Drink Rhone - The Leading Wines

2021 SOUTHERN RHÔNE CLOSE-UP

8. 2021 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE RED

10. 2021 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE WHITE

1. 2021 VACQUEYRAS REDS

THE NEW GENERATION AT DOMAINE DE FENOUILLET: VALENTIN, JUSTINE & FÉLICIEN SOARD: A GOOD ADDITION TO THE VACQUEYRAS REDS

Don’t expect a vintage with the word gras – richness – used plentifully in the description of the Vacqueyras reds in 2021. The wines are cool, can be herbaceous, are missing deep Grenache ingredients. It’s an outlier vintage in the context of the run of years since 2015, that’s for sure.

Selection can be rewarding, though, provided the bar is set pretty high. There are wines with refinement, floral notions, good juicing and sound balance. I would certainly cluster attention around the **** wines and above [just one in the ****(*) category].

The path to the bottle was strewn with issues, starting with the savage April frost that hammered the wide open Plateau des Garrigues that starts in the commune of Vacqueyras before running south into Sarrians, where it mostly lies.

UNEVEN RIPENING

That set the tone for a heterogenous ripening, with the DOMAINE COUROULU’s GUY RICARD, my hearty chum whose last vintage after just over 40 years has been 2022, stating: “I didn’t issue a 2021; I had just 185 hl of my usual 1,000 hl, and sold it all off in bulk to the merchant trade. When you have pink, rose, brown, green and black grapes on a vine, you know the game is up, so there was no hanging around – I sold what wine I had with the white blended into the red.”

DOMAINE DE LA CHARBONNIÈRE made 170 hl of Vacqueyras red in 2020, just 70 hl in 2021. Frost lost them 60%. “The vines were in a state of inertia for three weeks after the frost – longer than Châteauneuf-du-Pape,” commented VÉRONIQUE MARET.

EARLY DRINKING

The wines rarely hold a great structure, so it’s an early drinking year by and large. LAURENT DANIEL of LA BASTIDE ST VINCENT reported: “the 2021 Vacqueyras, when we lost half the crop, a yield of 13 hl/ha, held less concentration than usual, has interesting fruit, is a wine to drink young, on immediate pleasure, strawberry style fruit in it, to drink within four years or so.”

MATHIEU BOUTIÈRE of the excellent DOMAINE DU PESQUIER, better known for its Gigondas, concurred: “2021 is a year of finesse, elegance, not a great structure,” he told me. “Its raising has brought depth, while there is less degree than recently - 1° less, so around 14.5°.”

PHILIPPE ARCHIMBAUD of CHÂTEAU DE MONTMIRAIL was also able to make a comparison with Gigondas stating: “2021 is a lot lighter than usual; it’s a fresh year, on fruit, quickly accessible. Our clients drink our wines younger and younger, so it’s OK for them. 2021 Gigondas has more depth than Vacqueyras.”

LOWER GRENACHE IN MANY BLENDS

The lack of Grenache and its usual richness was also felt across the appellation. MARIE-THÉRÈSE COMBE of the organic DOMAINE LA FOURMONE, which lies towards Gigondas at the north of the appellation, gave this summary: “the quantity was so poor – in my 40 years I had never seen such a thing, while Pa never spoke of frost, except on some plots such as Petit Montmirail in the 1956 frost [that killed most of the olive trees in the region].

Quality is joli, though the Grenache old vines were hit, as well as the Syrah badly hit. The degree is close to 2019 and 2020. We are more used to a lack of Grenache due to coulure [flowers not converting into fruit] – which means less structure, with a jolie finesse. The plateau of the Garrigues was hit by a lot of frost, which was not so bad near Fourmone. 2022 is certainly more homogenous.”

DAMIEN VACHE of top three estate DOMAINE LA MONARDIÈRE spoke of the need to tread quietly in the cellar: “the vintage is very heterogenous due to the frost; the yield was near normal for the Syrah, and normal for the Mourvèdre with the proviso that the Mourvèdre is quite diluted this year, not high quality. Because we pruned the Grenache late, it came through well. In the 2 Monardes cuvée, the blend dropped from 60-65% Grenache to 55% Grenache, with no Carignan this year. My 50 year old Carignan’s skins were very fine – when you went to harvest it, it decomposed, so I used it for the rosé.

SOFT EXTRACTION NECESSARY, GOOD RESTAURANT WINES

Balance is very beau, degree reasonable, a good acidity level of pH 3.70. Not a lot of work in the cellar was required because the variable ripening meant you had to go for a very soft extraction, with doubts surrounding the quality and ripeness of the tannins. It’s a year that is a lot lighter than 2019 and 2020. I seek harmony between nose and palate – 2021 has that, which makes it great for the restaurant trade.”

JEREMY ONDE of DOMAINE LES ONDINES is an organic grower. It’s notable that the average organic level is around 25-30% of the vineyard surface area of Vacqueyras, against an average for the very large Vaucluse département of 7%-8%.

He commented: “there’s a higher level of Syrah and Mourvèdre this year after frost on the Grenache. It’s a more accessible vintage, 1° to 1.5° lower than recently, is agreeable to drink. The Grenache quality was inconsistent, with less gras than usual. I vinified some red in my white wine vats, due to the lack of quantity, and issued a 100% Syrah cuvée.

Only two appellations lowered their yields in 2021 – Vacqueyras and also Rasteau. Across the other appellations, you would have thought there had been no frost!

JEREMY ONDE & HIS SHEEP

I started the sheep three years ago, and now have 147. I sell the males, and the sheep are in the vineyard only during the winter. I don’t need them to cut right back the grasses and weeds, what they leave is a more fine grass that also facilitates the tractor to go through the rows, plus their droppings of course. They are a work tool behind the tractor, and I can use them to take out grass on precise spots.

I bought a Bordier Collie recently to direct them, notably along the edges of vineyards. I admit that the project didn’t start well – it was like an American arriving in Vacqueyras – I was sold sheep at a high price, there were sheep with problems, and I was seen off. The cost for me amounts to the fencing and my time with them.”

TESTING VINIFICATIONS JUDGING BY MY TASTING

Tasting across around 80 wines, I felt that 2021 tested growers on the vinification. Among the wines set for later bottling, some were quite ripe, others a bit dilute, with a range of tannin also – including chewy, herbal, dry, along with ripe and layered. It’s probably true that the later raised wines as a group are superior to the earlier bottled ones, carrying greater depth and ID. This is usually the case at Gigondas as well, with the early bottling group often more commercial and set for fast sales and consumption.

In the best cases there is sufficient richness to handle acidity levels, but in others it’s the lack of body that renders them dry in tone. The tone is for wines a long way from the stomping, grounded, high octane wines that can be found in the hot vintages. The 2021s are much cooler, with acidity and freshness that can be in place; expect herbaceous, peppery aspects in several wines; it’s more rare to encounter a balanced richness this year.

As commented above, it was a major error to seek extraction to compensate for a perceived lack of depth, that exertion leading to chewiness in tannins, and a debate about whether there is enough richness to handle the tannins as they ease.

LES SEMELLES DE VENT: HAND MADE WINES OF MUCH CHARACTER

A domaine that is extremely praiseworthy, a destination for lovers of hand crafted wines of character, is the SEMELLES DE VENT. I recommend tracking it down. CHRISTOPHE GALON and YU-YU CHEN have a near spiritual commitment to organic practices and detail in their approach.

They work 7.8 hectares of Vacqueyras, across 12 plots that are spread out, notably on La Pointe at Sarrians (Grenache from the early 1950s) and on Coste de Coa for Syrah (late 1970s, sandy), most of the soils stony clay-limestone. Without being officially titled, the vineyard work is organic.

Their 2021s were both top rank, the ****(*) Séduction marginally preferred, a wine composed of 70% Grenache (early 1970s-early 1980s), 30% Syrah (early 1980s) from La Pointe; it is raised 3-10 year 225-litre, 450-litre, 600-litre oak casks 12-14 months, 3,000 bottles, €15 at the domaine. The 2021 is a solid, take your time, interesting Vacqueyras, with emphatic tannins that require patience.

The **** Vieilles Vignes Vacqueyras is 75% older Grenache (early 1950s, stony clay-limestone soils), 25% Syrah (late 1970s, sandy soils) on La Pointe, oak raised a little longer than Séduction, 2,500 bottles, €18.50 at the domaine. It is a wine of inner depth, a gourmand affair that in a hot vintage would be a bit of a fruit bomb – that aspect reined in by the cooler year, leading to a more poised style.

SEMELLES DE VENT also make a 100% Mourvèdre (1974-75) Châteauneuf-du-Pape, up to 900 bottles. It comes from limestone, galet stone covered soils on 0.228 hectare on Coteau de l’Ange (N-W), and is usually whole bunch fermentation, unlike the destemmed Vacqueyras. Its standard is high, the 2020 ****(*), the 2021 ****.

A 2,500 bottle Gigondas called Clos du Garde completes their range, comprising 75% Grenache, 25% Syrah (both late 1990s) from marl, clay soils at 300-400 metres on the North facing La Marone et Beau Regard. I thoroughly recommend these wines across the whole range.

DOMAINE D’OURÉA: SUBTLE APPROACH SUCCESSFUL IN 2021

I was also pleased by the showing of ADRIEN ROUSTAN’s DOMAINE D’OURÉA. ADRIEN started with every best intention in 2010, organic and fully committed to doing the right thing. However, his first vinifications were extremely extended, and resulted in an over soaked style, with all the stems included. That whole bunch level is now around 30%, and the approach is for subtlety and softness, a complete reversal of the early years into a hands-off styling, which can sometimes be a little dilute, as it was in 2016, when there was late fade, a disappointment in such a good year.

Since then, there has been a pared back style in 2018, a skimming 2019, also a pity in that exuberant vintage, a calm, aromatic 2020 and the **** 2021, with a floral, spiced wine of fluid appeal, the blend stable at 85% Grenache (oldest 1950), 5% Carignan, 5% Cinsault, 5% Mourvèdre. His wines are all vat raised, and I hope that this level of quality can continue, even in the hotter, more robust vintages where it can be a problem if the harvest is picked that little bit too soon to avoid an understandable high level of degree.

Now in his mid-thirties, ADRIEN did Burgundian studies – two years on viticulture at Beaune and one year on commerce at Dijon. His grandfather RAYMOND BERTRAND sold his wine to the merchant trade, so the roots are there, with 4.5 hectares of Gigondas as well.

DOMAINE DE FENOUILLET A GOOD NEW NAME FOR VACQUEYRAS

Another welcome name come recently to Vacqueyras is the DOMAINE DE FENOUILLET, better known for its Beaumes-de-Venise red and Muscat. The young generation are now pretty much in the driving seat, with JUSTINE, the daughter of elder brother PATRICK SOARD, having studied at Mâcon Davayé; she looks after the commercial side of the domaine. Younger brother VINCENT’s two sons are VALENTIN, who spent time in South Africa, and is very motivated by vineyard care, and FÉLICIEN, who is on both vineyard and cellar work.

The family started their Vacqueyras in 2019. It is 60% Grenache (1950s, late 2000s), 40% Syrah (1980s) from 1.4 hectares on galet stone covered clay-limestone loose soils at Sarrians, with another 0.6 ha on garrigue soils at Vacqueyras. About 8,000 bottles are produced, the **** 2021 a precise, well tuned wine, showing that Vacqueyras doesn't have to be all about power. They started raising the Syrah in oak, but in 2022 switched to only concrete vat raising of 18 months, dropping the oak to encourage a greater mineral expression in the wine.

LONGEVITY OF 2021 REDS

Regarding longevity, readers can allow the best wines a dozen years or so; there is certainly enough acidity to keep them going, acidity that will gradually lessen, allowing discreet expansion of content.

LEADING 2021 VACQUEYRAS REDS

***()	Domaine La Bouïssière	2033-35	02/24	perfume, spice, vivid, most pleasing
***()	Roucas Toumba Restanques Cabassole	203-38	04/24	mystery, expressive, floral, intricate
***()	Les Semelles de Vent Séduction	2037-39	02/23	intricate, mineral, solid, interesting
****	Pierre Amadieu La Grangelière	2034-36	02/23	fluent fruit, tasty, authentic
****	La Bastide Saintt Vincent Pavane	2030-31	03/23	good ensemble, fruit clarity
****	M Chapoutier Avarum	2033-35	02/23	firm, enjoyable fruit, character
****	Le Clos des Cazaux Les Templiers	2035-37	02/23	racy, spiced, vitality, V
****	Domaine de la Charbonnière	2035-37	02/23	crunchy fruit, long, savoury
****	Dom Julien Delhomme Louis H	2031-33	04/24	spurred fruit, elegant, well worked
****	Domaine de Fenouillet	2035-37	02/23	fruit flow, balance, tuned
****	Domaine Font Sarade Prestige	2032-34	02/23	pleasing, clear fruit, neat tannin
****	Domaine de l’Obrieu	2033-35	02/23	tight, tannic crunch, drive, upbeat
****	Domaine d’Ouréa	2027-28	02/23	hands-off, spiced, pure, floral
****	Domaine de la Pigeade	2032-34	02/23	colourful, bonny gras, fine tannin
****	Alain Jaume Château Mazane	2037-39	02/23	crisp flow, live, oak to drop
****	Alain Jaume Grande Garrigue	2036-38	02/23	fruit drive, character, tannic cut
****	Domaine François Xavier Lambert	2033-35	02/23	shapely, genuine, joli gras
****	Montirius Le Clos	2036-38	02/23	wholesome, coated, agreeably complete
****	Rhonéa Domaine Miramont	2033-35	02/23	spiced, cool, character tannins
****	Roucas Toumba La Grande Terre	2035-37	04/24	iron threaded, spring fruit
****	Le Sang des Cailloux Cuvée de Lopy	2043-45	02/23	clear, live, to gain depth, interest
****	Les Semelles de Vent Vieilles Vignes	2036-38	02/23	inner depth, gourmand, poised
**()	Bonpas Grand Cartulaire	2032-34	02/23	lush filling, gourmand, rounded
**()	La Cave de Gigondas Beaumirail	2034-36	02/23	iron tone, tangy depth, expand
**()	Cellier des Princes Dom La Libellule	2032-34	02/23	well fuelled, charged, strength
**()	Chât Lestours Clocher Penitents	2032-34	02/23	clear purpose, herbal, genuine
**()	Château de Montmirail L’Ermite	2036-38	10/22	lucid fruit, charged, herbal, time
**()	Le Clos de Caveau Carmin Brillant	2034-36	02/23	herbal, rolling, drive, iron, time
**()	Le Clos de Caveau Fruit Sauvage	2028-29	02/23	easy fruit, soft; mild tannin
**()	Dom Bois St Jean Ballade des Anglès	2029-31	02/23	direct, sleek, ready made
**()	Dom Fontaine du Clos Castillon	2031-33	02/23	plump centre, rounded; grainy tannin
**()	Dom Fontaine du Clos Pince Lapin	2030-32	02/23	instant fruits, flashy, upfront
**()	Domaine de la Ganse	2027	02/23	fruit verve, bright, hand made
**()	Dom La Grangette des Garrigues	2033-35	02/23	med depth, linear, fresh tannin
**()	Labadens Marius	2031-32	04/24	salted, grad gain in emphasis, dark
**()	Dom La Ligière Mourre de la Caille	2034-36	02/23	dark fruit, fresh, genuine, true
**()	Domaine de Longue Toque	2036-38	02/23	firm richness, free fruit
**()	Dom La Monardière Les 2 Monardes	2033-35	02/23	crunched, austere, cool, acidity, time
**()	Domaine Palon	2029-31	02/23	immediate, clear fruit, “up” wine
**()	Domaine de la Verde Ora	2031-33	02/23	large, pacy fruits, surging, flashy
**()	Gabriel Meffre Laurus	2036-38	02/23	dark content, polished, brisk oak
**()	Mas des Restanques	2032-34	02/23	knit, sinewed, intricate, integrity
**()	Montirius Le Village	2039-41	02/24	cool, iron, live fruit, sound quality
**()	Ogier La Pourpre	2035-37	02/23	fluid content, primal, vigorous
**()	Rhonéa Terroir Daronton	2031-33	02/23	southern influences, authentic
**()	Le Sang des Cailloux Cuvée Azalaïs	2033-35	02/23	immediate flow, cool fruiting, juiced
**()	Domaine Solence Soleterrae	2030-32	02/23	compact, linear, clear fruit, scope
**()	Tardieu-Laurent Vieilles Vignes	2038-40	02/23	crunchy fruit, raw depth, oak
**()	Vidal-Fleury	2031-33	02/23	spiced, knuckled, genuine grounding
**()	Xavier Vignon Xavier	2029-31	02/23	peppery, grainy, herbal, grounded
***	Aimé Arnoux Sélection Parcellaire	2033-35	02/23	fluid content, dusty, direct
***	Arnoux Vieux Clocher	2033-35	02/23	smooth content, straightforward
***	Louis Bernard	2031-33	02/23	direct fruit, linear, light structure
***	Cave de Gigondas Dom de Carobelle	2028-29	02/23	easy gras, accessible, regular
***	Le Cellier des Princes	2031-33	02/23	pepper spice, iron, demanding
***	Chât de Montmirail Les Deux Frères	2030-31	10/22	lightweight, early, fresh
***	Château de Montmirail Générations	2035-37	10/22	aromatic, floral, stewed, light
***	Le Clos de Caveau Lao Muse	2033-35	02/23	swish, cool, pure fruit, big oak stamp
***	Domaine de Cabridon	2030-32	02/23	rich opening, sweet, lush
***	Domaine de l’Espigouette	2028-29	02/24	light, floating, simple drinking
***	Domaine Font Sarade Premier Vin	2031-33	02/23	steady fruit, low-key tannin
***	Dom Longue Toque Les Ramières	2034-36	02/23	firm, knit, bit forceful
***	Pierre-Henri Morel	2033-35	10/22	inner strength, raw tannins
***	Dom Les Ondines Clos des Frères	2030-32	02/23	rolling content, acidity, spirity
***	Domaine du Pesquier	2026-27	10/22	early, pure drinking, sympa, limited
***	Domaine La Roubine	2027-28	02/23	clear, tasty fruit, dry tannin
***	Domaine Saint Laurent	2032-34	02/23	copious, ripe content, bit ponderous
***	Domaine Saint Pierre	2032-34	02/23	broad fruit, ripe, full, obvious
***	Domaine Les Sibu	2029-30	02/23	direct, peppered, upright, chewy end
***	Domaine du Terme	2034-36	02/23	firm gras, raw, acidity to drop
***	Domaine de la Verde Prelude	2030-32	02/23	linear, crisp, safety first
***	Domaine de Verquière	2032-34	02/23	fluid Gren, squeezy; exerted tannin
***	Famille Perrin Les Christins	2029-31	10/22	sweetness, soft, bit plain, workmanlike
***	Mas des Flauzières Le Pilon	2032-34	02/23	clear fruit, deep, flashy, oaked
***	Gabriel Meffre Saintt Barthélémy	2028-29	02/23	central notch of gras, mature
***	Montirius Garrigues	2035-37	02/23	direct, firm, darts around
***	Ravoire Pavois	2028-29	02/23	cool fruit, herbal, bit pinched, amplify
***	Rhonéa La Ponche	2028-29	02/23	juicy fruit, militant tannins, bit simple
*()	Château Lestours Clocher	2032-34	02/23	pine needles, pinched, direct
*()	Clos des Cazaux Saint Roch	2029-31	02/23	disorderly, low depth, freshness
*()	Domaine de Cabridon Ascendance	2031-33	02/23	worked on intensity, full throttle
**	Cellier des Dauphins	2026	02/23	sweet, low profile, downbeat
**	Dom Fontaine du Clos Reflets de l’Âme	2028-29	02/23	loose, dry tannin, bit dilute
**	Domaine La Fourmone Le Poète	2028-29	02/23	plonks down, dry tannin
**	Domaine de Montvac Variation	2027-28	02/23	dilute, escapist, simple, dry
**	Domaine Vaubelle	2027	02/23	strict, tangy, dry thrust
**	Rhonéa Fontimple	2027-28	02/23	grainy, pinched, dry, limited

2. 2021 VACQUEYRAS WHITES

PHILIPPE & SYLVIE ARCHIMBAUD of CHÂTEAU DE MONTMIRAIL: AT HEART, A STYLISH GABRIEL VACQUEYRAS BLANC IN 2021

The 2021 vintage for Vacqueyras whites is successful, without having the dazzle of the year at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, for example. All things are relative, but this is a case of noble terroir having the last word. There are multiple soils across Châteauneuf, including seams of limestone and sand-sandstone areas, whereas the Plateau des Garrigues that dominates the appellation of Vacqueyras is home to full throttle, robust reds, and is less ideally suited to white varieties

It's also a fact that white wines have not featured prominently at Vacqueyras until relatively recently – there is no real heritage involved, as opposed to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Here is what I wrote in my 1992 book The Wines of the Rhône [Faber]: “the 1990s are likely to bring an increase in attention to and investment in the white wines of Vacqueyras, which in the past have proved rather unreliable, due to the usual litany of faults of southern whites of the post-war years. More extensive planting of varieties like the Marsanne, the Roussanne and the Bourboulenc is occurring, and providing growers feel they can charge a price that covers extra labour and cellar equipment, more will be seen of the white.” Words written before climate change showed its hand, note

I added: “very little white is made at Vacqueyras, with the Château des Roques, one of the few domaines offering one, relying on a mix of Bourboulenc and Roussanne.

