With no sign of slowing down in rise of prices on some of the popular northern rhones, what are some of the reasonably priced gems that people are drinking? If you are kind enough to share the secret that is!
Domaine du Tunnel makes excellent Cornas and Saint-Joseph for reasonable prices. I also find Gilles Barge‘s Côte Rotie portfolio excellent value for money.
Mickael Bourg in Cornas is starting to really come on
There’s still a bunch: Xavier Gerard Cote Rotie, Faury St. Joseph, Guillaume Gilles Cornas, Graillot Crozes Hermitage, and there are others.
But my best recent discovery is Domaine Gallet Cote Rotie. Here’s a note I recently wrote on the '15:
2015 Domaine Gallet (Henri et Philippe) Côte-Rôtie
Unreal QPR here. With so many N. Rhône wines spiraling into the stratosphere, here is a $40 Cote Rotie that’s an absolutely superb example of the appellation, regardless of price. This is juicy, meaty, and ripe — certainly a fleshy, fruit-driven version of Cote Rotie — but it’s far from overblown. It has acids and faint minerals and herbs on the nose and palate. A wine that’s priced for weeknights but built to wow on Saturdays. (93)
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Francois Dumas makes great Saint Joseph and VdP reds. Jean-Claude Marsanne produces nice, affordable St-Jo and Crozes in fairly traditional style - I bought a bunch of the 2014 St-Jo and like it a lot. I like everything from Aurelien Chatagnier. Julien Cecillon produces a very solid line-up of Crozes and VdP wines with his wife.
Another vote here for Faury and Graillot. I’ve really enjoyed Vincent Paris’s St. Joseph, too, which is quite reasonable. Also Domaine Barou, both their St Joseph and their lesser bottling (VdF? Pays d’Ardeche?), which Chambers carries.
Barou is a great call. Love their wines. And super reasonable.
Mathieu Barret makes some nice not overly expensive Cornas.
Christophe Billon Côte-Rôtie, Ferraton Père & Fils Cornas, Domaine Durand Cornas, Franck Balthazar Cornas, Guillaume Gilles Cornas, Nicolas Serrette Cornas, Domaine Faury St. Joseph, Domaine Gilles Barge St. Joseph Clos des Martinets, Domaine des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Sainte-Epine
So so many new and newish producer coming out of the woodwork lured by lucre and the chance to strike out on their own. It seems every year there are another 2-3 to try…
I really like their 2016; it is perhaps on the rounder/glossier side but very satisfying