We are very pleased, for the first time, to be able to offer our clients Rhone Valley wines En Primeur. We have been very careful to offer only a small selection of producers that we feel are making exceptional wine for their appellation.

We are delighted that they have agreed to work with us; we can assure you that it is not easy getting an allocation from these small Domaines. Clusel Roch, Rostaing and Ogier in Côte-Rôtie, Domaine du Colombier in Crozes Hermitage/Hermitage, Clos de Cazaux in Vacqueyras/Gigondas and finally Chateau de Beaucastel and Domaine Font de Michelle in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Why buy Rhone?
In a world where prices for Bordeaux (and now increasingly Burgundy) are being driven as much by speculators as by drinkers, the Rhone has remained almost undiscovered by wine investors. It remains for the most part a hidden gem for the wine enthusiast. A top Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage or Cheateuneuf can age just as easily as classed growth Bordeaux (and at a fraction of the price). As this is our first year, this is a great opportunity for new buyers to get in on our new allocations.

The Vintage
"The best vintage since 1978 – and possibly even better!" Marc Perrin (Chateau de Beaucastel)

All of the growers that we visited last week were confident that 2010 will go down as one of the great Rhone Vintages. Clusel Roch and Rene Rostaing in Côte-Rôtie both agreed that 2009 will be a lovely drinking vintage and easy to understand, but that 2010 has the structure and the balance to be a truly great vintage. Quantities are down from 2009 (Clusel Roch are down 30 %). April and May were cool and wet which led to a small flowering. July was hot (leading to some hydric stress), this followed with a moderate August and September stayed warm. This created a long growing season for the grapes to ripen fully. From North to South the growers were particularly pleased with the balance of fruit, acidity and structure in 2010.

Northern Rhone

Domaine Clusel Roch, Côte-Rôtie Clusel Roch is unusual in Côte-Rôtie as the Domaine is 100 % organic and has been since 2002. The wines from this 3.5 hectare estate have become some of the most sought after in the Côte. Côte-Rôtie 2010, Clusel Roch - £310 IB per 12 bottles Madame Roch was particularly impressed with the freshness and balance that her 2010 has. Their 2010 has a Burgundian feel in terms of the

Domaine Rene Rostaing, Côte-Rôtie Rene Rostaing is one of the real traditionalists in the Cote. He is conservative in his use of new oak in order that the expression of the terroir shines through. For this reason he uses both oak barriques (228 litres) and demi-muids (600 litres). He has superb parcels of old vines in Cote Brune, 'La Landonne' and 'La Roche'; most of which is planted on steep, terraced, schist slopes. His wines receive high scores from the critics year after year and we could not be more pleased to be working with him.

Domaine du Colombier, Crozes Hermitage and Hermitage Now recognised as one of the top producers in Crozes- Hermitage and Hermitage, third generation Florent Viale makes wines that you simply want to drink and they are very affordable too. We are big fans of his wines and they come highly recommended! Florent says that he prefers his 2010s to the very highly regarded 2009 vintage.

Southern Rhone

Flowering was delayed in the Southern Rhone and in some cases the flowers failed to turn into grapes (coulure). Yields were down in 2010, conversely this often means that concentration and quality is increased. A hot summer with cool nights helped create the balance and freshness that the growers are so proud of in this vintage. Both Clos de Cazaux and Font de Michelle harvested later in 2010 than 2009. The long consistent growing season meant that 2010 really has the backbone and acidity needed for a truly great vintage. These wines were all a pleasure to taste!

Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux, Vacqueyras/Gigondas Vacqueyras and Gigondas are the less well known appellations next door to Chateauneuf du Pape. These two areas are increasingly offering great value wines that are on a par and in some cases better than their more famous neighbour. We are delighted to have been offered an allocation from the excellent Clos de Cazeaux, one of our favourite producers from this area. The Vache family produce some of the best wines in Vacqueyras/Gigondas and some of the best value in the southern Rhone. These are wines that will be approachable in the next couple of years but will age well for the next 7 years +. A combination of low yields, late harvesting, and biodynamic techniques all help to create superbly well crafted wines. N.B. Magnums are available on request. Vacqueyras Cuvee Saint Roch 2010 @ 95.00 per 12 bottles IB 65% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre and all harvested by hand. Redcurrant, blackberry and a touch of spice. Fine acidity and well balanced. This will drink earlier than the Templiers. Easy drinking style. Vacqueyras Cuvee des Templiers 2010 @ 105.00 per 12 bottles IB This spectacular effort from their old vines contains an unusually high percentage of Syrah (90 %). The Templiers is aged in steel tanks with stalks which help to keep a fresh, fruit forward style with depth that is most appealing. Deeper in colour than the Saint Roch. Flavours of blackcurrant, red cherry, spice and an element of game. Give it a couple of years and this will age 7 years + easily. Gigondas La Tour Serrazine @ 120.00 per 12 bottles IB La Tour Serrazine is a Grenache dominated blend. It has a big structure and will certainly benefit with a few years in the cellar. Deep nose. On the palate it is bursting with fruit; notes of plum, blackberry and black cherry. Touch of smoke and spice too. The fruit is ripe and the acidity is mouth watering. There is more tannin here than the Vacqueyras, a more masculine style. This will age for 15+ years. Domaine Font de Michelle, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Guillaume Gonnet is one of the friendliest and most knowledgeable winemakers that we deal with. His wines are highly respected throughout the world and we are delighted to be working with him. Situated in the southern part of the appellation, Font de Michelle is made up of many of Chateauneuf's most famous terroir: Font de Michelle, La Crau, La Pierre Plantee, Chartreuse, Croix de Bois and Reveirore. The Gonnet's aim is to produce fresh, fruit driven wines that have the backbone to develop for many years. During fermentation they choose not to pump over the grapes, believing that this more gentle technique creates a very pure style of wine. Aged in a mixture of new and old oak, the wines are not filtered or fined allowing the wines to develop naturally. Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010, Gonnet Pere et Fils @ £63.00 per 12 bottles IB We tasted the five different Cotes du Rhone that Guillaume produces and this came out trumps. This will be available for delivery in January 2012. Great value drinking from a top vintage! Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Tradition 2010 @ £190.00 per 12 bottles IB 60% Grenache, 15% syrah, 10% mourvedre with the balance made up of cinsault, counoise and muscardin. Spice and bramble fruit on the nose. Lovely concentration on the palate. Guillaume remarks: "The balance in 2010 is incredible." His point being that this wine shows every sign that it will be long lived. Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Etienne Gonnet 2010 @ £350.00 per 12 bottles IB This wine was named in homage to Etienne Gonnet and only made in the best vintages. Very much a masculine style.The wine spends 12 months in a combination of barrel and demi muids. Spice and tobacco on the nose. Soft and elegant tannins that coats the mouth. Plum, strawberry and blackberry on the palate, real concentration. Everything is in harmony. This is certainly a vin de garde! Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Elegance de Jeanne 2010 @ £360.00 per 12 bottles IB Made from the 100 year old Grenache vines as a dedication to Jeanne, the wife of Etienne Gonnet. Only 4000 bottles made. The grapes are sourced from "La Crau" which is one of the best sites in Chateauneuf. This is only made in the best vintages. This is a more feminine style, with 80 % aged in stainless steel vats and the rest in larger oak barrels (demi muids). Guillaume told us that in 2009 they made a good wine however this year they decided to pick earlier as the fruit was to ripe in 2009. The decision paid off as this is a very fresh elegant style, with excellent concentration. Very pleasurable.