In this vein, DAMIEN VACHE of the impressive DOMAINE LA MONARDIÈRE told me: “I’d say that a maximum of only 5% of the soils across the appellation are suited to Roussanne – it’s too hot for it essentially. I have been trying to extend the Roussanne’s length along the palate, and also to achieve greater complexity, mainly via the raising, and lowering the work on its lees

I now have an oval large barrel, having used only demi-muids of 600-litres until around 2016. So raising has moved to 67% 15 hl oval barrel and 33% new-1-2 year 600-litre casks. By the way, you can have a party with the balance of the whites in 2021.

MARIE-THÉRÈSE COMBE of the organic DOMAINE LA FOURMONE also praised the white vintage: “quality is consistent and high, the wines fresh this year. 5% of the vineyard is now white – people are planting, and the area is growing.”

LEADING 2021 VACQUEYRAS WHITES

****	Domaine La Monardière Galéjade	2028-29	02/24	trim gras, stylish, joli
****	Le Sang des Cailloux Un Sang Blanc	2032-34	02/23	grippy, firm, structured, time
****	Domaine de la Verde Odyssey	2026-27	02/23	attractive, floral, precise, stylish
**()	Château de Montmirail Gabriel	2029-30	10/22	fluid gras, smooth, late tang
**()	Le Clos des Cazaux Les Clefs d’Or	2027-28	02/23	citrus notes, stylish flow
**()	Dom La Fourmone le Fleurantine	2027-29	02/23	trim richness, plump, pleasing
**()	Dom La Ligière Le Chemin Blanc	2026-27	02/23	citrus, authentic, table
**()	Domaine de Montvac Complicité	2025-26	02/23	tender fruit, rounded, some style
**()	Domaine de Montvac Mélodine	2027-28	10/24	supple, oily, power, freshness
***	Domaine de la Ganse La Ganse	2025-26	02/23	dried fruits, workmanlike, light juice
***	Domaine d’Ouréa	2027-28	02/23	knit, subdued, steady, table
***	Dom les Semelles de Vent E, blanc	2028-29	02/23	sweet oak groove, restrained gras
*()	Domaine les Ondines Passion	2025	02/23	soft, plump, workmanlike
**	Rhonéa Fontimple	2025	02/23	limited length, flat delivery

3. 2021 CAIRANNE REDS

JEAN-MARC BRUN, DOMAINE BEAU MISTRAL: FINESSE AND EASY TO DRINK IN 2021

I reckon the growers of Cairanne can be pleased that the 2021 vintage emerged as well as it did, given multiple obstacles strewn in its path, starting, of course, with the savage April frost. Some coulure [flowers failing to convert into fruit] on the Grenache and rainy conditions gave further challenges, leading to a year that is open early on, free flowing by and large, with good levels of buvabilité – drinkability, aided by moderate levels of alcohol.

As Cairanne is an appellation that leans naturally towards finesse, it is better placed under such conditions than a neighbour such as the garrigue-dominated Vacqueyras, where the 2021s were a more uneven bunch: 40% of Cairannes tasted were **** or above, against 27% of Vacqueyras reds. Dilution in usually deep wines presents a problem, while the growers of Cairanne are a savvy bunch, and well on top of throttling back on vinifications under circumstances such as those in 2021.

It was vital this year not to chase extraction, with a precarious ripening of tannins that would have served dry, chewy finishes had the grower gone too far. Likewise, a part of the game plan had to be to secure pure fruit. In this respect, 2021 carries similarities to the underestimated charms of 2014, another extremely complicated vintage.

SEVERE FROST LOSSES

PIERRE AMADIEU has sold a merchant Cairanne for year before advancing into ownership when the ASTARTs retired from their DOMAINE LES HAUTES CANCES in 2019. He gave this rundown: “our HAUTES CANCES lost 60% from the frost; thanks to the September rain that served to inflate the grapes, we ended up with a loss of 40%. The Garrigues area near the Aygues was most hit, the Col du Débat, high up, was OK. Half the Mourvèdre was frosted, and there was very little Syrah. The cold air stagnated, and – bang – below it was hit.

We sold 30% of the production in bulk – not all Cairanne was up to scratch, and it went into Côtes du Rhône. We did some saignée vinification - bleeding juice off the skins – to achieve extra colour, and the acidity was attractive this year. The white Cairanne rebounded well from the frost, and 2021 gave the highest yield of recent years. The Grenache blanc was less advanced when the frost struck than the Grenache noir, which helped it.”

The 2021s can also carry less Grenache than usual, with a compensation from the Mourvèdre and also the Syrah, the latter for once not hotly baked under high heat conditions, closer to its Northern Rhône roots as a result.

Over to PIERRE AMADIEU again: “the Beauregard area was very frosted; we suffered Grenache loss there,” also on Vitalis and the low zones. Hence our blend for DOMAINE DES HAUTES CANCES changed from 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre to 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre.”

LAURENT BRUSSET of DOMAINE BRUSSET referred to this: “there is less Grenache than usual in the blend due to the April frost, and my Vieilles Vignes has reduced from 12,000 to 7,000 bottles. People are shocked by the fact that the wines are really drinkable; they are 0.5° to 1° less than usual, between 13° and 13.5°, with higher acidity, lower colour levels and less tannin. A good phenolic ripening was never reached.

35-40% of the appellation was frosted; the vines started again after an interval, with small bunches that had trouble ripening on the frost hit zones. The vegetation wasn’t spontaneous as usual. We all started the harvest 20-25 September; I ended with Gigondas on 1 October. Both 2021 [28 hl/ha] and 2022 [32 hl/ha] are low yield years, with a right to 38 hl/ha. I like 2021 because the reds are drinkable, fresh, though I appreciate that consumers aren’t used to less colour etc.”

MOURVÈDRE IMPORTANCE IN 2021

CLAIRE RICHAUD of DOMAINE MARCEL RICHAUD also commented on the Grenache’s uneven year, telling me: “oak was important in 2021; we use 20% normally. The Grenache wasn’t at the level it can be this year, so the old vine Mourvèdre was deeply important; it resisted the frost, as it’s a late starter, and was very high quality, while there was some Grenache coulure [flowers not converting into fruit]. 2021 is a year for low use of SO2. There’s a bel balance; it’s a vintage that is less representative of the Southern Rhône, less deep and robust than usual.”

FLORENT CHARANÇON, the son at DOMAINE CLOS ROMANE, now full time, also pointed to the Mourvèdre: “the grapes expanded late on, and took on dilution. We harvested from 15 to 17 September, and were pleased due to the rain that came later – we were in the clear from that. There’s a decent fruit, especially if the vinification was adapted to a lighter approach. We raised the red in one-third used 600-litre casks to get more matter and roundness. The manager of the blend in 2021 is the Mourvèdre – it directs the blend.”

MARC BESNARDEAU of the organic DOMAINE LES GRAND BOIS works the west side of the appellation towards Sainte-Cécile and offered this summary: “it was complicated for Cairanne – you had to be very vigilant between the frozen and not frozen plots, which could mean a difference in ripening of up to two weeks.

FRESHNESS, BALANCE

There is a belle density on the palate, less tannin than usual with good acidity, and because the degree is less than usual there is a belle freshness and balance, the degree between 14.2° and 15.5°, lower than in 2019, 2020 and 2022 – 0.3° to 0.5° less.

My blend is normally 50% Grenache, 35% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, but with the Grenache hit by the frost – getting going ahead of the Mourvèdre - this year it is 43% Grenache, 42% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah. The Grenache that was frosted on the garrigue I put into my Côtes du Rhône.

For two weeks after the frost it was like a desert – there was no vine movement, then a big 60 mm [2.4 in] storm came, along with temperatures moving to 27°-30°C. It wasn’t cold in the mornings, so the vegetation then took off – we were lucky to have that storm to release the plant’s energy.”

FINESSE

Like others, BRUNO BOISSON of DOMAINE BOISSON referred to the finesse of the vintage: “the biggest impact was the frost which blocked activity in the vines for two to three weeks. That effect lasted until the harvest. The acidity level is interesting and the wines are low degree, have finesse, purity and balance. I love 2021, more so than 2015, 2016 and 2019, which are excess years. A bottle of 2021 empties on its own!

JEAN-MARC BRUN of DOMAINE BEAU MISTRAL at Rasteau agreed: “I had some frost, losing 25% of my Cairanne, though less at Rasteau because the vineyards are on slopes there; I also pruned late, fortunately. 2021 is less on power, and less on longevity than usual; it has more finesse, and is easy when young.”

VINCENT DELUBAC and his brother BRUNO have sold off some of their vineyards in the light of health issues recently, so VINCENT has been a rare bird for me recently, even if we have spent notable evenings together in the past. His take on 2021: “2021 is joli, balanced, charming. I like to work more and more with the Mourvèdre which ripens well and stays around 14° to 14.5°. The Cinsault is also good to lighten the wines. My Volatile Acidity level is usually 0.40 to 0.60 gm/litre whereas in 2021 it was 0.70 at the exit from the vat. The grapes were beaus, and perhaps people relaxed on SO2, whereas in 2018 the grapes didn’t look great, and SO2 was applied.”

JULIEN DUGAS has moved to BOUTINOT from the CHÂTEAU LA COURANÇONNE on the Plan de Dieu, and remarked: “2021 is marked by freshness, is very on its fruit, tastes well now, and are showing well by 2023. It’s an attractive but not grand vintage. If you dropped crop, there were belles choses.”

GOOD BALANCE

MADELINE FERRAN of DOMAINE DES ESCARAVAILLES has launched a zero SO2 cuvée called Scarabée Libéré, which comes from 50-70% Grenache, 30-40% Cinsault, 10% Syrah from sandy, limestone soils on les Combes de la Pauline at 260 metres. I had one off bottle, one on bottle of the 2021, the second a pleasing w.o.w. wine, which is what a zero SO2 red should be. She told me: “I certainly am not accustomed to a year such as 2021, but it’s very good, with super balance, and gives much pleasure, especially for Nordic drinkers. It will age very well, has the balance of the decade of the 1990s.”

YVES-JEAN HAUSER of the biodynamic DOMAINE DES AMADIEU also referred to balance: “I was hit with very bad frost, with 0.8 hectare near the domaine giving just 300 litres. Near the River Aygues for my Villages there was 100% frost damage. There’s no 2021 Hauts de Beauregard – I only make it in the hot and powerful vintages. To the east of the village, towards Cairanne there wasn’t frost, but too much yield for me. The wine is quite balanced, facile – it was important not to extract too much. My final yield was 28 hl/ha, a loss of 25%.”

Another grower whose production was troubled by events was the very likeable, heart on his sleeve ALAIN BOISSON of DOMAINE CROS DE ROMET, who lamented: “I didn’t make a 2021. I have a lot of sand, and the Syrah rotted, the harvest wasn’t as I wanted, so it all went off in bulk.”

Expect mild statements in many of the reds of 2021, therefore. The best wines step up a gear, bearing a provocative vigour, with the prospect of a decent evolution spurred by mild degrees and innate freshness. Buying the top ranked wines will be rewarding because they will provide convivial moments around the age of six to 10 years, with genuine singing appeal after that as complexity moves forward.

LEADING 2021 CAIRANNE REDS

***()	Domaine Alary La Jean de Verde	2035-37	02/23	provocative, stylish, live, “up” end
***()	Domaine Clos Romane	2034-36	02/23	engaging fruit, vigour, long, STGT
***()	Dom Oratoire St Martin Haut Coustias	2038-40	02/23	inner drive, elegant, sustained
***()	Domaine Marcel Richaud L'Ebrescade	2038-40	10/24	slinky content, class, finesse
****	Pierre Amadieu Les Hautes Rives	2036-38	02/23	intricate appeal, rocky charge
****	Domaine Alary La Brunote	2033-35	02/23	spiced, grounded, interest, thrust
****	Domaine Boutinot Les Six	2034-36	02/23	shapely gras, enjoyable, together
****	Brunel de la Gardine	2032-34	02/23	clear content, precise, calm freshness
****	Les Chemins de Sève Métamorphose	2033-35	02/23	generous, well lined, bel ensemble
****	Clos des Mourres Adessias	2034-36	02/23	tasty attack, gt freshness, scope
****	Domaine Brusset Vieilles Vignes	2031-33	02/23	free fruit, tangy, mineral
****	Bruno & Vincent Delubac Les Bruneau	2035-37	02/23	heart on sleeve, dark, crisp
****	Dom des Escaravailles La Boutine	2033-35	02/23	gd garrigue, fruit detail, fresh
****	Dom des Escaravailles Scarabée Libéré	2025	02/23	precise, fresh, joli, w.o.w.
****	Domaine Fond Croze	2032-34	02/23	shapely gras, lift, grounded, STGT
****	Domaine Les Grands Bois Maximilien	2033-35	02/23	intense juice, bright, long
****	Dom Les Hautes Cances Col du Débat	2036-38	02/23	copious, rolling, silky, vibrant
****	Domaine Martin	2034-36	02/23	iron toned, linear, firm, emphatic
****	Domaine Rabasse Charavin	2033-35	02/23	fleshy, plump, inner vigour, long
****	Domaine Marcel Richaud	2033-35	02/23	tasty, herbal; rocky tannins
****	Grandes Serres Domaine Trois Cyprès	2032-34	02/23	upbeat, genuine, garrigue, STGT
****	Oratoire St Martin Réserve Seigneurs	2038-40	11/22	lucid fruits, energy, oiliness
****	Rhonéa Terroir Daronton	2029-30	02/23	tasty, smooth content, true, w.o.w.
**()	Bonpas Grand Hospitalier	2029-30	02/23	easy roll content, free juice
**()	Camille Cayran L’Élégante	2031-33	02/23	crisp content, late surge, gd blend
**()	Camille Cayran Grande Réserve	2030-32	02/23	cool fruit, iron, smoky tannin
**()	Les Chemins de Sève Apanage	2032-33	02/23	suave content, mild tannins
**()	Clos des Mourres Tandem	2032-33	02/23	close-knit, crunchy, authentic
**()	Domaine Alary L’Estévenas	2031-33	02/23	suave, supple, mature, genuine
**()	Domaine des Amadieu Vieilles Vignes	2032-34	02/23	brambly fruit, structure, freshness
**()	Dom A Berthet-Rayne Castel Mireio	2031-32	02/23	cosy content, fleshy, easy drink
**()	Dom A Berthet Rayne Vieiles Vignes	2033-35	02/23	ground force, garrigue, genuine
**()	Domaine Boisson Les Trois Terroirs	2029-30	02/23	quiet; spice sweetness, direct tannin
**()	Dom des Escaravailles Le Ventabren	2031-32	02/23	mild, supple, trim length
**()	Domaine Les Grands Bois Éloïse	2030-31	02/23	tasty content, sound tannin, round
**()	Domaine Les Hautes Cances Tradition	2032-34	02/23	comfy content, bright tannin
**()	Domaine Rabasse Charavin Estévenas	2031-33	02/23	suave content, juiced, accessible
**()	Gdes Serres Entregades, Coustias & Ridel	2032-34	02/23	genuine, fleshy, sound length
**()	Francois-Xav Nicolas Restanques Garrigues	2032-33	02/23	perfumed, Cair elegance, tuneful
***	Dom Coteaux des Travers Terra Rosea	2030-32	02/23	fluid, low-key, robust tannins
***	Domaine de Longue Toque	2030-31	02/23	peppery, tannic edge, limited scope
***	Domaine Moun Pantaï Jérémie	2029-31	02/23	front loaded, grainy, mineral
***	Domaine de la Présidente	2027-28	02/23	oily texture, brothy, trifle plain
***	Domaine Roche	2027-28	02/23	med depth, smooth, innocuous
***	Domaine du Trapadis Les Garrigues	2030-32	02/23	grounded, chunky, bit abrupt
***	Famille Perrin Peyre Blanche	2030-32	10/22	med weight, safe, smoky, bit dry
***	Les Grandes Serres Carius	2029-30	02/23	subdued, spiced, juice, dry tannins
***	Ravoire Pierre de Fontval	2027-28	02/23	workmanlike, low profile content
***	Vidal-Fleury	2030-32	02/23	med depth, bit dry tannins
*()	Bastide St Dominique Les 2 Arbres	2027-28	02/23	mature, rather dilute, spiced
*()	Camille Cayran Sans Soufre Ajouté	2027-28	02/23	spiced Gren, linear, recedes
*()	Cellier des Princes Le Mas des Falaises	2028	02/23	low profile, ready content, pinched
*()	Domaine Galuval La Montagne	2032-33	04/24	direct, menthol, oak strangling
**	Domaine des Espiers 60-40	2025	02/23	fleeting content, off bottle

4. 2021 CAIRANNE WHITES

THREE GENERATIONS OF CHARAVIN, LAURE, CORINNE & GRANDMAMAN CHEZ DOMAINE RABASSE CHARAVIN, THEIR 2021 BLANC HONEYED, FLORAL

The 2021 Cairanne blanc vintage is a full step ahead of the 2022, and also beats the 2020, its brightness the main feature, in line with the general success of the Southern Rhône whites, notably Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 2021.

There is style in their richness, and they will evolve well, the most senior wines running a good race over past 10 years; these come from the leading domaines with the best terroirs. One of the top wines was made by CLAIRE RICHAUD, who told me: “the 2021 whites have super acidity, and a grand freshness.”

It was a year that started inauspiciously with the frost, but PIERRE AMADIEU pointed out: “the white Cairanne rebounded well from the frost, and 2021 gave the highest yield of recent years. The Grenache blanc was less advanced when the frost struck than the Grenache noir, which helped it.”

CLAIRETTE THE TOP WHITE VARIETY AT CAIRANNE

The Clairette does very well at Cairanne, indeed I would signal it as the top white variety there. Both the ****(*) wines in 2021 contain a good level of Clairette, the RICHAUD being 30-45% Clairette blanche (1980s), 40-45% Roussanne, 10-30% Marsanne, Grenache blanc, 0-15% Bourboulenc, 0-10% Viognier from La Montagne, L’Ebrescade, Les Sablières, Les Partides, Les Travers and Cros de Romet, sandy soils favoured. It is steel or concrete vat fermented at 18°-22°C, 90-100% steel vat, 0-10% 12 hl oak barrel raised 12-13 months, the malo completed, which immediately renders it suited to la table, and also a good evolution past the age of five.

