almost endless.
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Really nice petits fours, especially the one with the mousse. Too bad Otto is allergic to nuts.
Yeah, this was a good dinner.
