Eric Bonnet has garnered quite a bit of fame with his great Chateauneuf's. But he also makes some outstandinf Cotes du Rhone that keep the house style. Bold and dark fruity but not too heavy this really is the South of France in a glass. An absolute bargain and the perfect "daily drinker"
LA BASTIDE SAINT VINCENT has been a family estate since the end of the 18th century, with a 23-hectare vineyard that is very fragmented and which offers Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu, Côtes du Rhône and Vin de Pays de Vaucluse. Our 10 plots of Vacqueyras A.O.C. vines represent approximately 8 ha: 6 plots are located in different parts of the plateau des garrigues – a stony terrace dating from the Riss ice age – while 4 plots are on either side of the village of Vacqueyras.
The average age of the vines is over 40 years: the yields are therefore low, which is favourable for the quality of the wines. Grenache largely dominates, complemented by mourvèdre and syrah. The hand-picking allows us to rigorously sort the bunches. The grapes are de-stemmed, lightly crushed, then vinified traditionally in enamelled concrete vats, with a vatting period of about 2 weeks. 100% matured in vats, PAVANE is our only cuvée de Vacqueyras.
Pale yellow-gold. High-pitched aromas of fresh citrus fruits and pungent flowers are accompanied by a smoky mineral overtone. Vibrant and linear on the palate, offering juicy Meyer lemon and green apple flavors that quickly stretch out through the midpala...
Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Pungent floral and black pepper flourishes complement smoke-inflected dark berry aromas. Fleshy, juicy and smooth on the palate, offering sappy cassis, bitter cherry and licorice flavors that firm up slowly through the midpala...
While great northern Rhône Syrah is perfectly suited to carnivorous pairings, Lionel’s “Les Hautes Ribaudes” is nimble enough to enjoy with lighter dishes—served cool, it complements just about anything. Consistently among the Rhône’s best values, it’s no wonder this is a longtime staff favorite.
—Anthony Lynch
Intense violets on the nose, this is hypnotically aromatic. Very full-bodied and generous, with delicious peach fruit. Has a sense of sweet ripeness on the palate that's balanced by acidity and salty extract. This has real depth and will satisfy Condrieu ...