Over at the RICHAUDs’ neighbours, JEAN-ETIENNE ALARY is a bright and very well motivated lad, has attended Wine School in Burgundy, and has already made his mark. Early on he told me: “since 2016 we have done more work on cooler ferments for the reds – 14°C at first, then up to 22°C, ending at 26°-27°C. That has given a gain in fruit and more harmony on the palate.” Finesse is being actively sought here, in line with Burgundian principles.

He has also upped the ante on the whites, with the star in the firmament the Jean de Verde cuvée; the L’Estévenas blanc cuvée I find less interesting, rather New Wave and light, flavours of candy and banana a distraction, possibly from yeasting.

JEAN DE VERDE BLANC TOP GRADE WHITE

La Jean de Verde blanc was first issued in 2019, comprising 95% Clairette blanche (late 1970s), 5% Bourboulenc (early 1980s) from white & blue clay soils on L’ Estévenas; from 2023 it includes another 0.8 hectare of Clairette (1930s) ex Domaine Oratoire St Martin of their cousins, which was sold after the retirement of the brothers FRÉDÉRIC and FRANÇOIS and the sale to CHÂTEAU MONT-REDON.

The grapes receive early morning hand harvesting, whole bunch pressing, and are fermented and raised in 1-2-3 year 600-litre oak casks; before 2020 it was vat fermented, raised 600-litre oak casks for 8 months, and the malo can be completed. The 2019 was also ****(*) – really well refined in that hot vintage – and set to gain complexity, just 600 bottles in its first and second vintages. The **** 2020 was STGT wine, holding well on its innate richness, with the capacity for dishes such as lobster.

If you can find bottles here and there, I would go for them; the best would be a sensible option if the budget didn’t run to a Châteauenuf-du-Pape blanc.

LEADING 2021 CAIRANNE WHITES

***()	Domaine Alary La Jean de Verde	2033-35	02/23	elegant, complex, cool, depth
***()	Domaine Marcel Richaud	2029-30	02/23	quietly complex, easy gras, interest
****	Domaine Boutinot Argiles Blanches	2028-29	02/23	finesse, fresh length, restraint
****	Dom des Amadieu Haut de Beauregard	2030-31	02/23	clear, tangy, grippy, interest
****	Dom Brusset L’Esprit de Papet	2028-29	02/23	smooth gras, graceful, appealing
****	Domaine Les Hautes Cances	2030-31	02/23	stylish gras, gd filling, length
****	Dom Oratoire St Martin Haut Coustias	2034-36	11/22	genuine, garrigue, rich, thorough
**()	Pierre Amadieu Les Hautes Rives	2029-30	02/23	citrus, tangy, steady length
**()	Cave de Cairanne La Réserve	2027-28	02/23	discreet style, neat, citrus flow
**()	Oratoire St Martin Réserve Seigneurs	2033-34	11/22	well shaped, stylish, cosy gras
**()	Domaine Philippe Plantevin	2030-31	02/23	gd richness, spring in step, oak
**()	Domaine Rabasse Charavin	2027-28	02/23	rich content, honeyed, floral
***	Domaine Alary L’Estévenas	2027-28	02/23	candy, drift, New Wave
***	Dom A Berthet-Rayne Castel Mireio	2027	02/23	mild richness, rounded, table
***	Dom Les Chemins de Sève Opale	2026-27	02/23	easy drink, late tannic tang
***	Domaine de Galuval La Vallée	2029-30	02/23	spine, vigour, firm gras, much oak
*()	Les Grandes Serres Urban Series	2025-26	02/23	tight, uneven lacks richness

5. 2021 LIRAC WHITES

BRICE & STÉPHANIE BEAUMONT: "I LIKE THE VINTAGE A LOT, BEATS 2020"

I have long rated the whites of Lirac; here is the trusty source, namely The Wines of the Rhône [1992, Faber & Faber]: “white Lirac is now the best value white wine in the southern Rhône. When young it is very pale, only just off-white, and its bouquet is full of fresh fruit aromas: greengages, limes and even grapefruit spring to mind. The palate is most impressive, since underneath the young fruit there is a quietly imposing fullness and very good clean length. This southern weight is what saves white Lirac from being just another fresh and zesty low-temperature fermented white wine, one where the primary aromas of fermentation dominate and there is insufficient substance behind to guide the wine into a second, more complex phase of development.

After two years in bottle the colour has started to deepen towards a firmer yellow, while the bouquet has moved into a secondary phase where more nutty, dried apricot or peach aromas predominate. The palate – full, with dried fruit flavours, almondy nuttiness and hints of citrus – possesses strong length and a clean, chewy finish. After five years the wine is likely to become more markedly old, although well balanced vintage like 1986 and 1989 will live on for nearer ten years.”

I wrote that at a time when the trend was against southern whites, the press much taken by the zesty whites of New Zealand and what was then termed The New World. I had at least the foresight to realise the difference between the technical approach of those zappy whites and the capability of southern whites to possess a steady ripeness and richness beyond their fresh overtones.

HIGH QUALITY WHITES IN 2021

Hence it is no surprise that 2021 delivers high quality Lirac whites. The gradual nature of the ripening season, rather than one marked by high, severe heat spikes, contributed all-important balance. The term freshness occurs often in growers’ appraisals, and that feature always helps to extend the length and appeal of the wines. This allowed a combination of breeze and nicely together local richness in the wines, setting them up admirably for Mediterranean dishes, those versed with garlic, for instance, as well as steamed noble fish such as sea bass in fennel.

Of the four communes comprising Lirac, St Geniès-de-Comolas has the best soils that suit the Clairette down to the ground; it’s where RODOLPHE DE PINS has 130+ year Clairette that goes into the CHÂTEAU DE MONTFAUCON Vin de Madame la Comtesse de Montfaucon white, precisely made up of 85% Clairette blanche, 14% Clairette rose (1870s-1890s), 1% Grenache blanc from filtering, sand, silty soils on La Jensatte on Peyguerol at St Geniès-de-Comolas. I did not taste the 2021, if there was one, but it is a regular high class performer, very much on song in 2022.

The restraint of the year was noted by growers, with ROMAIN & LAURE DUBOIS of DOMAINE LA LÔYANE telling me: “the 2021 white vintage is full of good tension, very, very fresh. We harvested before the big rain. Our Marsanne grows on limestone at Saze, which is too dry for it, which meant that we had to pick it on 16 August [for our Côtes du Rhône].”

The mild features of the year were picked up on by a series of growers. The MAS ISABELLE’s ISABELLE BOULAIRE who makes super character, hand made wines including a great rosé from a late-1940s one hectare multi-varietal plot, told me: “2021 Lirac blanc has less tension in it than 2020. But it’s beau, fresh, very beau, the degree 14°.” BERNARD CALLET of DOMAINE COUDOULIS also appreciated the reasonable degree, informing me: “acidity is good this year, the degree good also, 13° to 13.5°,” as did NICOLAS DEGOUL of CHÂTEAU DE BOUCHASSY: “my degree was 14°. Acidity is correct in both 2020 and 2021.”

BRICE BEAUMONT benefits from his white vines dating from 1985, which secures depth in the blend. His view on 2021 was: “I’m happy with my white in 2021, half Grenache blanc, half Clairette, no Roussanne – it had been hailed in 2020, so wasn’t in a state to produce. The Grenache blanc has a lot of round appeal, while the Clairette has given freshness, white fruits such as pear, honey and acacia. I like the white vintage a lot – it’s young still, but is evolving fast. I favour 2021 over 2020.”

Lirac 2021 whites have enough about them to evolve agreeably, too, so bottles around five years’ old should be in enhanced shape, showing added variety and interesting prompts to provoke drinkers. Don’t be in a rush to drink them as soon as possible, therefore.

LEADING LIRAC 2021 WHITES

****	Château d’Aquéria	2027-28	02/22	gras appeal, life, gaiety, typical
****	Château de Manissy Trinité	2028-29	02/22	stylish, salt, solid length
****	Domaine des Carabiniers	2026-27	02/22	bit oxidative, character, saline
****	Domaine Castel Oualou	2026-27	02/22	stylish, bright, good shape
****	Domaine Coudoulis Euphorie	2028-29	02/22	enjoyable gras, fresh, v long
****	Dom de la Mordorée Reine des Bois	2028-29	02/22	compact, refined, detailed, airborne
****	Plateau des Chenes	2026-27	02/22	neat richness, stylish, salting
****	Domaine La Rocalière le Classique	2026	02/22	trim gras, tender, precise, dainty
**()	Château La Genestière	2026-27	02/22	close-knit, smoky, bit raw
**()	Domaine de Corne-Loup	2026-27	02/22	body to interest, tones down
**()	Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils	2029-30	02/22	fresh, detailed, balance, weight
***	Domaine Maby La Fermade	2027	02/22	smoky, fresh, direct thrust, clipped
***	Domaine Jocelyn Raoux	2025	02/22	low-key flavour, plain
***	Ogier Le Petit Paradoxe	2026-27	09/22	fresh outer, firm inner, instant
***	Rocca Maura	2024	02/22	soft, serene, bit simple
***	Vignerons Tavel Lirac Hauts d’Acantalys	2025	02/22	firm content, power, plain
NR	Château Devoy Martine Via Secreta		02/22	corked bottle

6. 2021 LIRAC REDS

ROMAIN PIALLAT & AUDREY GAGNIÈRE: OFF TO A FLYING START IN 2021 WITH THEIR DOMAINE DE LA CONFIDENCE

2021 at Lirac is a mixed bag. The vintage conditions gave room for different interpretations, not the deep homogeneity of a solar year.

There are fresh wines, fruit in the instant wines, some commanding wines of stature, while tannins vary from chalky to polished. The best have fully integrated tannins with therefore no worries on that score.

There are others with work to do to fuse in the dry tone of their tannins. Some are ready now, others demand extra cellaring to take care of the tannins – the greatest challenge of the vintage lies with them.

As elsewhere, the vintage was topped and tailed by frost and rain, but the frost damage at Lirac was less than in appellations across the river, temperatures not as frozen, just dipping below zero.

AMBRE DELORME of the top flight, high profile DOMAINE DE LA MORDORÉE gave me this rundown: “2021 was a year of sport, starting with spring blight pressure; we started the harvest a bit earlier than most, two weeks before the 100 mm [4 in] rain in mid-September, by when we had completed half the harvest. We had grapeworm on the Syrah, and had to do more discarding/sorting than usual, in the vineyard.

The 2021 reds tasted well even young – you can see the potential in them, unlike 2019 with its concentration. It’s a year with a belle depth and freshness, a mix of 2019 and 2020 – 2019 a year of concentration, 2020 generous and drinkable.”

ESSENTIAL TO SORT/DISCARD IN THE VINEYARD

NICOLAS DEGOUL of CHÂTEAU DE BOUCHASSY also referenced the need to sort, especially given the high yield: “we had a small frost damage, 10-15% - we burnt straw at 3 am, which helped. There was no hail, and the yield was high, the most of the past 12 years. Hand sorting and discarding was needed in the vineyard.

The biggest problem was the level of phenolic ripening – the vines were blocked, weren’t advancing, didn’t evolve. The result was top if you picked when ripe before the rain. We do 10 ha by machine, and 16 ha by hand, which involves a team of 20 people over three weeks. The reds will demand a lot of time to get together.”

WORKING AROUND THE SEPTEMBER RAIN

BERNARD CALLET, the enterprising owner of DOMAINE COUDOULIS, was another grower to point to yield that demanded sorting, telling me: “I harvest entirely by hand, and a lot of sorting was required. We had 200-300 mm [8-12 in] of rain, not far off half a year’s amount, in September. There were more grapes than in 2020.

We didn’t suffer from mildew, which hit some domaines, but had grape worm [cryptoblabes gnidiella) that goes into the middle of the bunches, is said to come from the Languedoc and the south of the Gard département, unlike the vers de la grappe [grape bunch worm] that you can see right away on the outside of the bunch.

We ended on 28 September, with less colour than usual. 2021 reds are easy to drink, are more free drinking than the 2020s.”

A GOOD, SMALL START-UP: DOMAINE DE LA CONFIDENCE

ROMAIN PIALLAT made his first wine at DOMAINE DE LA CONFIDENCE in 2021. He stated: “2021 is a bel vintage, with more balance than recently due to the rain. We did have early in the year frost, our yield at 20 hl/ha because we have old vines. There was no mildew in either 2021 or 2022 – we take out buds and let the air circulate. The degree was 15.5° in both 2021 and 2022. 2022 has a deeper colour than 2021.”

ROMAIN’s wife AUDREY GAGNIÈRE works at DOMAINE DE LA MORDORÉE, where their Lirac red [997 b] and Châteauneuf-du-Pape red [750 b] are vinified. They have hit the ground running, both wines of commendable quality, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape a 100% Syrah from the good quality lieu-dit of Fortiasse, a 0.176 ha vineyard bought in 2021.

There are 12 hectares whose harvest was previously sent to the Cave de Roquemaure by Romain’s father. The Lirac red is 60% Grenache (1946-47, Gobelet trained), 20% Syrah (2003), 20% Cinsault (1946-47, Gobelet trained). The 2021 was an authentic garrigue wine, while the 2022 was a worthy ***(*) wine, wholesome and natural. Put this name in your notebooks.

FRUIT A MAJOR ASSET ACCORDING TO GROWERS

The presence of good fruiting was the asset most mentioned by growers this year. ROMAIN and LAURE DUBOIS of DOMAINE LA LÔYANE told me: “it’s a jolly year, which I prefer over 2019 and 2020 – 2019 was too heated, while 2021 had a balanced ripening, ripeness and balance of fruit. The degree in both 2020 and 2021 was 14.5°, but the 2021 has better balance than 2020.”

BRICE BEAUMONT commented: “2021 Lirac red is very good, holds lots of fruit, has power, and stays very fine along the palate. I’d say power and elegance. Lirac wasn’t as frost hit as other regions – it was minus 1°C here, but 5 km away it was minus 7°C.”

DOMINIQUE AMIDO LE DANTEC, DOMAINE AMIDO, observed: “Lirac red has top fruit in 2021, along with matter and colour. The tannins are not drying in style, can guide the wine towards keeping OK. The yield was around 32 hl/ha, against just 20 hl/ha in the hailed on year of 2022.”

HIGH QUALITY HARVEST

Two growers were thoroughly pleased with their harvest quality. ISABELLE BOULAIRE of MAS ISABELLE informed me: “I had a very low yield and no rot because the grapes had all re-concentrated after the frost, which lost me 4 ha of my 19 ha. The standard was magnificent. The colour isn’t very deep.”

VINCENT ESTEVENIN of the biodynamic DOMAINE DE MARCOUX was happy with his vineyards, reporting: “the harvest was handsome, with super balance, joli colour and matter because there was a lot of Syrah and Mourvèdre [80% of the cuvée]. With them, we didn’t get reduction, having moved to a 30 hl large barrel raising for between one-third and one-half of the wine. The degree was small, 12.5° to 13°, and there was quite high acidity, but the skins were very ripe, and fine and the aromatic side was present.”

I noticed that the DOMAINE DE LA MORDORÉE La Reine des Bois held higher than usual Syrah this year - 40%, the lead variety - and wasn’t sure how beneficial that was for the blend. However, the DOMAINE MABY Nessum Dorma, 85% Syrah, was wholesome and precise, with flair in its delivery, even if its oak was on the limit.

THE COMBAT AGAINST HAIL

While poking around at Lirac, I noticed a strange, rather small machine, and discovered that it was an anti-hail device. There are four of these machines to produce silver iodide that serve to cut down hailstones – a big cloud is formed that covers 10 sq km at height, a warning given six hours ahead. They are placed just on the northern exit of the village of Lirac, at Roquemaure, at the biodynamic Domaine des Carabiniers and at Saint Geniès de Comolas.

**** GROUP OF LIVE WINES

Among the successful groups of wines in 2021 was that of wines with live virtues, usually **** quality. Two came from BRICE BEAUMONT, who is happily married and on the roll, his St Pierre aux Liens [concrete vat raised] vigorous and emphatic, his special La Cuvée de David [cask raised] a wine of inner drive, a nice whole.

ALAIN JAUME of DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR at Châteauenuf-du-Pape also supplied a couple of similarly interesting wines, the La Grangette des Garrigues vivid, local and balanced, and the Clos de Sixte a wine of vigour, interest, blood-iron tones.

NOTABLE PEDIGREE: DOMAINE LA ROCALIÈRE

In the stylish camp came a cracker from the LEMOINE sisters, MÉLANIE and SÉVÉRINE of DOMAINE LA ROCALIÈRE. Previously organic, since 2020 their Tavel and Liracs have been biodynamic wines, with a refined style, and quality up a gear since stopping machine harvesting and reverting to harvesting by hand.

The sisters have also reduced the vineyard size so they can focus more fully on it in detail, the area down to 29 hectares from the 58 ha when SÉVERINE entered the domaine in 1995. There has also been a bound forward in the vineyard with the adoption of the biodynamic practices, and fruit quality is good. The 2021 red, one-third each Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, was a wine holding fluent berry fruit, polished tannins right in the wheel, and a late juicy freedom that entertains: a Lirac of flair, pedigree, the fruit entertaining.

CAVEAT WINES, INCLUDING HEAVY OAKING

On the flip side of the coin, the caveats for 2021. Wines with marked aciditiy, dry tannins, cellar exertion. Also, a lack of sparkle in the fruit, with tannins a problem -basic stuff. Wines that fail to drink freely.

Another annoying category was those with over-marked oaking. The gourmand CHÂTEAU MONT-REDON would have been rated more highly but for charry oaking, which may drop back, but didn’t bring a lot to the party. The CHÂTEAU DE MANISSY L’Avant Gout du Paradis displayed dry oaking. Furthermore, both these are in the high quality segment of Lirac. Hmm.

Another example that took me back around 20 years was DOMAINE CHANTEPIERRE, the PALY domaine from within LA CAVE DE TAVEL. CHRISTIAN PALY heads up the French INAO group of administration of appellations, and is also big in Inter Rhône.

From there the superior [higher priced] Les Deux Pins was an unleashed **(*) wine of gusto, but interfered with by its oaking, the balance affected. This was something of an old story, in that the Tradition, cheaper cuvée was a **** wine. As opposed to the 21 months oaking of the Deux Pins, it is raised around nine months in casks. The old days saw many such cases of older vine cuvées messed around by obvious oaking, thought by growers to render the wine more lustrous and appealing – notably to Robert Parker Jr.

2021 is a vintage of medium term distance, with many of the wines likely to be past their best from 12 years onwards. Enjoy the fruit!

