Page 119 - Wine Spectator (January 2020)

New Releases: France

92 E. Guigal St.-Joseph 2016 $33 Lively in feel, 93 Les Vins de Vienne Collines Rhodaniennes 91 Les Vins de Vienne Côtes du Rhône Les
with red currant, pomegranate and damson plum fruit fla- Sotanum 2017 $80 Plum, kirsch and sweet tobacco Cranilles 2017 $25 Ripe and vivid, with succulent
vors keeping this decidedly in the red spectrum, while notes are wrapped together, backed by a thread of red lic- plum and blackberry paste flavors cruising along, lined
floral and iron nuances fill in on the racy finish. Best from orice on the juicy but restrained finish. Very enticing, with mineral, apple wood and anise notes. Focused finish.
2021 through 2031. 5,500 cases imported.—J.M. with a long, subtle mineral echo adding length. Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. Drink now through 2022.
Drink now through 2028. 1,000 cases made, 400 cases 10,800 cases made, 720 cases imported.—J.M.
92 Lautaret St.-Joseph Expression 2017 $34 imported.—J.M.
Fresh and pure, with a concentrated yet supple beam of 90 Alléno & Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône 2017
raspberry and blackberry puree, laced with violet, sanguine 92 Gabriel Meffre Vacqueyras Laurus 2017 $35 $19 Warm and inviting, with lush plum and blackberry
and mineral notes. Features a gloss of toast, letting the fruit Alluring, with a dark, smoky profile, as tobacco and hu- puree flavors cruising through, laced with subtle anise,
and minerality play out on the finish. Best from 2021 mus notes curl up from the core of steeped plum and black- alder and black tea notes. The long finish features a well-
through 2030. 400 cases made, 70 cases imported.—J.M. berry fruit. A warm ganache accent infuses the finish. embedded graphite element. Very solid. Syrah and Gre-
Offers hefty fruit but the structure is silky, making this nache. Drink now through 2022. 2,000 cases made, 500
FRANCE accessible now. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through cases imported.—J.M.
2029. 562 cases made, 50 cases imported.—J.M.
Rhône / Other Red 90 Brotte Cairanne Création Grosset 2017 $15
92 Les Vins de Vienne Collines Rhodaniennes See Best Values, page 103.
Heluicum 2017 $47 This delivers a lovely beam of
96 Ferraton Père & Fils Ermitage Le Méal 2017 90 Château Mont-Redon Côtes du Rhône
$152 Polished and stylish, with a velvety feel to the pure black cherry and cassis notes, laced with very fine Réserve 2017 $15 Dark cherry and plum fruit bursts
waves of plum, blackberry and black cherry fruit that glide acidity and subtle mineral and black tea accents. Offers a forth in this juicy, lively offering, which features a back-
through, carried by well-embedded notes of loam, ganache flattering cashmere feel through the finish. Drink now drop of anise and lightly roasted apple wood on the finish.
and tobacco. Solidly built, showing ample grip for the cel- through 2026. 2,200 cases made, 800 cases imported.—J.M. Drink now through 2022. 29,000 cases made, 1,500 cases
lar, but seamlessly integrated, with the fruit holding the 91 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône imported.—J.M.
upper hand through the finish. Best from 2022 through Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2017 $35 Juicy and
2037. 140 cases made, 20 cases imported.—J.M. direct, with a core of blackberry and plum fruit, laced with 89 Pierre-Henri Morel Côtes du Rhône-Villages
a singed alder thread and backed by a dusting of garrigue Signargues 2017 $17 Lively, with a brambly hint
95 Ferraton Père & Fils Ermitage Les Dionnières amid the blackberry and plum compote flavors. Lively
2017 $117 Fleshy and enticing in feel, featuring warm on the finish, which reveals a nice tug of dark earth. anise and cobbler accents show on the slightly gutsy fin-
raspberry, blackberry and plum puree notes stitched to- Should open up with some cellaring. Best from 2020 ish. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through
gether with ganache, alder and tobacco threads. A loamy through 2028. 5,000 cases imported.—J.M. 2022. 8,000 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.—J.M.
tug checks in at the very end, giving this latent length 91 Château de Montfaucon Lirac Baron Louis
and a solid bass line. Best from 2022 through 2035. 200 2016 $25 Alluring, with gently mulled raspberry, açaí
cases made, 30 cases imported.—J.M. berry and boysenberry flavors, infused with accents of
rooibos tea, shiso leaf, mineral and anise. Everything swirls
94 Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Domaine Grand
Romane 2017 $40 Ripe and juicy in feel, with a wound- through the long, perfumy finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cin-
up core of raspberry, black currant and cherry pâte de fruit sault, Carignan and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2028.
flavors waiting to stretch out, while an unde rcurrent of al- 3,000 cases made, 800 cases imported.—J.M.
der, tobacco and licorice root notes moves through. Best
from 2023 through 2035. 6,500 cases made, 1,000 cases
imported.—J.M.

94 Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Le Pas de l’Aigle Four masterpieces from Taylor Fladgate
2016 $45 Ripe and vivid, with beautiful flow to the
mix of dark plum, fig and blackberry preserve flavors,
carried by a swath of licorice root and tobacco. Swirls of
black tea and mesquite show on the finish, which reveals
well-buried chalky minerality. Should cellar nicely. Best
from 2022 through 2035. 2,635 cases made, 300 cases
imported.—J.M.

94 Ferraton Père & Fils Hermitage Les Miaux
2017 $101 This is smoldering in feel, with tobacco and
warm earth notes leading the way, followed by steeped
raspberry and plum reduction accents. Judicious toast takes
a back seat, letting loam and mesquite elements play out
on the finish. Best from 2021 through 2034. 200 cases
made, 30 cases imported.—J.M.

93 Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Romane Machotte
2017 $33 Mulled raspberry, damson plum and black
cherry fruit flavors are stitched with garrigue, savory and
anise notes. A tarry backdrop on the finish pulls every-
thing together. On the old-school side and solidly done.
Best from 2022 through 2032. 7,000 cases made, 1,100
cases imported.—J.M.
93 Gabriel Meffre Gigondas Laurus 2017 $39
Lively garrigue, sage and savory notes lead off here, pull-
ing a core of dark plum and blackberry fruit along. Juicy
in feel, with light bramble, tar and tobacco accents gild-
ing the finish. Very solid, with ample grip for the cellar.
Grenache and Syrah. Best from 2022 through 2032. 580
cases made, 150 cases imported.—J.M.

93 Stéphane Ogier Syrah Collines Rhodani-
ennes L’Âme Soeur 2016 $72 Very seductive, with
a silky feel from start to finish that lets gently mulled red
and black cherry and currant fruit glide along, while black “It is my opinion that Taylor Fladgate’s tawny Ports are the best of their type.”
tea, violet and incense notes swirl in the background.
Sneakily long. Drink now through 2027. 50 cases –Robert Parker
imported.—J.M.

JAN. 31 – FEB. 29, 2020 • WINE SPECTATOR 113