LEADING LIRAC 2021 REDS

***()	Domaine des Muretins	2033-35	02/23	suave flow, stylish, ceremonial, V
***()	Domaine La Rocalière le Classique	2034-36	02/23	fluent fruit, flair, pedigree
***()	Alain Jaume Grangette des Garrigues	2033-35	02/23	garrigue tuning, vivid, balanced
****	Château de Monftaucon	2031-33	02/23	savoury, rounded, plentiful juice
****	Clos du Mont-Olivet	2030-32	02/24	cool fruit, iron, gunflint, appealing
****	Domaine Amido Les Mûres	2033-35	02/23	structure, emphasis, likeable snap
****	Dom Beaumont La Cuvée de David	2032-34	02/23	inner drive, well together
****	Dom Beaumont St Pierre aux liens	2032-34	02/23	depth, vigour, fresh, herbal
****	Domaine Chantepierre	2032-34	02/23	resounding depth, iron, raw drive
****	Domaine de la Confidence	2032-34	02/23	gd fruit strike, tannic drive
****	Domaine Corne-Loup	2032-33	02/23	sweet, spherical, plump virtues
****	Domaine Maby Bel Canto	2036-38	02/23	vivid, fuelled, stapled to land
****	Domaine Maby Nessun Dorma	2035-37	02/23	wholesome, well tuned, serene length
****	Domaine de Marcoux	2033-35	03/23	upright, cool, crystalline, 80% M/Sy
****	Alain Jaume Clos de Sixte	2034-36	02/23	vigour, interest, iron, variety
****	Alain Jaume Roquedon	2032-34	02/23	well orchestrated, sure depth
****	Plateau des Chênes	2033-35	02/23	genuine, iron clarity, ripe tannins
**()	Château de Bouchassy Quatuor	2030-31	02/23	fresh attack, tasty sweetness
**()	Château Mont-Redon	2033-35	02/23	well organised, gourmand, texture, oak
**()	Chât de Montfaucon Baron Louis	2035-37	02/23	direct, menthol, smoky, hearty
**()	Château Saint-Roch Palmes	2026	02/23	buzzy, instant, crisp fruit
**()	Domaine Alexandre Hote Printemps	2029-30	05/22	pure fruit, naked, vegetal, interest
**()	Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine	2030-32	02/23	drive, exertion, genuine, solid depth
**()	Domaine Maby La Fermade	2032-34	02/23	supple Gren, clear, fruit first
**()	Dom Mordorée La Dame Rousse	2030-31	02/23	light flow content, polite
**()	Dom La Mordorée La Reine des Bois	2033-35	02/23	smoky, ground force, lithe
**()	Domaine Pelaquié	2031-32	02/23	compact, sweet, round, open
**()	Dom Pères de l’Eglise St Augustin	2030-31	02/23	fleshy, garrigue, unpretentious
**()	Domaine Jocelyn Raoux Tradition	2030-31	02/23	gd fruit attack, chewy end
**()	Rocca Maura Terra Ancestra	2032-34	02/23	cool & crisp fruit, spark, cordite
**()	Domaine Roger Sabon	2029-30	02/23	clear fruit, light tannin, bit of a dip
**()	Mas Isabelle Grand Roc	2033-35	02/23	crisp content, wiry, intense, time
**()	Vignerons de Tavel Hauts Acantalys	2027-28	02/23	bright, open fruit, light, free
***	Cellier Chartreux Les Colombettes	2028-29	02/23	close-knit, power, garrigue, chewy
***	Château Boucarut Pierres Vivantes	2029-30	02/23	immediate, clipped fruit, clear drink
***	Chât Montfaucon Monsieur le Baron	2032-34	02/23	rich, prolonged, weight, sipping
***	Domaine des Carabiniers	2029-30	02/23	plump, rolling, calm, bit simple
***	Romain Duvernay	2028-29	02/23	mild richness, southern, pedestrian
***	Domaine La Font de Notre Dame	2030-31	02/23	spiced Gren, trad, qte genuine
***	Domaine Giraud Sables d’Arène VV	2026-27	02/23	facile, straightforward, spiced
***	Domaine La Loyane Élie	2030-31	02/23	upright, tangy, grainy
***	Dom des Maravilhas Canto Bruno	2028	02/24	crisp fruiit, light, immediate
***	Rocca Maura Saint Valentin	2030-32	02/23	busy, herbal, full, disorderly
***	Famille Pierre Usseglio	2029-30	02/23	med depth, bit fragile
*()	Chât Manissy Avant gout du paradis	2030-31	02/23	low depth, dry oaking
*()	Château de Manissy Trinité	2030-32	02/23	lithe, sinewed, peppery, richness?
*()	Dom Causses Saint-Eynes Réserve Syr	2027-28	02/23	sweet weight, rugged tannin, dry
*()	Dom Chantepierre Les Deux Pins	2030-31	02/23	vigorous, wild, gusto, much oak
*()	Jean Maxime Delorme	2029-30	02/23	red fruit, chewy tannins, exerted
*()	Vignerons de Tavel Jean XXII	2031-32	02/23	upright, cool, peppery, confused
**	Château Devoy Martine Via Secreta	2030-31	02/23	effort wine, swarthy, old school
**	Domaine La Loyane	2029-30	02/23	lactic, a moving target, dry end
**	Rocca Maura Tradition	2025	02/23	fusty, plain, lack freshness

7. 2021 GIGONDAS REDS

CENDRINE FARAUD, DOMAINE DU CAYRON: YOU HAD TO WORK TO REFINE THE 2021 VINTAGE

After the dazzling exuberance and free, muscular drive of 2019 and the unassuming safeness of 2020, Gigondas has given a cool vintage in 2021, a year with fluid levels of richness and fresh features - providing the harvest was properly ripe and well sorted.

It’s the most loose year for a while, its Nordic profile meaning that it will amplify as it ages, some of that task taking place in bottle. The best wines are stylish, with sufficient depth and richness to favour a patient cellaring strategy, while there are others where fruit is the alpha and omega, indicating pleasure in the initial years.

A vintage such as 2021 is always a little on the edge; ripening wasn’t a given, due first, to the setbacks and delays generated by the April frost, then to the temperate summer, while the mid-August storm and hail affected some zones, bringing rot pressures.

The harvest needed a watchful eye regarding its progress, while keen sorting followed by tender handling in the cellar were essential. 2021 doesn’t have a really rich Grenache base, so the wines will gradually take their shape, with affinities to Burgundy found in the most elegant.

2021 EN FINESSE, FRESHNESS

THIÉRRY FARAVEL of DOMAINE LA BOUISSIÈRE developed this point, telling me: “2021 is very Burgundian, on finesse, freshness, lower degree, with very fine tannins, and not a large scale structure. The Grenache is less dominant due to the frost, so 2021 is similar to 2013 in that respect, but there’s a lot more finesse and ripeness in 2021 – the 2013 tannins were rustic.

Sorting and discarding was needed, but more because of the light content of the grapes, not because of rot. It’s a vintage of the grower, the vigneron/vigneronne – you had to reflect more than usual, and a traditional approach simply didn’t work – you had to not extract too much.”

CHRISTOPHE AY of DOMAINE RASPAIL-AY gave comments in the same vein: “it’s a vintage with a lot of freshness, a lot of finesse. The tannins are less concentrated than recently, the fruit very ripe and accessible, good and drinkable. There are similarities with 2018, the balance attractive, with the Grenache ripening well.

SHORTENED RAISING TO PRESERVE FRUIT, SLIGHTLY LOWER DEGREE THAN 2020, 2019

I shortened the raising from 22 months down to 18 months in order to preserve the fruit. We weren’t frost-affected, with 80% of a usual harvest – 27 hl/ha instead of 30 hl/ha, the degree 14.5°, the same as 2022, while 2019 and 2020 were both 15°.”

The raising approach was of high interest this year: there was certainly a school that felt that a usual duration would place the freshness of the fruit at risk, as stated by CHRISTOPHE.

BERTRAND STEHELIN, who is kept busy by his 27 hectares that run across Sablet, Gigondas, vin de pays and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, has his main Gigondas vineyards on two different sites, the higher one Paillière et Pied-Gu at 250 metres, the other on Les Blâcheslower down west of the village. The former was frost-free in 2021, but there was a two-speed ripening apparent, as he explained: “the ripening wasn’t homogenous in 2021, and that led to the need to harvest over five and a half weeks, from 10 September until 18 October. We had to work things out sector by sector.

By 5 October the late zones were in good shape. The Dentelles were fine, a very clean harvest there, even up till Christmas. Near the village, the more humid zones, fast harvesting was required because of rot. There was more frost damage at Sablet than Gigondas for me, and I ended up losing 50% of my red Sablet, but only 10% of my Gigondas. The white Sablet was OK, because I pruned it late.

The first pickings until 20 September were diluted, but after that the wines had a joli structure that helped the first harvest when blended together. 2021 Gigondas is quite fine, easy drinking, a young drink.

The stretch of harvest between 10 and 20 October gave firm wines with jolis tannins, the Grenache holding beau fruit and ripe stems. 2021 is a year to bottle quite quickly because the wines are supple, round, unlike the charged, tannic 2019s, for example. The degree is 13.5° to 14°, against 14.5° to 15° for the 2019.”

Two young growers, both mainly situated on the lower reaches west of the village are BENJAMIN GRAS of DOMAINE SANTA DUC and PAUL BEAUMET-BONFILS of DOMAINE GOUR DE CHAULÉ; they both felt that 2021 would gain with raising, with BENJAMIN telling me: “2021 Gigondas will grow up and gain complexity; it needs raising and patience, has joli fruit within. It’s a Burgundy style of vintage, digestible, fresh, with immediate drinking possible. It’s more fine than 2018.”

PAUL commented: “you had to be very on the mark with extractions, and not go over on them; I ended up only handling the vats every two days. We lost 30% from our own discarding alone – you had to be ruthless.

The 2021 raising will mean the wines benefit from air, and expand and compensate for what was absent from the vinification. The Tradition didn’t have enough wine to fill a concrete vat for the vat part, so was raised in steel. It had a super evolution that took off after 12 months. I did not make our No.8 cuvée because of frost.”

CENDRINE FARAUD of the longtime favourite DOMAINE DU CAYRON gave me this take – they have a combination of vineyards near the Dentelles on the Col du Cayron, with land on Les Garrigues and Les Blâches, so limestone high up, with clay-limestone and a little sand elsewhere: “you had to work on it this year – work to refine the wine above all, meaning that we may bottle in May 2023, or even go to July, 2023.

We sold a bit under half in bulk, with 35,000 to 40,000 bottles this year. I have to say, that with a price in bulk of €7.50 to €8 a litre, you pause to reflect. We all taste the vats together, and found highs and lows. On one vat, no-one wrote a score on it – it was 0/10, just nothing there!”

ROMAIN CUNTY-PEYSSON of DOMAINE FONT-SANE also found 2021 on the tricky side, stating: “2021 is uneven. At least, we had no frost or hail. Vinifications went well; the colour is good, and there is fruit with decent balance. Levels of quality are varied across Gigondas, though. We bottled in March. 2023, and have found that the raising helped the wines to gain in matter.”

MATHIEU BOUTIÈRE of DOMAINE DU PESQUIER works 17 hectares that are mostly on the sloping garrigue land running from the village towards the River Ouvèze, though there are also a helpful two hectares on Cayron, planted in the early 1970s – a good decision to have that variety high up, thus avoiding its jammy side in hot summers.

MATHIEU commented: “2021 isn’t too structured. We had frost all around us, with 100 metres further up the slope not frosted. We had a second growth effectively, so the yield was small, which gave some structure. It’s not an ample year, is Northern in manner. The mountain area gave high yield, and are very different wines.”

TRICKY FOR LARGE DOMAINES WITH VERY FAST HARVESTING REQUIRED

MATHIEU also made a salient point about domaine size this year, adding: “the three or four storms during the harvest meant you had to hasten, and that certainly diluted the harvest of the large domaines with their big area of vineyards to cover. We started on 20 September. I now try to harvest a little earlier, so store up acidity, then raise the wines longer; I have always made wines of freshness and finesse.”

PIERRE AMADIEU also referenced the effort requited this year, declaring: “2021 is very sympa in terms of balance and acidity. You had to work at it, a bit like 2018 when work was needed also, but the 2021 tannins are better, not enormous. The frost didn’t hit Gigondas too much – we lost 10-15%. The areas hit were low down, towards the Ouvèze – Saint Damien, Saint André where a lot of Grenache was lost.

It was quite a late year; the grapes inflated a lot, and had trouble ripening. The high zones gave more harvest than usual. Our harvest ran from 5 September until 5 October; not all Gigondas was up to the mark, and some had to go into Côtes du Rhône red.

Across the appellation you can find light wines derived from grapes that were too inflated – every week in September there was rain, and you had to go fast on the harvest when conducting it. The rain may also have caused a lack of softness/silk on the finishes.”

PROJECT GIGONDAS BLANC, PIERRE AMADIEU VINEYARDS LED BY CLAIRETTE

The AMADIEU domaine is one with the most white harvest in Gigondas, which has meant PIERRE playing an important role in the project to secure cru status, just like the red and rosé, for the white wine from the Gigondas appellation area.

Their white vineyards are 90% Clairette blanche with 5% Grenache blanc mixed in the vineyard (early 1950s) from 4 hectares on clay-limestone, alluvial, gravel terraces from the slopes of Gigondas, with since 2019 5% Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier (2013) from 0.7 ha on N facing clay soils at 350 metres. This gives the currently Côtes du Rhône Domaine Grand Romane white, a wine I rate highly, frequently at ****.

It is oak handled, whereas the other AMADIEU Côtes blanc, the Roulepierre, made from 80-100% Clairette blanche (early 1950s), 0-20% Grenache blanc from clay-limestone, alluvial, gravel terraces from the slopes of Gigondas, is steel vat fermented and raised. It is sound, upbeat, a notch less complex than the Grand Romane.

THE MERITS OF THE CLAIRETTE

One of the merits of the Clairette is that it doesn’t suffer unduly from drought, even in a parched year such as 2017. It’s also a fresh variety in essence, with a tendency among younger growers to harvest it earlier than the veterans used to – meaning it’s around 12.5° to 13° rather than 13° to 14°. The AMADIEUs, for example, changed their policy on harvest timing from the 2016 vintage.

GREEN LIGHT FOR THE 2023 VINTAGE

The Gigondas white wine project is now under a full head of steam, and 2023 is due to be the first vintage with white wine allowed. THIÉERY FARAVEL of DOMAINE LA BOUISSIÈRE commented on it to me: “the green light went quickly, but only in the end. LOUIS BARRUOL [CHÂTEAU SAINT COSME, the prime motivator] had his first meeting about it in 2012, and it started with tasting of whites with growers such as FRANCK ALEXANDRE of DOMAINE LES TEYSSONNIÈRES [President of the Growers’ Union at the time] of whites from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Palette [next to Aix-en-Provence] to assess the likely standard of neighbours.

In 2014 some vinifications were done on a small scale – LES PALLIÈRES, TEYSONNIÈRES, not many. Young growers were convinced, the older ones less so. By 2017, five growers declared their white – PIERRE AMADIEU, LOUIS BARRUOL, BERTRAND STEHELIN, THIÉRRY FARAVEL and the DOMAINE DE LONGUE TOQUE.

Things rather paused, but got going again in 2018, and the decree was passed in September 2022, meaning that the 2023 vintage will be the first for Gigondas blanc.”

THE BLEND FOR THE FUTURE

The blend is headed by a minimum of 70% Clairette blanche, backed by Bourboulenc, Clairette rose, Grenache blanc & gris, Marsanne, Picpoul and Roussanne. On secondary status stand the Viognier (newly modish) and the Ugni blanc (old school) that cannot represent more than 5% of the blend.

There are 18 hectares of white planted at present, with at least a dozen producers said to be keen to plant. These include DOMAINE DU PESQUIER, the SOUCHIÈRE family at the CAVE DE GIGONDAS, DOMAINE DU TERME of ANNE GAUDIN and JULIEN BRECHET of DOMAINE DES BOSQUETS – he is the brother of LAURENT of CHÂTEAU DE VAUDIEU at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, source of excellent whites.

LIMESTONE & ALTITUDE

One of the main geological drivers behind the project is the presence of limestone at Gigondas, which the growers consider to impart freshness and minerality; there is also the elevation of a good part of the vineyards, notably those in the lee of the Dentelles de Montmirail.

FREER ROLE FOR CINSAULT ON THE RED BLEND

Recent legislative activity on the red Gigondas blend has also reflected the proliferation of hot summers and higher degree wines. Hence the more lowly degree and also drought resistant Cinsault has been promoted to a the level of complementary variety on a footing with the Syrah and the Mourvèdre. That shifts its use in the blend from 5% to 10% to up to 50%. The Grenache can run between 50% and 100% in the wine, by the way, with the Mourvèdre and Syrah not allowed to exceed 50%.

2022 IS RICH, SO 2021 A COOL OUTLIER

2022 at Gigondas reverts to the profile of a rich year, with gourmand tendencies, even though the harvest ripeness was scattered with blockages and September rains confusing the issue. It leaves 2021 out on its own, therefore, as a generally more fragile year without the solar packing that has prevailed in recent times.

Fragility does not mean loss of quality, though, since acidity is what keeps wines living, and developing. 2021 is certainly a year to keep carefully, and to monitor with interest – the old adage of buying a case, waiting a few years, then trying a bottle each year or so applies well.

As a tasting professional, I go through dozens of wines, attempting to suggest the leading ones in my writing. The picture can be clouded due to exposure to straggling wines that lack depth and integrity, but in actual fact, such wines are unlikely to be bought be readers of this [at least, I hope not!].

It’s then a question of assembling the wagons around the virtues of the leaders, while painting an overall picture that takes in some of the defects and setbacks, the cautions that should be aired. When I started writing in the early 1970s, the approach was the same, except that numerically, the successes were a much lower percentage than they are today. Faulty wines would account for anywhere between one-third and one-half of any group of 10 or 20 wines.

THE VIRTUES OF 2021

Well, let’s take a look at the virtues of 2021: it’s a vintage that encourages the menthol side freshness of Gigondas to come to the fore. The clarity of the year has encouraged vivid garrigue expression in some wines, lots of menthol. There’s also energy, drive in the better ones, examples of that being DOMAINE DU POURRA La Réserve and the DOMAINE DU CAYRON, the former vivid, STGT wine from limestone marl soils at the healthy height of 420 metres on Le Pourra, the latter a wine of bundles of fresh drive, including harvest from the Col du Cayron under the Dentelles.

There are some well filled, serious wines that will run for 18-20 years - they have the merit that beyond their filling they are clear and fresh, with no sense of solar oppression. That makes a good combo, wines that are solid in a grounded manner, and alert in the air.

Fruits don’t have big solar, black fruit density, being more often red and airborne, with suggestions of flair in their delivery. Indeed, fruit purity is essential this year – anything underdone or over exerted fails that test.

There are therefore wines that are undeniably loose, with lack of stuffing an issue, while some fade on the second half. Leafy, nettles tones show up in many of these lesser wines, while a common fault can also be dryness – dry tannins, dry finishes. Those that don’t carry much structure are accessible early on, but will never provoke the palate.

I would recommend buying of all wines at **** or ****(*). Note that I have not come up with any ***** wines, but I am sure that the **** plus group will provide pleasure and entertainment in the years to come.

LEADING 2021 GIGONDAS REDS

*****	Château Saint Cosme Le Poste	2048-50	07/23	stylish juice, silken, serene, redondo
***()	Pierre Amadieu Dom Grand Romane	2045-47	10/22	accomplished, style, quality fruit
***()	Château de Saint Cosme Classique	2045-47	07/23	structure, refined, fresh, slow gain
***()	Château Saint Cosme Le Claux	2047-49	07/23	classy, tight gras, sensuous, Burgundian
***()	Dom Gour de Chaulé .1871 Tradition	2046-48	03/25	fresh, zingy, Pinote, energy, interest
***()	Domaine de Longue Toque	2041-43	10/22	gd density, refined, harmony, authentic
***()	Moulin de la Gardette Ventabren	2043-45	10/22	bright fruit, pure, long, Burgundian
***()	Domaine Les Pallières Les Racines	2047-49	10/22	knit, doughty, rich, profound
***()	Domaine de Piéblanc Pallierouda	2044-46	10/22	suave fruit, balance, purring elegance
***()	Dom Santa Duc Clos Derriere Vieille	2049-51	02/24	emphatic start, inner depth, sure length
***()	Dom Santa Duc Les Hautes Garrigues	2051-53	02/24	clenched content, fibrous, gd structure
***()	Dom Semelles de Vent Clos du Garde	2039-41	10/22	immed interest, bright, complete, V
***()	Famille Perrin L’Argnée Vieilles Vignes	2045-47	10/23	local pedigree, articulate, intricate
***()	Famille Perrin Clos des Tourelles	2045-47	10/23	close, restrained gras, linear, Nordic
***()	Montirius La Tour	2041-43	02/24	nicely ensemble, lovely drop, STGT
****	Pierre Amadieu Le Pas de l’Aigle	2041-43	10/22	bountiful, authority, sure length
****	Pierre Amadieu Roman Machotte	2041-43	10/22	well composed, herbal, gd freshness
****	La Cave Gigondas Brut du Foudre 56	2040-42	10/22	sleek, well fruited, nourishing, balance
****	La Cave de Gigondas Signature	2038-40	10/22	tasty richness, vintage clarity, length
****	Chât de Montmirail Combe Sauvage	2040-42	10/22	Mourv depth, Gren silk, fluid
****	Château Redortier	2036-38	10/22	wholesome, broad, tasty, local
****	Chât Saint Cosme Hominis Fides	2048-50	07/23	juice density, plummy, bit fragile tannin
****	Clos des Cazaux La Tour Sarrazine	2042-44	10/22	intrigue, character, spiced, emphatic
****	Domaine La Bouïssière Tradition	2045-47	02/24	lots of fruit appeal, cracking, STGT
****	Dom Brusset Les Hauts de Montmirail	2040-42	10/22	wide, southern, herbal, v long
****	Dom Brusset Secrets de Montmirail	2038-40	10/22	free fruit stream, refined
****	Dom Brusset Trad Grand Montmirail	2039-41	10/22	broad, rolling, true, grounded
****	Domaine du Cayron	2040-42	10/22	busy content, authentic, fresh drive
****	Domaine de l'Espigouette	2036-38	02/24	stroking engagement, suave, juiced
****	Domaine de Font-Sane Tradition	2040-42	10/22	fleshy, rolling, fresh, true
****	Domaine La Fourmone le Secret	2036-38	10/22	authentic, fresh, thorough, direct
****	Domaine Les Goubert Florence	2043-45	10/22	gd fuel, long, fresh, oaked
****	Domaine Grapillon d’Or Excellence	2041-43	10/22	pleasing fruit, nicely fresh
****	Domaine d’Ouréa ‘O	2030-31	10/22	bonny fruits, balance, w.o.w.
****	Dom Les Pallières Terrasse du Diable	2045-47	10/22	great attack, cosy, character
****	Dom Le Péage Un Soir d’Automne	2041-43	10/22	wholesome, rich, garrigue, STGT, V
****	Domaine du Pesquier	2043-45	10/22	calm fruit, refined, pure, Burgundy
****	Domaine du Pourra La Réserve	2042-44	10/22	energy, much character, STGT
****	Domaine La Roubine	2034-36	10/22	cool fruit, sure length, local
****	Domaine Santa Duc Aux Lieux-Dits	2046-48	02/24	v crystalline fruit, refined, iron, purity
****	Domaine La Soumade	2043-45	11/22	gd clarity, mountain wine, authentic
****	Domaine Les Teyssonnières	2041-43	10/22	free flow, stylish, harmony
****	Famille Perrin La Gille	2041-43	10/22	typical Gig cool, polished, well tuned
****	Mas des Flauzières Four Danuga	2038-40	10/22	mineral, rocky, character, interest
****	Gabriel Meffre Laurus	2038-40	10/22	entertaining, hearty, flair, juiced
****	Ogier Les Dentelles	2040-42	10/22	garrigue, authentic, gd richness, gusto
**()	Boutinot Domaine Les Assalins	2038-40	10/22	inner charge, iron, garrigue
**()	Cave de Gigondas Dom de Carobelle	2029-30	10/22	well tuned, expressive, early
**()	Château Mont-Redon Réserve	2038-40	10/22	grad extension, efficient, breezy
**()	Château de Montmirail Saint-Maurice	2042-44	10/22	sturdy, filled, solid, direct tannin
**()	Château La Thébaïde	2038-40	10/22	tight content, engages, fruit-led
**()	La Bastide Saint Vincent	2036-38	03/23	mineral, spinal, fruit bursts
**()	Domaine La Bouïssière Font de Tonin	2045-47	02/24	energy, linear oaking, concentration
**()	Clos Léopold	2034-36	11/21	aromatic, inviting, gd flow
**()	Domaine de Cabasse Jucunditas	2041-43	10/22	cool, naked, probing, alert
**()	Romain Duvernay	2034-36	10/22	suave, rolling, comfy, textured
**()	Domaine des Espiers Les Grames	2034-35	10/22	vigour, invigorated, steady quality
**()	Domaine Fontavin Combe Sauvage	2040-42	10/22	broad, robust, vigour, rigour
**()	Domaine La Fourmone Le Fauquet	2031-33	10/22	clear fruit, menthol, on edge
**()	Domaine Les Goubert	2041-43	10/22	direct, spiced, mineral, central depth
**()	Domaine Grapillon d’Or 1806	2040-42	10/22	smoky, sinewed, fresh, direct
**()	Domaine Palon Malijay Famille Deltin	2037-39	10/22	appealing fruit, fresh, modern
**()	Domaine des Pasquiers	2039-41	10/22	genuine, agreeable, joli fruit
**()	Domaine de Piéblanc Les Terres	2035-37	10/22	tasty, inviting content, genuine
**()	Domaine du Terme Cuvée Réserve	2037-39	10/22	broad, copious, spherical, authentic
**()	Domaine du Terme Tradition	2038-40	10/22	spicy, sinewed, pushy tannins
**()	Lavau	2041-43	10/22	resolute, inner richness, STGT
**()	Le Mas des Flauzières Secret du Roc	2038-40	10/22	bold content, punchy, oaked
**()	Montirius Confidentiel	2039-41	10/22	clear, thrust, filling, genuine
**()	Rhonéa Les Ocres des Dentelles	2030-32	10/22	suave content, precise tannins
**()	Tardieu-Laurent Vieilles Vignes	2039-41	02/23	linear, salted, fruit freedom
**()	Vidal-Fleury	2036-38	10/22	fresh, garrigue, v steady quality
***	Boutinot La Font de Notre Dame	2032-34	10/22	ready fruit, obvious oak
***	Château de Montmirail Beauchamp	2034-36	10/22	clear, straightforward, easy, open fruit
***	M Chapoutier Les Jocasses	2030-32	10/22	crisp fruit, bracing, low ambition
***	Domaine de Durban	2033-34	10/22	cool, menthol, zappy fruit
***	Dom Font-Sane Terrasses Dentelles	2038-40	10/22	cool, suave, cellar-led, oaked
***	Dom du Grand Bourjassot Classique	2034-36	10/22	mid weight, sweet, upfront
***	Domaine Raspail-Ay	2042-44	10/22	upright, raw, lithe, rigorous
***	Domaine Saint-Damien Vieilles Vignes	2031-33	10/22	trad, bonhomme, sweet, plump
***	Alain Jaume Terrasses de Montmirail	2034-36	10/22	strength, grounded, sure length, chewy
***	François Xav Lambert Prestige Dentelles	2030-32	10/22	vegetal, grainy, clear, cool
***	Mas des Flauzières Grande Réserve	2037-39	10/22	ample, oak, delivery gusto
***	Montirius Terre des Aînés	2034-36	10/22	lithe, herbal, bit escapist
***	Famille Ravoire Olivier Ravoire	2039-41	10/22	bracing, chiselled, genuine Gren
***	Rhonéa Le Pas de Montmirail	2035-37	10/22	jammy content, laborious
*()	Arnoux Vieux Clocher Nobles Terrasses	2028-30	10/22	spiced, gummy tannins, mild
*()	La Cave de Gigondas La Référence	2030-32	10/22	spiced Grenache, linear, raw tannin
*()	Domaine Cécile Chassagne	2030-31	10/22	trad, cedar, dry tannin
*()	Ferraton Les Murailles	2028-29	10/22	easy, imemdiate fruit, innocuous
*()	Domaine Les Florets Synchronicité	2032-34	10/22	tarry, qte full, dry-toned, low flow
*()	Domaine La Ligière Les Bergines	2026-27	10/22	earthiness, fair length, limited
*()	Domaine Les Olympes	2026-27	10/22	stewed fruit, gummy, downbeat
*()	Le Mas des Flauzières Terra Rosso	2036-38	10/22	sumptuous, fruit bomb, scale
*()	Mas des Restanques	2026	10/22	immed fruit, light, fades
*()	Pierre-Henri Morel	2035-37	10/22	lean, direct, raw toned, high acidity
*()	Rhonéa Les Pierres du Vallat	2031-33	10/22	cool, vigorous, oak, exertion
**	Aimé Arnoux Domaine La Maurelle	2032-34	10/22	heavy, charged, disorderly
**	Aimé Arnoux Parcellaires	2030-31	10/22	oak versus Gren, fresh, hollow
**	Chât Croix des Pins Dessous Dentelles	2030-32	10/22	perfumed, wonky, wobbly
**	François Xavier Lambert Tradition	2031-33	10/22	seared, bit stretched, dry
**	Domaine d’Ouréa La Belle Cime	2029-31	10/22	direct, stitched together, dry
**	Gabriel Meffre Sainte Catherine	2030-32	10/22	nettly, lithe, grainy, diluted

8. 2021 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE REDS

JACQUELINE ANDRÉ OF THE ORGANIC DOMAINE PIERRE ANDRÉ: FRUIT PURITY, AIRBORNE WINES IN 2021

The bookends of the growing season governed CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE in 2021 - the April frost and the September rains. It is an extraordinary year due to an unprecedented shut down of three weeks in the vegetal life of the vineyards following the 7-8 April frost that laid waste to all low lying areas. At the same time, higher zones that avoided the frost proceeded at a different speed, bringing a sense of chaos across the vineyards, with growers on the stretch to manage growth activity.

The September rains – heavy falls, three of them, all over 50 mm [2 in] – also sowed the seeds of confusion about when to start the harvest. Thanks to a summer that wasn’t very hot, there had been a gradual ripening before then, lending the vintage a Nordic profile, a bearer of acidity more than dense sugar in the grapes.

When the whole harvest is ripe and concentrated, as in the solar years, only some finessing of that harvest decision is required – notably, securing phenolic ripeness of pips, skins and stems. But 2021 brought disorder because everything was so uneven, across different locations and across different grape varieties.

AUGUSTE CLAPE, my hero de Cornas, always told me that the date of the harvest was the single most important decision in any year; “after all, the chef can go back into his or her cuisine and re-do the sauce, a luxury I don’t have,” he would state. Well, the minutiae of the vineyard and its behaviour truly came to the fore in 2021, and demanded that growers were completely on their game after what had already been a long, worrying few months.

An appraisal of the year that is highly relevant was given to me by PHILIPPE BRAVAY of DOMAINE DE FERRAND in the northern sector towards Orange. His is one of the top wines of the vintage – full of mineral-iron, genuine and stimulating.

PHILIPPE told me: “the quite high temperatures in February made me think that the vines would get going early, with the risk of spring frost. So I waited until 10 March on a waning moon, and roped in more people than usual for the pruning, which ended on 4 April, just before the frost. The buds had not appeared by then. It was a good decision, with luck involved as well, I feel.

As the summer went on, with what was a full harvest, I set about green harvesting over six weeks in July and into early August to aereate and stop the bunches touching one another. Treatments went well, so there was very little rot for me, but nearby there was rot. I was in the vineyards every day, and disagreed with my oenologue that we should start harvesting in early September – you could still sense the astringence on the skins in mid-September.

The trap that some people fell into was to try to compensate for frost losses by chasing quantity, a maximum volume of grapes; after the second rain in September, there was the onset of a lot of botrytis, which made them harvest too soon. The image of 2021 isn’t great due to the botrytis and harvesting that was too early.

2021 is a heterogenous year, and also atypical; for me there was a good pH of 3.60, what I wanted, with a degree that wasn’t very high – 14.5° to 15° instead of the 16°-plus of recent years. I may have lost 20% overall.

Whereas 2020 was a spiced vintage, 2021 is above all on fruit, with acidity, the fruit black or raspberry-like. The wines are jolis, and the tannins not hard, which is because I got to the bottom of the ripeness I wanted – that makes me feel that my wines can live nicely, since they have end of September, not early September, acidities.”

There were growers who pointed firmly to the loss of harvest as being helpful, however it was achieved. EMMANUEL REYNAUD of CHÂTEAU RAYAS observed: “we were 40% down on the red Rayas harvest in 2021 from frost and coulure; there was a lot of time lost in the spring while the vineyard tried to re-start. It was lucky that there wasn’t a lot of crop, which allowed ripening – if there had been too much harvest, it wouldn’t have ripened.”

LONGER RIPENING SEASON IN 2021, IMPORTANT TO DROP LEAVES

AXEL POUIZIN-VACHERON from the sandy zones of CLOS DU CAILLOU at Courthézon reported: “the frost on 7-8 April led to three weeks of delay. That shifted ripening from the 15-20 August of recent years to the start of September. So this year there was a longer ripening season. The frost on the sandy soils of Bédines was severe – it took six weeks there to get going again. It was also a vintage where the temperatures in the period between the colour change [veraison] in August and the harvest weren’t excessive, either.

2021 is a year of technique – we changed the order of harvesting, with a fragile state of health on the crop – you had to be constantly on different plots watching the wellbeing of the grapes, all very difficult. Our team were more involved on that, over the quality of the tannins – their ripeness was a bit left behind. Where the frost had delayed the ripening cycle, there was a late descent into rot late on. You had to drop leaves like crazy this year.”

JULES GASPARI, the young man in the driving seat chez DOMAINE DE LA CÔTE DE L’ANGE confirmed the necessity of leaf management, telling me: “we dropped a lot of leaf cover – given all the rain, we were desperate to avoid rot, and help the crop to ripen; we covered about 12 of our 20 hectares. It’s not a keeping year, and became diluted by mid to late harvest. We are being very careful on its raising, and may cut the extent of that. Our yield was 30 hl/ha, a loss of 15%; I’d say the frost accounted for 10% and the grey rot for 5%.”

GRENACHE WASN’T RIPE IN EARLY SEPTEMBER: YOU HAD TO WAIT

LAURENT CHARVIN of DOMAINE CHARVIN, from the north-west sector towards Orange gave this summary, pointing out that you had to wait for the Grenache to properly ripen this year: “the frost favoured the low lying areas. There was no frost on the plateau of Mont-Redon, for example, so my losses ran to 50% on the Vin de Pays, 40% on the Côtes du Rhône, and 20-30% across my Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards.

The frosted areas, with their loss of harvest, did not demand green harvesting, although I did go round preserving the best buds, and taking out the rest. The frost delayed the vegetation, which meant that the Grenache took time to ripen – indeed, the Mourvèdre, which was less frosted due to its later profile in the spring, ripened ahead of the Grenache this year.

Each September rain had an impact on each variety – the first rain affected the Syrah – I picked it straight after that rain; the second rain affected the Mourvèdre, which I picked after that rain, while the third rain impacted the Grenache, with rot starting. By then, near the end of September, you had to go quickly, and a friend lent me a team of harvesters for a couple of days. The important thing was that the Grenache was properly ripe when harvested. The yield was of course down, a bit over 20 hl/ha, against 30+ hl/ha in 2022.

LOWER DEGREES IN 2021

It's a lower degree year, the Côtes du Rhône 13.5° to 13.7°, and very fine, nicely balanced, the Châteauneuf 14.5°, very agreeable, extremely fresh with a lot of fruit. It’s a less solar vintage profile with a lot of finesse, but also not lacking structure.”

JEAN-CLAUDE VIDAL, vastly experienced and wise, owner of DOMAINE DU BANNERET, also referred to the ripening blockage: “2021 was complicated; the frost delayed ripening, but wasn’t too bad. The harvest was very, very late, almost into October. There was a ripening blockage, and after that, the vines found it difficult to properly ripen. The Syrah was OK, but the Mourvèdre didn’t really ripen, and the Grenache on Les Marines was variable. Grand Pierre did well, except for some Mourvèdre. Boursan with all the 13 varieties did OK, on 13° to 13.5°. Overall, 2021 is 14.2° to 14.5°.”

MIXTURE OF HARVEST DATES

2021 was a year with a wide spread of harvest dates, which raised issues beyond the mere year to year decisions. I discussed this with THIÉRRY USSEGLIO of the now FAMILLE PIERRE USSEGLIO domaine (ex DOMAINE PIERRE USSEGLIO & FILS), who commented: “over the past seven or eight years, there has been very dispersed harvesting across the appellation, whereas it used to be all together. It’s a function of the input of technicians, oenologues, who have taken over from growers on their tractors, for example.” Yes, I agree. Oenologues are risk averse, and favour the easy, safe option. If growers follow them too strictly, they lose the chance to deliver wines of proper flair and integrity – as was also commented upon by PHILIPPE BRAVAY of DOMAINE DE FERRAND in his discussions with his oenologue.

The appraisal of THIÉRRY SABON of the wonderfully consistent and genuine CLOS DU MONT OLIVET also referred to the harvest date dilemma: “2021 was complicated because of the rain, and it was difficult to settle on the right date for the harvest. You had to go into the vineyards every day or two, especially with wrong weather forecasts, on the guard to avoid diluted grapes. But we got there. Our harvest date was 7-8 September, with the Mont Olivet harvest well ripened. Then it rained, which set the harvest back, meant a delay, and we ended in early October. Our yield wasn’t bad, 30 hl/ha.

We weren’t too badly hit by the frost, except on Palestor in the north, losing 30% there, with another loss of 40% on Les Marines in the south, Syrah notably there. Overall, across the domaine, a loss of 15%, I’d say. The southern sector towards Sorgues, on sites such as Les Galimardes, was very badly frost affected.

The wines are very jolis, very fine, have fruit and carry the spicing of less ripe vintages; they are quite sympa in their youth, but I would not exclude their ageing potential – 2008, for example, is tasting well now, at 14 years. Their degree was lower than recently, 14.5° to 15°, against 15.5°+ in 2022.”

JEAN-PAUL VERSINO of DOMAINE BOIS DE BOURSAN also referenced a reduction in degree, accompanied by a small harvest: “our yield was 20 hl/ha,” he told me. “It was very dry, but four rainfalls from July onwards helped, with 60 mm [2.4 in] on 15 September, and another 60 mm eight days later. The effect of those rains was to have swings in the degree – from 13.8° to 14.2° after the first rain, then back down to 13.8°. There was then a third rain of 120 mm [4.8 in] which brought some rot. Some domaines started their harvest after the third rain, others went very early, so harvest strategy was all over the place.”

WINES THAT CAN BE KEPT

My 2021 is 14°, not 15° as has been the case recently. Acidities are good, the tannins quite tight, and with the lower alcohol, there is a belle freshness. The wines have structure, are pretty tight, not yet together, a bit on their acidity, a bit dry after a year or so; they will be attractive keeping wines, and wines for the true amateurs.”

A FRESH VINTAGE, BOTTLE EARLIER

As an intrinsically fresh vintage, 2021 was given less raising time by some domaines, in pursuit of maintaining that profile in bottle. VINCENT AVRIL of CLOS DES PAPES recounted: “2021 is in the line of 2012, 2011, 2015, with more matter than 2015. I raised the red less time than usual so as to secure the silken, elegant side of them, and also to secure a lower oak influence – I didn’t want to lose the freshness, since they are naturally free drinking and elegant.

They are wines that you want to drink, and eat with, and they have keeping potential. In the 1980s and 1990s we’d have called it a good vintage. The degree is 15°, against 15.4° in 2020, the pH in both years about the same. The yield was 16 hl/ha, versus 25 hl/ha in 2020.”

DIDIER NÉGRON of DOMAINE ROGER SABON also took that approach, telling me: “the frost spread around different sectors, but our final yield was very satisfactory, 25 hl/ha, as it had been in 2019 and 2020 – years when the low yield was due to lack of juice in the grapes.

The wines are jolis, fresh, have good acidity, attractive matter and balance, the degree 14.5°, lower than recently. We bottled the reds a bit earlier, cutting their raising by a little under three months: that was in part because we had no 2020 left to sell, but also due to the profile of the year which lent itself to an earlier bottling, capturing the freshness.”

WINES THAT ARE OPEN EARLY

The early and open nature of the year was remarked upon by two growers from the Courthézon, sandy area in the north-east of the appellation. From the long term organic DOMAINE PIERRE ANDRÉ, JACQUELINE ANDRÉ stated: “2021 was difficult because of a lot of frost damage, a loss of 50-65%. The reds are airborne, light, hold attractive fruit purity, without the richness of other recent years. Their frame is a bit lighter and they are drinkable earlier.”

Her neighbour at Courthézon, LAURE BERTHET-RAYNE, DOMAINE BERTHET-RAYNE, gave this take on the year: “it’s a vintage on the fruit, more than usual; ripening was slow, and difficult to achieve. The harvest was extended over some time. It’s a year of pleasure, rounded, with a lot of finesse. They’re festive wines for early drinking.”

CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL is just across the road from BERTHET-RAYNE, and CÉSAR PERRIN also pointed out the early ease of the year: “we had a 95 mm [3.8 in] rainfall on 15 September after a hot, quite windy summer. We harvested the Syrah before and after the mid-September rain, which was followed by a lot of Mistral wind. Our yield was 27 hl/ha. 2021 is more digestible than 2019 and 2020, more Burgundian, all nearly drinkable already, after a bit over a year. The Grenache is very joli thanks to the rain; the Syrah was a bit over ripe – we are reducing its proportion.”

CÉSAR’s dad FRANÇOIS PERRIN has compared 2021 to 1988, by the way. 1988 held tight, emphatic, slightly chewy tannins in its young years, but the jereboams of 1988 CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL red laid down for my son Edward’s birth year were marvellously tender and aromatic when drunk in September, 2018.

Sandy zones did well in 2021, with VÉRONIQUE MARET of DOMAINE DE LA CHARBONNIÈRE commenting: “we made 570 hl of Châteauneuf red in 2020, just 430 hl in 2021, a yield of 25 hl/ha. The 2021 Hautes Brusquières gained and amplified during its raising. The sand served Mourre des Perdrix well this year, the rain draining off well. The reds are 15°, down 1° or so from recent years.

FRESH & FINE

The style is fresh, with finesse above all. We found that the period of extreme cold in the winter 2022-23 paralysed the wines, so we are bottling them later than usual, in June/July 2023. We still have 2020 to sell, also, so there is no immediate hurry.”

DAVID COURTIL-THIBAUT who with brother JÉRÔME makes punchy, traditional wines at the CLOS DES BRUSQUIÈRES looked to a recent year for a comparison, stating: “there are similarities with 2020; since 2010 we’ve had a run of good years, with the harvest never in poor shape as it was in 2002, for example.

These days the grapes are brought in between 25°C and 30°C – we try to cool them, but they usually start fermenting very quickly [we work with wild yeasts], so our job is to calm that phase. Our pre-fermentation phase lasts a week at 12°-13°C.

For 2021 and 2022, we’ve noted that there wasn’t a very fast rise in temperature – it’s gone up to 28°C without a real explosive take-off. The 2021 reds are not hyper concentrated, nor light, have fine tannins, are quite decently coloured, round on the palate, pleasant. They are what I term “normal” wines.”

CHOOSE WELL, AND YOU ARE IN FOR A TREAT

When assessing 2021 for buying purposes, I feel one has to tip toe along, ready to pounce when a harmonious wine winks at you. For it is a vintage that really should sing if well handled, a fresher version of the most recent harmonious year of 2014, with a purity of fruit and fineness of tannin bringing a natural balance. If you choose well, you are in for a treat.

The solar years are fundamentally extreme, so the grower is always having to work around that to achieve a correct form of balance. In 2021, the balance came from the vineyard, which required hands-on, detailed management right up to when the last box of grapes was brought in.

There is certainly a hierarchy of terroir year this year – the finesse of Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes through. This year it was noticeable that Côtes du Rhône reds from the same domaine can hold drier tannins, more acidity – they attack quite well, but give end palate concerns. Usually the profile of the Côtes gives clues to the Châteauneuf, and vice-versa.

SANDY SOILS PERFORMED WELL IN 2021

Sandy soils, which are free draining, showed well across my tastings, with wines often featuring at **** or ****(*), well worth buying, therefore. Sites such as Pignan, next to Rayas, gave the DOMAINE DES SAUMADES - a harmonious, well toned wine, a singer of songs in the future - and the CHAPELLE SAINT THÉODORIC Le Grand Pin - subtly complex, bearing crystalline fruit along with local strength.

Other sand based wines such as the DOMAINE DE LA JANASSE Chaupin, the DOMAINE JEAN ROYER Les Sables de la Crau, from sandy soils on the south side of La Crau and the DOMAINE RAYMOND USSEGLIO Et FILS Impériale, from brown sandy soils on Les Pialons and clear sandy soils on La Girardette slotted in well to this bracket, as did the DOMAINE FÉRAUD & FILS [EDDIE FÉRAUD joined by his son YANNICK] Raisins Bleus and the impressively pure FRÉDERIC & DANIEL BRUNIER Piedlong & Pignan.

The colour of the 2021s is less deep than recently, while bouquets have a good freedom, being direct more than broad. The better wines carry breezy, menthol, spearmint tones, and are much more linear than the sun packed vintages, with good quality fruit to sparkle, tannins often very mild.

NORDIC STYLE BALANCE IN 2021

As a vintage with a Nordic style balance, there are definite levels of acidity that need to settle, with fusion to come as the acidity absorbs – patience is essential for such wines, with the best likely to start to show very well from around 2029, eight years or so.

There are also wines that show some exertion from the cellar; these can carry dry notes in their tannins, prompting the need for time. Other wines show pretty well, are pretty fruited on the attack, before drifting into rather dry tannins and vegetal tones towards the close: more time for them, as well.

DILUTION, UNDERRIPE TANNINS TO BE SWERVED

Wines to avoid this year are those that show dilution – the result of excess harvest, not enough discarding, as well as those with dry acidity, what I term “curly” wines. Any domaine that harvested too early is prey to dry, underripe tannins that will not come round.

Finally, 2021 is a year when experience counted for a lot. A young grower who had handled under 10 vintages, nearly all of them straightforward, will never have encountered the challenges of 2021. Hence if there was a member of the older generation present to assist and advise, so much the better. And, as stated earlier, paying too much attention to oenologue advice was also a double edged sword this year – it was not a year for theoretical compromise.

THE BEST OF 2021 WILL BE MUCH LOVED IN YEARS TO COME

2021 is therefore a vintage whose best wines can be safely cellared, with the certain knowledge that they will be drinking with appealing harmony from the age of 10 to 12 onwards, their lucid qualities reminding drinkers of the finesse inherent across this mighty appellation. My money is on this being a much loved vintage in the decades to come, with wines that sparkle with freshness and variety, appealing to the true enthusiasts.

LEADING 2021 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE REDS

*****	Château de Beaucastel Hommage JP	2054-56	10/23	close-knit, nuanced, linear, must buy
*****	Château Rayas	2056-58	10/23	cool, firm gras, spice, high interest
*****	Domaine du Grand Tinel	2043-45	05/23	fruit thrust, genuine, garrigue, V
***()	Fréderic Daniel Brunier Pedlong Pignan	2047-49	10/22	precise, dainty, poise, local intensity
***()	Chapelle St Théodoric Le Grand Pin	2048-50	10/22	silk, crystalline, subtly complex
***()	M Chapoutier Croix de Bois	2048-50	10/22	serene confidence, refined gras, clear
***()	M Chapoutier Pie VI	2045-47	10/22	refined content, purity, elegant, Pinot
***()	Chât de la Gardine Générations G P	2048-50	10/22	compact essence, dark, oily, scope
***()	Château Sixtine	2047-49	10/22	persistent, stylish, enjoyable, free
***()	Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes	2042-44	10/22	free, v pure fruit, bel ensemble
***()	Clos Saint Michel Grand Vin Bio	2045-47	10/22	spine, spice, gusto, persistence
***()	Domaine de Beaurenard Boisrenard	2049-51	02/24	sure filling, tannic drive, balance, scale
***()	Domaine Charvin	2048-50	03/25	libeeral juice, dynamic, authentic, STGT
***()	Domaine de Cristia Tradition	2045-47	10/22	cool fruit stream, crystal clear
***()	Domaine de Ferrand	2044-46	03/25	fresh purpose, detail, spinal, delicious
***()	Famille Isabel Ferrando Saint Préfert	2048-50	10/22	authority, persistence, rootsy, v long
***()	Dom Grand Tinel Alexis Establet	2048-50	10/22	quietly convincing, interest, length
***()	Dom Grand Veneur Vieilles Vignes	2046-48	05/23	full all thru, calm freshness, flow
***()	Domaine des Maravilhas Santo	2047-49	10/22	bright, dash, flair, engaging
***()	Dom de Marcoux Vieilles Vignes	2047-49	10/22	interest, vivid, iron tingle
***()	Domaine de Panisse Le Mas	2046-48	10/22	intricate, character, perfume, exciting
***()	Domaine Roger Sabon Réserve	2047-49	10/22	stylish gras, handsome, clear, V
***()	Dom Santa Duc Les Saintes Vierges	2053-55	02/24	gras style, perfume clarity, Thinker's
***()	Dom Roger Sabon Secret des Sabon	2049-51	11/22	nicely furnished, surge, iron, v long
***()	Domaine des Saumades	2046-48	10/22	gourmand, enjoyable, tasty, harmony
***()	Famille Pierre Usseglio Première Pierre	2049-51	10/22	gd heart, solid, long, perfumed
***()	Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils	2044-46	05/23	en finesse, most precise, v joli
***()	Dom la Vieille Julienne Hauts-Lieux	2046-48	02/24	poise, refinement, spherical, saline
***()	Dom de la Vieille Julienne Réservé	2050-52	02/24	firmly rich, well channelled, long
****	Chapelle St Théodoric La Guigasse	2046-48	10/22	snap, drive, style, depth
****	M Chapoutier Barbe Rac	2046-48	10/22	squeezy content, late depth, improve
****	Château de Beaucastel	2045-47	10/23	grainy, linear, en formation, time
****	Château des Fines Roches	2045-47	10/22	together, good inner, iron lift
****	Château de la Gardine	2041-43	10/22	balance, energy, enjoyable, tinkling
****	Château Mont-Redon	2045-47	10/22	quality fruit, busy, finely fresh
****	Château Mont-Thabor	2044-46	10/22	free fruit, finesse, harmony, STGT
****	Château de Montfaucon Baron de M	2045-47	05/23	style in content, reserved gras, fine tune
****	Château de Nalys	2044-46	02/24	spiced, cool, fresh, drive, grad gainer
****	Château Rayas Pignan	2050-52	10/22	lithe, peppered, tannic thrust, time
****	Château de Vaudieu L'Avenue ...	2046-48	05/23	precise, neat richness, modern, time
****	Clos des Papes	2045-47	10/23	bright, peppered, v clear, good future
****	Clos du Calvaire	2041-43	10/22	soft, attractive, good flow
****	Clos du Mont-Olivet	2043-45	02/24	fruit tinkle, lucid, chalky crunch tannin
****	Clos Saint Michel M to M	2046-48	10/22	garrigue, resolute, iron, genuine
****	Clos Saint Michel Réservée Biologique	2041-43	10/22	forward style, mineral, cosy
****	Clos Saint Michel Tradition bio	2045-47	10/22	fruit surge, vivacity, sure close
****	Domaine Pierre André	2042-44	02/24	slinky, coasting, tasty, appealing
****	Domaine Juliette Avril Maxence	2044-46	10/22	style, spark, character, true, fresh
****	Domaine du Banneret	2044-46	05/22	trim juice, aromatic, charm
****	Domaine La Barroche Julien Barrot	2042-44	11/22	artful, interesting, elegant, gd gras
****	Dom de Beaurenard l-dit Beaurenard	2043-45	02/24	crystal fruit, springing, out of loop
****	Domaine Benedetti	2044-46	10/22	close knit, rootsy, garrigue
****	Domaine Berthet Capeau elixir Papes	2043-45	02/23	aromatic fruit, bright, authentic
****	Domaine de la Biscarelle	2040-42	02/24	cool fruits, fresh, drinkable, interest
****	Le Bois Pointu	2044-46	11/22	direct fruit, bright, attractive
****	Bosquet des Papes Chante le Merle	2043-45	05/23	joli Gren, dusty tannin, linear, to amplify
****	Domaine des Chanssaud	2044-46	10/22	fluid, upright, Nordic, full end
****	Dom la Charbonnière Mourre Perdrix	2044-46	11/22	iron, spinal, naked, persistent
****	Domaine de la Charbonnière V Vignes	2048-50	11/22	mild intensity, slow build, fresh, long
****		2042-44	02/24	cool, flowing, gd oily texture, artful
****	Dom Clef de St Thomas Pierre Troupel	2048-50	10/22	brothy, forthright, rough diamond
****	Domaine de la Confidence	2038-40	02/23	elegant, restraint, cool, accurate Syr
****	Domaine Duseigneur Catarina	2043-45	05/23	gd fruit flow, gliding, pure, tuneful 21
****	Dom Féraud & Fils Raisins Bleus	2044-46	11/22	together, mobile, savoury gras
****	Famille Isabel Ferrando Colombis	2046-48	10/22	clear content, gd ensemble, STGT
****	Ferraton Pierre-Henri Morel	2045-47	10/22	calm persistence, ready content
****	Domaine Fontavin Trilogies	2049-51	10/22	oily, garrigue thrust, dense, big
****	Domaine Grand Veneur Les Origines	2045-47	10/22	cosy richness, fresh, sure length
****	Dom Grand Veneur Le Miocène	2044-46	05/23	busy fruit, iron tannin, authentic, STGT
****	Dom Olivier Hillaire Pieds d'Armand	2046-48	05/23	oily richness, padded tannin, Pinot side
****	Domaine de la Janasse Chaupin	2048-50	10/22	gd life, spiced, grounded, trad
****	Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine	2044-46	05/23	deep attack, thrust, gd control, peps
****	Domaine de Marcoux	2046-48	10/22	iron, shape, genuine, STGT
****	Domaine Julien Masquin Pignan	2042-44	10/22	concentrated, raw, mineral, improve
****	Dom André Mathieu La Centenaire	2044-46	10/22	spark, mineral, bright, STGT
****	Domaine La Millière Bessade	2046-48	10/22	joli fruit, mineral, genuine
****	Dom Mordorée La Dame Voyageuse	2044-46	10/22	tight, dense, punchy, oaked
****	Dom Mordorée La Reine des Bois	2046-48	10/22	structure, confident filling, intensity
****	Domaine Moulin-Tacussel	2046-48	05/23	fresh drive, true 21, v genuine
****	Dom L’Or de Line Paule Courtil	2046-48	10/22	clean fruits, garrigue, drive
****	Dom Père Caboche Création Émilie	2039-41	10/22	jaunty, fruit linger, engaging
****	Père Caboche Elisabeth Chambellan	2042-44	05/23	charming, fluid, herbal, aromatic
****	Dom Roger Perrin Galets Berthaude	2044-46	10/22	easy, interesting fruit, punch
****	Olivier Ravoire Carapaçon	2044-46	10/22	modern, vigour, flashy fruit, fresh
****	Domaine de Reveirolles	2046-48	10/22	character, vigour, engaging
****	Domaine Jean Royer Tradition	2042-44	10/22	sleek run, vigour, local
****	Dom Jean Royer Sables de la Crau	2043-45	10/22	easy, squeezy, perfumed, tasty
****	Domaine Roger Sabon Les Olivets	2044-46	10/22	serene depth, lucid, expressive, V
****	Domaine Roger Sabon Prestige	2046-48	11/22	well filled, mineral, together, long
****	Dom Saje Marquis Anselme Mathieu	2047-49	10/22	crisp Gren, elegance to come
****	Dom Santa Duc Habemus Papam	2051-53	02/24	dentelle nerve, iron thrust, backward
****	Domaine Santa Duc Le Pied de Baud	2054-56	02/24	linear, grippy, herbal, v naked
****	Les Semelles de Vent Pur Mourvèdre	2048-50	10/22	suave, flowing, appealing gras
****	Domaine des Sénéchaux	2045-47	03/23	firm gras, curvy, thorough juice
****	La Sousto	2046-48	10/22	butty, genuine, character, STGT
****	Mas de Boislauzon Les Deux Chênes	2046-48	10/22	thorough filling, wholesome, genuine
****	Tardieu-Laurent Cuvée Spéciale	2041-43	02/23	naked, pure, gd detail, elegant
****	Famille Pierre Usseglio Mon Aieul	2048-50	10/22	sweet, round, cedar, oak
****	Dom Raymond Usseglio Impériale	2047-49	10/23	rich with restraint, complex, canny iron
****	Dom Raymond Usseglio Part des Anges	2048-50	05/23	broad, bountiful, prolonged, big unit
****	Le Vieux Donjon	2043-45	10/22	smooth, rolling, wholesome, spherical
****	Dom du Vieux Télégraphe La Crau	2050-52	10/22	free running, herbal, bonny, expand
****	Dom Vieux Télégraphe Télégramme	2039-41	10/22	fruit vigour, perfume, engages, w.o.w.
****	Domaine de Villeneuve Vieilles Vignes	2046-48	02/24	firm core, vintage clarity, good naked
**()	Les Cailloux	2045-47	05/23	cool content, spiced, Nordic, Pinote
**()	Cellier Princes Dom Les Escondudes	2039-41	10/22	cool, upright, spare, can amplify
**()	Ch Font du Loup Les Demoiselles	2034-36	10/22	fresh, primeur, mineral, aromatic
**()	Chât Font du Loup Grandeur Nature	2025-26	10/22	cool, grippy, some style
**()	Château Jas de Bressy	2033-34	01/25	tender, facile, tactile, floral
**()	Château La Nerthe	2039-41	03/23	fluid, easy, juiced, floral, pristine
**()	Château Sixtine Cuvée du Vatican	2042-44	10/22	neat, channelled, well juiced
**()	Château de Vaudieu Amiral G	2042-44	05/23	detail, skims along, pared back
**()	Château de Vaudieu Val de Dieu	2047-49	05/23	suave content, finesse, much oaking
**()	Clos du Calvaire Dom du Père Pape	2040-42	10/22	scented, firm richness, time
**()	Clos Saint Michel H to H	2039-41	10/22	steady core, noticeable acidity, time
**()	Domaine L’Abbé Dine	2042-44	10/22	spiced, discreetly firm, mineral
**()	Domaine de Beaurenard	2045-47	10/22	firm fruit, dark, inner depth
**()	Domaine Berthet Rayne Tradition	2037-39	02/23	gentle, plump gras, relaxed, cool
**()	Domaine du Bois de St Jean	2040-42	10/22	bustling, grounded, free manner
**()	Domaine Bosquet des Papes Tradition	2039-41	05/23	savoury, suave, true, accessible
**()	Domaine La Boutinière Tradition	2040-42	05/23	gliding, spiced, discreet gras, cosy
**()	Domaine de la Charbonnière	2039-41	11/22	direct fruits, pretty, rounded
**()	Dom la Charbonnière Htes Brusquières	2036-38	05/22	perky fruit, charm, silky
**()	Dom Clef St Thomas Clef St Thomas	2046-48	10/22	fresh, bright content, much oak
**()	Domaine Durieu Lucile Avril	2040-42	10/23	free fruit, perfume, bit stretched tannin
**()	Domaine la Fagotière	2042-44	10/22	sweet, tasty; gummy close
**()	Domaine Féraud & Fils	2041-43	11/22	linear, true, unfurnished, tannic clench
**()	Ferraton Le Parvis	2039-41	10/22	direct, peppery, fluid, fresh
**()	Domaine Galévan	2043-45	10/22	compact fruit, grounded, oaked
**()	Domaine du Galet des Papes Tradition	2044-46	05/23	trad, colourful, grounded, STGT
**()	Domaine Giraud Tradition	2039-41	05/23	neat richness, crisp, vintage faithful
**()	Domaine Jérôme Gradassi	2037-39	05/23	upright, cool, juicy, can expand
**()	Domaine Olivier Hillaire	2042-44	05/23	grainy, spiced, direct channelling, time
**()	Domaine Olivier Hillaire Les Terrasses	2045-47	05/23	silk, gliiding, pinpoint structure, fibrous
**()	Domaine de la Janasse	2042-44	10/22	soft roll richness, tarry
**()	Domaine de la Janasse Vieilles Vignes	2043-45	10/22	mature style, garrigue, bit stretched
**()	Domaine Lou Fréjau	2043-45	10/22	smoky content, mineral, to amplify
**()	Domaine Patrice Magni Sensation	2036-38	10/23	layered Gren fruit, genuine, evolver
**()	Domaine des Maravilhas Espirito	2041-43	10/22	busy, straightforward, mineral, plump
**()	Domaine Julien Masquin Mémora	2039-41	10/22	well fruited, breezy, genuine
**()	Domaine La Millière Le Couchant	2037-39	10/22	linear, cool, accessible, iron
**()	Domaine La Millière Vieilles Vignes	2036-38	10/22	easy core, fresh, aromatic
**()	Ogier L’Âme bio	2038-40	10/22	mild fruits, supple, safe
**()	Domaine L’Or de Line	2042-44	10/22	ready fullness, dense, inner strength
**()	Domaine de la Palud	2044-46	10/22	gentle content, chalky, gainer
**()	Domaine de Pignan	2037-39	05/23	squeezy gras, floral, trad, country vin
**()	Domaine Porte Rouge	2042-44	05/23	suave texture, style, chewy end, wait
**()	Jerome Quiot Les Combes d'Arnevel	2042-44	05/23	natural vibrancy, fluid, fresh spine
**()	Domaine de Saint-Siffrein	2040-42	10/22	flashy richness, rounded, obvious
**()	Domaine Saint Laurent	2044-46	10/22	cool, vegetal, weight, assertion, time
**()	Domaine de Saje	2043-45	10/22	gently furnished, free expression
**()	Domaine de la Solitude Tradition	2036-38	02/24	springy attack, garrigue, late power
**()	Dom de la Solitude Vin de la Solitude	2042-44	02/24	free spiced content, vertical shape
**()	Dom la Vieille Julienne Trois Sources	2044-46	02/24	fluid, smooth, linear, not v expressive
**()	Mas de Boislauzon Chaussy-Laget	2047-49	10/22	savoury, spinal, handy freshness
**()	Tardieu-Laurent	2038-40	02/23	iron thread, med depth, structure
***	Arnoux Vieux Clocher	2033-35	10/22	bit aromatic, med depth, early
***	La Bastide St Dominique	2039-41	05/23	smooth, quite elegant, bit functional
***	Cellier des Princes Dom Le Mourre	2035-37	10/22	Gren centre, basic tannins
***	M Chapoutier La Bernardine	2042-44	10/22	chalky, bit brittle, gunflint, needs time
***	Château Cabrières Tradition	2039-41	10/22	low-key, mild gras, limited
***	Chât de Nalys Saintes Pierres de Nalys	2037-39	02/24	smooth texture, sweet, some freshness
***	Château Simian Le Traversier	2040-42	10/22	iron-tinny fruit, easy tannin
***	Château de Vaudieu	2044-46	05/23	steady fruit wave, oak, mainstream
***	Clos Saint Antonin	2043-45	10/22	steady content, bit stretched
***	Domaine de la Côte de l’Ange	2038-40	10/22	immediate, fleshy; pushy tannins
***	Domaine Croze Granier	2042-44	05/23	linear, peppery, dry tones so time
***	Domaine Albin Jacumin La Begude	2035-37	10/22	easy, supple, rolling, spartan end
***	Domaine André Mathieu	2036-38	10/22	easy richness, plump, dry end
***	Domaine Christophe Mestre	2036-38	05/23	slightly fragile, bit narrow, drop acidity
***	Domaine du Père Caboche	2038-40	10/22	direct, cool, spiced, bit dry
***	Dom Pères de l’Eglise Calice de St P	2039-41	10/22	immed mass, plump, chewy end
***	Dom Prieuré des Papes La Bessade	2039-41	10/22	skips a beat, limited, may gain
***	Dom Prieuré des Papes V Vignes	2035-37	10/22	no defects, but light
***	Domaine de la Solitude Barberini	2041-43	02/24	mild richness, sweet, confected
***	Dom de la Solitude Cornelia Constanza	2037-39	02/24	linear, vegetal, oak prop, fragile
***	Domaine du Vieux Lazaret	2037-39	05/23	cool, light fruiting, bit simple
*()	Cellier des Dauphins	2036-38	10/22	firm, resounding, cellar exertion
*()	Le Cellier des Princes	2029-30	10/22	light, fluid, lacks interest
*()	Domaine de Saint Paul	2040-42	10/22	bit exerted, strict tannins
*()	Vidal-Fleury	2033-35	10/22	mature already, limited
**	Arnoux Aimé Arnoux	2034-36	10/22	cautious content, dry acidity
**	Domaine Benedetti Larmes Papales	2034-36	10/22	inky, grounded, disorderly, dry acidity
**	Baron de Montfaucon Cuvée Bimard	2035-37	10/22	cool, cloudy fruit, dilute pre bot
**	Dom Prieuré des Papes Le Couchant	2036-38	10/22	straightforward, dilute angle
NR	Domaine Jean Royer Cuvée Prestige		10/22	stretched; dry tannins

9. 2021 CÔTES DU RHÔNE REDS

CLAN GRAMENON: MICHÈLE, MAXIME-FRANÇOIS & AGNÈS. FROM 2023 MAXIME-FRANÇOIS HAS BEEN IN SOLE CHARGE, WITH HIS WIFE BLANDINE, MICHÈLE HAVING RETIRED, AND AGNÈS WORKING IN A WINE & JEWELLERY SHOP IN GRENOBLE

2021 is a vintage with decent Côtes du Rhône reds, some of which have enthused me. However, it’s no surprise to write that I would buy extremely precisely this year. I would either look for the more serious vein of wines that have good body and steady length, so **** is in the frame. I would also look for the fruit expressive cuvées, those to drink right away, the setting convivial at the very least.

It’s a Grenache-led vintage, the need for its gras and accompanying suaveness of texture higher than in the recent hot, ripe years. Old vines whose fruit was correctly handled – gentle processing in the cellar, concrete, not oak, raising – were a good foundation this year. If there is a tendency in other cuvées, it would be for cool, peppery tones in the younger Grenache.

I made my way around the region to visit some of the best domaines that specialise in CÔTES DU RHÔNE or VILLAGES wines, and received these impressions, starting with the organic CORINNE DEPEYRE at Tulette in the lower Drôme, who explained: “in 2021 I dropped leaves at the end of July because I work with the moon – which meant that I didn’t have the problem of rot that other domaines around here felt. The April frost cost me 30% of the harvest.

For me, 2021 is good, with very pleasant wines that can be sold soon. That’s not the case generally in the sector, though. There’s a bit more freshness derived from the variable summer weather. The 2020 harvest was very joli, the wines less deep than the concentrated 2019s.

In September 2021 there were two rainfalls – the first was 50 mm (2 in) in mid-month, which was welcome, since there had been a little ripening blockage before; not everything was ripe by then, so I waited. The second on the Sunday at the end of September was 150 mm (6 in) – I had finished my harvest the Saturday evening before the rain!”

MATTHIEU DUMARCHER, a deep thinker whose company I thoroughly enjoy, gave his version of events: “2021 is extremely complex; the grapes didn’t seem ripe, and held a small degree, but were ripe. There were two to three rainfalls of 150-180 mm (6-7.2 in) around 20 September; I completed the harvest before the rains, with some botrytis showing, which meant sorting and discarding was needed.

There was a big difference with those who picked after – they had fat grapes, not a lot of skin, were guite free drinking, but the wines from that stage were a bit fragile, and could be prone to oxidation – you have to watch them closely during their raising. 2021 has a bit less roundness and ripeness than 2019. Yields in 2020 and 2021 were similar.” 2021 doesn’t correspond to international standards – it’s not very concentrated, but gives gourmandise, is freshly fruity, croquant [gluggable]”.

MICHÈLE AUBERY, the legend, retired in 2022 from DOMAINE DE GRAMENON, where her son MAXIME-FRANÇOIS has been joined by his sister AGNÈS, gave me this valedictory close-up: “after the 2021 April frost, the vines staged a come back, but were stressed; there wasn’t great heat, the weather not very good, like it was 20 years ago, the ripening not really complete. The degree wasn’t high, while rain during the harvest diluted things a bit. The fruit is very clear, and it’s a less solar and concentrated vintage than recently, more fluid.”

Across the Rhône in the Gard département, is the top grade, organic DOMAINE LA RÉMÉJEANNE, which featured in my very first book in the 19070s. There, OLIVIER KLEIN summarised: “2021 is not a year for long keeping – the reds are facile, fresh, has very belle acidity. They don’t have the depth, foundation of 2020, 2019, and are pleasing, immediate.”

Also on the right bank, another legende, HÉLÈNE THIBON of the biodynamic MAS DE LIBIAN was content with the harvest, telling me: “we had a full crop this year - 48 hl/ha, against 50 hl/ha in 2020.” It’s a domaine that has suffered the occasional setbacks in yield, so this was good news.

The main caution in 2021 centres on tannins, raw tannins, and dry acidity, along with excess vegetal notes from harvest that wasn’t completely ripe. This situation was summarised by the vastly experienced winemaker at LE CLOS DU CAILLOU in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, BRUNO GASPARD, when commenting on his Le Caillou cuvée: “when looking for the 50% of this that we usually purchase, we found thin wines, on alcohol, dry tannins, a lack of ripeness; either those, or vinifications that had been too long or too short,” he told me. These wines are duly to be found in the lower ratings.

LEADING 2021 CÔTES DU RHÔNE REDS

*****	Château de Fonsalette Syrah	2057-59	10/22	basket of abundance, crazy take-off
***()	Le Clos du Caillou Les Quartz	2031-33	10/22	ripe, sensuous, de luxe, much charm
***()	Domaine Gramenon La Sagesse	2033-35	02/22	bel ensemble, tuneful, Gren class
***()	Dom Raymond Usseglio Les Claux	2033-35	10/22	gusto, character, sparked, STGT
****	Cellier des Princes Hérédita	2033-35	10/22	suave, oaked, polish, rounded
****	Chât Bois de la Garde Sans Soufre	2024-25	10/22	salted fruit, cohesion, style
****	Château de Fonsalette Réservé	2046-48	10/22	aromatic, wired, floral, lithe tannin
****	Chât Gardine Brunel de la Gardine	2029-30	10/22	structure, persistent, suave, pleasing
****	Château Rochecolombe	2029-30	02/24	joli richness, peps, character
****	J-Louis Chave Sélection Mon Coeur	2029-31	08/23	fluid fruit, bright, road runner
****	Clos du Caillou Bouquet des Garrigues	2035-37	10/22	tasty, savoury, trusty, gd frim juice
****	Le Clos du Caillou Le Caillou	2030-32	10/22	squeezy, aromatic, garrigue, mild tannin
****	Clos du Caillou La Réserve	2034-38	10/21	wide, full, long, balanced
****	Domaine L’Abbé Dine	2024-25	10/22	tuned fruits, garrigue, w.o.w.
****	Domaine de Beaurenard	2029-30	10/22	soft fruits, fresh, vigour
****	Dom Bois St Jean Solo de Grenache	2029-30	10/22	broad, filled, elemental, handsome
****	Domaine La Cabotte Colline	2027-28	10/22	fruit purity, gd style, fresh, neat
****	Domaine Charvin	2034-36	10/22	suave then spiced, lithe, structure, time
****	Domaine Chaume-Arnaud	2027-28	02/24	gd drive, free running, v bright, w.o.w.
****	Domaine de Cristia Vieilles Vignes	2033-35	10/22	rolling, spiced, serious, long, STGT
****	Dom de Ferrand Antique V Vignes	2033-35	10/22	forthright, character, local truth
****	Dom Fontavin Vignes de mon Père	2031-32	10/22	cool fruit, length, character
****	Domaine Gramenon L’Emouvante	2031-32	02/22	smooth, detailed, lovely purity
****	Domaine Gramenon La Papesse	2033-34	02/22	direct, fresh, plenty, builds well
****	Elodie Jaume À en perdre le Soufre	2024	10/22	clear, precise, neat richness
****	Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine	2025	05/23	fresh, herbal, bright as a button
****	Domaine de Marcoux	2031-33	10/22	fruit waves, character, vibe
****	Dom Pères Eglise Saint Ambroise	2026-27	10/22	stylish gras, garrigue, STGT
****	Domaine Santa Duc Les Quatre Terres	2027	02/23	rocket launch wine, energy, w.o.w.
****	Domaine du Trapadis La Petite Côte	2030-31	02/23	fruit clarity, truth, good iron
****	Famille Chaussy-Laget Sélection	2032-33	10/22	stewed, thrust, herbal, vigour
****	Alain Jaume Grand Veneur	2031-33	10/22	wide, rolling, good fit tannins
****	Mas de Libian La Calade	2032-33	02/23	great fruit purity, spritely, fine, w.o.w.
****	Mas de Libian Khayyam	2032-33	02/23	notable juice, precise, authentic
****	Tardieu-Laurent Les Becs Fins	2027-28	02/23	cool, stylish fruit, quality tannins
****	Tardieu-Laurent Nobles Origines	2030-31	02/23	springy Gren, v orderly, refinement
**()	Franck Balthazar	2026	11/22	continuity, elegant, supple, w.o.w.
**()	Cave de Gigondas Dom de Carobelle	2024	10/22	pleasing, tasty content, natural
**()	Chât d’Aquéria Esprit d’Aquéria	2025	05/23	gd early fruit flow, v drinkable
**()	Château de Beaucastel Coudoulet	2036-38	10/23	herbal, soft, suave, bit dry tannin
**()	Château du Bois de la Garde Rouge	2029-30	10/22	enjoyable fruit, sure flow
**()	Chât Cabrières RD 68 V Vignes	2031-32	10/22	plum fruits, crisp, vegetal
**()	Château La Côte	2025	10/22	ready fruit, neat, enjoyable
**()	Ch Mont-Redon Côtes du Château	2028-29	10/22	gd fruit tune, herbal, on the go
**()	Chât Simian La Combe des Avaux	2025-26	10/22	cool spine, nice direct fruit
**()	Clos des Mourres Novice	2027-28	02/23	bright fruit, crisp tannins, linear
**()	Clos Volabis Hommage	2031-33	02/22	firm richness, oak, time
**()	Domaine de l'Agramante Ciaüla	2028-29	02/23	cosy gras, plump but firm below
**()	Domaine de l'Agramante M'Arricriu	2025	02/23	suave content, fruit purity, tinkles
**()	Domaine Juliette Avril	2024	10/22	neat fruits, facile, instant
**()	Dom Beaurenard Famille Coulon	2030-31	10/22	elegant fruit, measured, kick
**()	Domaine Benedetti Vieilles Vignes	2026-27	10/22	bonny perfume, genuine, spiced
**()	Dom du Bois de Saint Jean Pur Cent	2026-27	10/22	spiced, menthol, wild, character
**()	Dom André Brunel Sommelongue	2027-28	10/22	spice, ground force, genuine
**()	Domaine Côte de l’Ange	2025	10/22	easy drinking, tinkly juice
**()	Dom de l'Espigouette Vieilles Vignes	2028-29	02/24	gd flow, spiced, natural, genuine
**()	Domaine de Ferrand Mistral	2028-29	10/22	plugged in fruit, authentic, clear
**()	Antoine Graillot Clos Somi	2027-28	05/23	free fruits, spice, floral, relaxed
**()	Domaine Gramenon La Mémé	2035-37	02/22	tight, linear, spare, precise, time
**()	Domaine de la Graveirette	2027	02/23	mild gras, tannic thrust, correct+
**()	Domaine Maby Variations	2027	06/23	firm gras, perfumed, balanced
**()	Domaine Julien Masquin Humeur	2026	10/22	open, local, fruit appeal
**()	Domaine La Millière V Vignes	2031-33	10/22	med weight, mineral close
**()	Domaine de la Mordorée	2029-30	10/22	entertaining fruit, peppery
**()	Franck & Olivier Mousset Camille	2024	10/22	clear, well tuned fruit, frank
**()	Franck & Olivier Mousset Mathilde	2025	10/22	pleasing, garrigue, gd fit, genuine
**()	Stéphane Ogier Le Temps est Venu	2030-31	02/23	raw grounding, energy, tidy gras
**()	Domaine de Panisse Le Mazet	2030-32	10/22	sure depth, energy, expressive
**()	Christophe Pichon Symphonie	2028-29	10/23	crisp fruits, tannic life, sandy feel
**()	Domaine de Roquevignan Mon Mignon	2026	04/24	joli fruit, tender; fluid juice
**()	Dom Roger Sabon Rhône by Roger	2029-30	11/22	herbal, v likeable juice
**()	Domaine Saint-Apollinaire 1967	2031-32	02/23	supple content, fleshy appeal
**()	Domaine Saladin Paul	2029-30	02/23	juicy, nice flow, light perfume
**()	Domaine des 3 Cellier Cuvée 3	2025	10/22	nice firm content, holds well
**()	Domaine Vallot Le Coriançon	2028-29	02/23	dark fruits, spiced, fluid, table
**()	Domaine Vallot La Magnaneraie	2031-32	02/23	sweet herbs, coated, 100% Syrah
**()	Famille Isabel Ferrando Beatus Ille	2027-28	10/22	precise fruit, aromatic, clear
**()	Famille Lancon La Solitude	2027-28	10/22	easy, clear running, up close
**()	Mas de Libian Bout d'Zan	2031-32	02/23	even flow, cool, sympa, garrigue
**()	Prieuré des Papes Cuvée la Millière	2028-29	10/22	light, scented, round, suave
***	Domaine de l'Agramante Jacuzzo	2028-29	02/23	steady fruit, crunchy, grounded, bit raw
***	Dom Albin Jacumin Les Bédines	2028-29	10/22	suave content, pushy, uneven
***	Château Font de Loup Signature	2026	10/22	cosy fruits, spice, garrigue, dry
***	Château Terre Forte Rouge!	2027-28	02/23	spine, fruit verve, but tricky tannins
***	Le Clos du Caillou Esprit Nature	2026-27	10/22	soft, pepper, perfume, vegetal
***	Dom La Collière Les Bergeronnettes	2025	03/23	immediate fruit, early appeal, simple
***	Domaine Comte de Lauze	2028-29	10/22	full, sizeable, genuine, ponderous
***	Dom des Escaravailles Les Sablières	2027	01/25	fluid, rocky, toothsome, brisk
***	Domaine La Fagotière cuvée M	2028-29	10/22	busy, peppery, mild gras
***	Ferraton Père & Fils Samorëns	2025	10/22	smoky content, cool, bit stringy
***	Maxime-François Laurent La Rubiconde	2032-34	02/22	butty, tenacious, chewy tannin
***	Domaine du Père Caboche	2025	10/22	busy, forthright, bit technical
***	Domaine Roger Perrin Fruité	2024	10/22	light, cool fruit, peppery
***	Domaine du Pesquier	2025-26	10/22	light, aromatic, easy glide
***	Domaine de Pignan	2025	10/22	cool fruits, light, bit chewy
***	Dom Saint-Apollinaire Poisson Rouge	2028-29	02/23	tight, cool, bosky, dryish end
*()	Cellier des Princes Domaine Vaucroze	2031-32	10/22	compact, stiff, darting, dry tannin
*()	Domaine de l’Arnesque	2029-30	10/22	firm attack, intensity, dry tannin
*()	Dom de Cabridon Cuvée des Castors	2027-28	02/23	soulful depth, robust, heady power
*()	Domaine Lou Fréjau	2031-32	10/22	decent depth, but oak, dry
*()	Domaine de Reveirolles	2026	10/22	assertive, driven, trad, edgy
*()	Dom La Roche Buissière Le Claux	2026	02/24	seared, tannin disorder, tricky
*()	Dom Saint Siffrein Au bord du chemin	2032-33	10/22	Gren centre, extraction, tough end
**	Château Mont-Thabor	2024	10/22	thin, fragile, lacks core
**	Domaine Galévan Paroles de Femme	2025	10/22	dry, acidity issues

10. 2021 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE WHITES

CLAIRE MICHEL WITH FATHER LUCIEN, LE VIEUX DONJON: "2021 VERY BEAU FOR THE WHITE"

I am pleased to write that 2021 has given the best group of top class white CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPEs of my 50 year career. As I tasted the wines in October, 2022, having tried some in the spring, and been pleased with what I found, it became evident that this was a spectacular success at the top end of the wines. The stars truly aligned in 2021.

There are still misses among the hits, so I would recommend subscribers to focus on all wines at **** or above, which will give a great range of choice.

HAPPY UNISON OF LONG-TERM CONTEXT WITH VINTAGE CONDITIONS

The reasons for this triumph are several threads that have come together in a happy unison – from the micro of the vintage to the macro of influences in a longer-term context. Let’s start with the latter, before the details of the vintage.

Rhône whites have become fashionable in recent years, that trend encourage by improved winemaking. Prices are robust, sometimes higher than for the equivalent red. There is thus incentive to invest in cellar equipment, and also to spend more time looking after the detail of the vineyards. When I started in the 1970s, the whites were mostly an afterthought.

FIRM PRICES, MORE INVESTMENT

The investment has brought a better quality of pressing, more minute and precise than in the past, thus avoiding bitter, tannic style edges. The varieties are also handled one by one, with several runs through the vineyard if necessary; in the past they would have been brought in generally riper across the board, which meant that the Roussanne might have been on over-ripeness, alongside the direct freshness of the later ripening Clairette.

There is also more confidence to ferment with wild yeasts these days; one of my blights in tasting whites is the use of cultured yeasts with a low temperature fermentation around 15°C, resulting in confected, banana tones in immensely dull wines – one glass and you can face no more.

IMPROVED DETAIL IN THE CELLAR

Oak handling has also improved, performed with a lighter touch than in the past, while the so-called Prestige cuvées have also become more restrained, backing off the formula of leaving often Roussanne for over-ripeness and plunging it into new oak, a right old concoction the result. More sensitive handling of the Roussanne has led to greater refinement, as it should be with that essentially floral, finely fresh variety.

There are also jars and amphores being used in raising the wines – they are another source of freshness. Meanwhile, the Burgundian practice of stirring the lees – batonnage – that swept into town around 20 years ago has lessened. It never made any sense for a Southern, hot region to push for still greater richness and extract, but there you go – that was a sign of a region not confident in its own identity.

THE EXTREME VERSION OF THE NEW APPROACH: TENSION IS ALL

The pendulum has now swung towards earlier harvesting and reduced lees contact, as growers chase the target of producing what they term “tension” in their wines; the adjective of tension is “tendu”, a word that crops up in conversations, as if it is the New Holy Grail. When this becomes excessive, with barely ripe harvest worked on, I call the wines New Wave. I feel that harvesting very promptly in 2021 was a strategic error: you had to let the ripening take its course - otherwise the wines were too light.

To choose one example, the 2021 CHÂTEAU MONT-REDON blanc is frustrating, since the ingredients are there for a major wine, but it is a tame affair, the one hope being that, if left for a few years, it may take on greater weight, and become more truly du sud, of the South. The fact that its malo is blocked – to allow retention of acidity – every year, whatever the conditions, speaks more of system than touch in its handling. Another frustration is the 2021 CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL blanc, their classic cuvée, also tame, as is the Bordeaux-owned DOMAINE DES SÉNÉCHAUX's blanc.

The solar years of the late 2010s got growers used to harvesting their white crop in August, battling to contain high sugars, high degree grapes. There were often adjustments of acidity in the cellars, which was not surprising.

LOVELY, GRADUAL RIPENING IN 2021, LIKE IN MY GARDEN

In 2021, ripening took place gradually, following what I would call a Nordic model, which I experience with the plums, apples and pears in my garden in Sussex – when I took down some home grown hard core organic Cox apples to the Rhône in October, 2022, the growers were extremely impressed – not large apples, but bustling with freshness and firm content.

Thus in 2021, harvesting took place later than the previous five years, and the crop bore natural acidity levels and restrained sugars, an ideal scenario, optimal balance the result.

Growers are enthusiastic, even if they are still more conditioned to looking at a vintage through the prism of their reds, which, of course, still pay most of the bills. There will never be a long discourse on the beauty of the whites, and I have to prompt and provoke to secure comments beyond the banal.

GROWER ENTHUSIASM

Here is a selection of appraisals on the 2021 whites, with balance often referred to:

THIÉRRY SABON, CLOS DU MONT-OLIVET: “the harvest was very belle. The wines are very jolis, with a certain gras. I like the tension in them – the less solar year brought balance.”

BRUNO GASPARD, LE CLOS DU CAILLOU: “it’s a super good year, has the balance between natural acidity, that form of freshness, without lacking power – but not too much of that power. The rains arrived after the white crop had been harvested, and the longer ripening season – it’s been 15-20 August in recent years, but this year was delayed until 1^st September – contributed to their elegance.”

JACQUELINE ANDRÉ, DOMAINE PIERRE ANDRÉ, whose 2021 was 55% Bourboulenc and 45% Clairette, co-fermented: “I really like the 2021 whites, which have elegance, are profound, have a bel balance between freshness and gras and roundness, and also come with a certain reserve.”

EDOUARD BRUNIER, DOMAINE DU VIEUX TÉLÉGRAPHE: “the whites are en finesse; they have greater lightness, less gras than usual also – they have balance and freshness. 2021 is a vintage to make fresh wines.”

EMMANUEL REYNAUD, CHÂTEAU RAYAS: “2021 has a lot of acidity in the white, and has gras, is rich, makes me think of 2001 with greater gras. The degree is a bit lower, so the there is more sagesse/sagacity in the wines.”

CLAIRE MICHEL, LE VIEUX DONJON: “2021 is very beau because it’s a fresher year, with no drought stress. It’s very balanced. I would name 2014 as very good for the white here, while 2018 was good.”

JEAN-PIERRE VERSINO, DOMAINE BOIS DE BOURSAN: “there’s very belle acidity with a good aromatic side – it gives a lot of pleasure, and sold out fast.”

ISABEL FERRANDO, who dropped the name DOMAINE SAINT-PRÉFERT in 2020 in favour of FAMILLE FERRANDO, with her daughter GUILLEMETTE due to come on the estate in late 2023, was succinct: “sumptuous whites this year.”

CÉSAR PERRIN, CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL: “our yield was low, 20 hl/ha; we harvested before the mid-September rain – the weather was dry, without being hot during the season. Our Roussanne did well, the old vines Roussanne with deep roots, allied to fresh soils – there is blue clay at five metres, a great sponge and depth at Beaucastel.

These days we want to keep the gras tendency in the whites, but are harvesting earlier for tension, freshness, because the climate is making the acidities drop fast. We are also seeding the rows to lower temperatures down to 1 to 1.2 metres in May, which we then mulch – it’s a mix of vetch, broad beans, clovers, mustard, which helps to combat the wood disease of the vines.”

VÉRONIQUE MARET of DOMAINE DE LA CHARBONNIÈRE spoke about how she and her sister CAROLINE had approached the vintage: “we worked a lot on the lees to gain gras richness, with stirring of the lees, since the freshness, acidity were there from the start.”

DON'T DRINK THEM TOO SOON!

I strongly believe that the 2021s will keep well. Indeed, the pity is that they will be drunk too soon – if that is the case, you will be treating them as just another good white vintage, whereas at 15 years, a top white 2021 will be way more interesting and provocative than a red of the same age, a complex bounty of prompts and sensations, absolutely worth putting to one side. For every bottle bought, buy another for that treat further down the line, from around eight years’ old, when a really interesting cuisine pairing challenge becomes part of the most agreeable agenda.

A couple of growers spoke of the ageing potential: EMMANUEL REYNAUD, CHÂTEAU RAYAS: “2021 has more acidity, hence vivacity than 2020; it needs time, is a Grand Millésime [Great Vintage].”

GRÉGORY USSEGLIO of FAMILLE PIERRE USSEGLIO, the new name since 2021 told me: “2021 is a super year with freshness, acidity, very joli, and they’ll keep well also.”

The virtues of this great vintage cluster around highlights such as crystalline fruit, fabulous balance, extreme elegance, robes also in good shape, bright. Nuggets of aniseed occur, testament to the quality of the Clairette, while the Grenache blanc richness is silky and measured. There is masses of style, good acidity, citrus clarity, no astringence, false acidity, dilution. Given their balance and good filling, they don’t need to be served cold, either.

Do what you can to track down these exceptional wines.

LEADING 2021 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE WHITES

*****	Château de Beaucastel Roussanne VV	2041-43	10/22	well poised, engaging, v fine
*****	Château Rayas	2051-53	10/22	rich, enveloping, deep gras, v long
*****	Château de Vaudieu	2036-38	10/22	balance, finesse, fresh, v appealing
*****	Domaine de Marcoux	2038-40	10/22	fluid, silken, long, fab refinement
*****	Dom Raymond Usseglio Roussanne	2040-42	10/22	silken, true depth, stylish
***()	Domaine Pierre André	2040-42	02/23	silken feel, southern oiliness, full gras
***()	Dom André Brunel Les Cailloux	2037-39	10/22	suave, silken, spherical, gourmand
***()	Château de la Font du Loup	2037-39	10/22	v stylish, calm, serene, gd oiliness
***()	Château La Nerthe	2032-34	10/22	balance, elegance, harmony, v pure
***()	Clos du Mont-Olivet	2038-40	10/22	bright, character, elegance, STGT
***()	Clos des Papes	2042-44	10/22	joli, graceful, much finesse, to extend
***()	Domaine La Barroche Pure blanc	2033-35	10/21	light touch, charm, clarity
***()	Domaine de Beaurenard	2036-38	10/22	shapely, involving, beautiful, serene
***()	Dom de Beaurenard Boisrenard	2042-44	10/22	silky richness, elegant, unhurried
***()	Dom Grand Tinel Roussannes Charles	2040-42	10/22	silken, gd flow, tight, up
***()	Domaine Grand Veneur La Fontaine	2037-39	10/22	confident depth, clarity, v long
***()	Dom Albin Jacumin Begude des Papes	2031-33	10/22	grace, refinement, joli oiliness
***()	Domaine du Père Caboche	2027-29	10/22	floral, calm, harmony, V, w.o.w.
***()	Famille Ferrando Vieilles Clairettes	2037-39	10/22	soft, floral, character, balance, grace
***()	Le Prieuré des Papes La Millière	2038-40	10/22	refined, tasty, character, life
***()	Le Vieux Donjon	2037-39	05/22	oily elegance, style, freshness
***()	Dom du Vieux Télégraphe La Crau	2044-46	10/22	immed engagement, potential, truth
****	Bosquet des Papes	2034-36	10/22	firm richness, structure, fresh
****	M Chapoutier La Bernardine	2039-41	10/22	rich, textured, firm, time
****	Château des Fines Roches	2036-38	10/22	refined, tangy, lifted, lux apero
****	Château de la Gardine	2034-36	10/22	stylish gras, entertaining, convincing
****	Château La Genestière	2033-35	10/22	gd heart, gras, juice, balance
****	Château Gigognan Clos du Roi	2038-40	10/22	rich, prolonged, nutty, grounded
****	Château Jas de Bressy	2037-39	10/22	stylish gras, fat, fresh
****	Château de Nalys Saintes Pierres	2036-38	10/22	compact flow, 2^nd phase best
****	Château La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir	2037-39	10/22	stylish, complete, gently full
****	Château de Vaudieu Clos du Belvédère	2038-40	10/22	direct, emphatic, leave for oak
****	Chât de Vaudieu Vieilles Roussannes	2040-42	10/22	fat, rich, constructed, table
****	Le Clos du Caillou Les Safres	2035-37	10/22	neat richness, tasty, floral
****	Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes	2035-37	10/22	tight gras, grounded, fresh
****	Clos La Roquète	2040-42	10/22	compact gras, authority, garrigue, STGT
****	Clos Saint Michel Tradition bio	2035-37	10/22	southern oiliness, garrigue, style
****	Domaine L’Abbé Dîne	2035-37	10/22	firm gras, salted, authority
****	Domaine Benedetti	2031-33	10/22	immed drinking, supple, round
****	Domaine Berthet-Rayne	2030-32	02/23	v attractive, gentle texture, stylish
****	Domaine de la Charbonnière	2033-35	11/22	upbeat juice, vivacity, tasty
****	Domaine Charvin	2032-34	02/24	engaging fruit, mineral tingle, balance
****	Domaine Comte de Lauze	2034-36	10/22	compact gras, structure, sturdy
****	Domaine de Cristia	2033-35	10/22	weight, garrigue, tang
****	Domaine Duseigneur Catarina	2033-35	05/23	saline, integrity, complexity, worth study
****	Domaine Grand Veneur Le Miocène	2035-37	10/22	cool, trim juice, spine, lift
****	Dom de la Graveirette Font de Crau	2032-34	02/24	nice firm gras, joli length, will be varied
****	Domaine de la Janasse	2038-40	10/22	bouncy, energized, neat intensity
****	Dom du Pegau Cuvée Réservée	2036-38	10/22	smooth, properly full, fresh
****	Domaine Roger Perrin	2036-38	10/22	secure gras, trad, gd oiliness
****	Domaine Roger Sabon Renaissance	2036-38	11/22	fruit with nerve, direct, structured
****	Domaine Saint Gayan	2031-33	11/21	bonny, aromatic, detail, length
****	Domaine de Saint Paul	2034-36	10/22	cool, gd heart, gd glycerol
****	Domaine des Saumades	2029-31	10/22	floral, swift, nuanced, clear
****	Domaine de la Solitude	2032-34	10/22	elegant, suave, fine, fresh
****	Domaine de la Solitude Barberini	2040-42	10/22	solid, grounded, persistent, oaked
****	Domaine des 3 Cellier Alchimie	2034-36	10/22	ripe richness, balance, holds well
****	Domaine des 3 Cellier Insolente	2032-34	10/22	elegant, flowing, balance, detail
****	Dom Raymond Usseglio Pure Clairette	2037-39	10/22	together, finesse detail, clarity
****	Famille Ferrando	2035-37	10/22	polished gras, v tuneful, balance
****	Famille Pierre Usseglio Première Pierre	2037-39	10/22	suave filling, v clear, time
****	Mas de Boislauzon	2035-37	10/22	silken, bright, playful, cool
****	Mas Saint-Louis	2032-34	05/23	silky texture, stylish gras, pedigree
****	Vidal-Fleury	2030-32	10/22	all together, cool, up, salted
**()	Château de Beaucastel	2036-38	10/23	floral, understated, tame, excess restraint
**()	Château Fortia Edmée Le Roy	2028-30	10/22	clear fruit, direct, easy content
**()	Château Gardine Cuvée Générations	2038-40	10/22	clear flow, solid, oak marked
**()	Château Gigognan Terre Ferme	2035-37	10/22	doughty, knit, trad, some dash
**()	Château Mont-Redon	2036-38	10/22	linear, clear, time to amplify
**()	Château de Nalys	2033-35	10/22	full, soaked, oaked, table, time
**()	Château Simian La Font d’Hippolyte	2036-38	10/22	firm gras, trad filling, sturdy
**()	Château Simian Le Traversier	2031-33	10/22	easy richness, weight, can develop
**()	Château Sixtine	2037-39	10/22	floral, inner resources, time
**()	Clos Saint Jean	2036-38	05/22	traditional full, local gras
**()	Domaine Berthet Rayne Roussanne	2030-32	02/23	smooth all thru, floral, fine, calm
**()	Domaine Chante-Perdrix	2031-33	10/22	low-key gras, trad, grounded
**()	Domaine de la Côte de l’Ange	2029-30	10/22	suave, flowing, floral, bit of drift
**()	Domaine Duclaux	2031-33	05/23	stylish gras, content, elegant, dainty
**()	Domaine La Fagotière	2028-30	10/22	light, easy content, detail
**()	Domaine du Grand Tinel	2031-33	10/22	lucid fruit, jaunty, reliable
**()	Domaine de Pignan	2030-32	10/22	neat richness, crisp, salted
**()	Le Prieuré des Papes Vieilles Vignes	2036-38	10/22	discreet, compact, neat, fresh
**()	Olivier Ravoire Ravoire Caparaçon	2033-35	10/22	compact richness, solid, grounded
**()	Domaine Saint Laurent	2029-31	10/22	body for table, straightforward
**()	Domaine des Sénéchaux	2028-30	10/22	fluid, escapist, finesse, wired
***	Domaine Juliette Avril	2030-32	10/22	fleshy content, oiliness, steady
***	Domaine des Chanssaud	2028-29	10/22	fine, linear, clear, clipped
***	Dom du Galet des Papes au Ju Blan	2030-32	05/23	tangy, direct thrust, then fades
***	Domaine Galévan	2031-33	10/22	tight, lithe, bit plain, dull
***	Domaine Julien Masquin L’Intimiste	2030-32	10/22	springy, revved, low profile
***	Domaine André Mathieu Vin di Felibre	2035-37	10/22	firm, oaked, worked on
***	Dom Pères de l’Eglise Calice St Pierre	2031-32	10/22	direct, channelled, breezy, herbal

11. 2021 CÔTES DU RHÔNE WHITES

THE TALENTED OLIVIER KLEIN, WHOSE 2021 CÔTES DU RHÔNE DOMAINE LA RÉMÉJEANNE LES ARBOUSIERS BLANC LIT UP MY SON EDWARD'S WEDDING

2021 is a very good year for Southern whites – providing growers have been accomplished, rigorous on harvest selection, and prepared to wait for ripeness. Good soils, such as those close to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation area, also provide a good base for the 2021s.

Another point of interest is that, for once in recent years, the Grenache blanc was fresh, not over-accentuated on ripeness, and this helped the fluidity of the wines: witness the number of **** w.o.w. wines.

BRUNO LONG’s DOMAINE FOND CROZE is at St Roman de Malegarde, over the hill north of Cairanne, and therefore close to the River Eygues. His white is aided by the exposure, North facing, of his St Roman vineyards, which are supplemented by harvest from the late ripening Villedieu at 200 metres. He told me: “the 2021 white has a belle level of freshness, tension. There had been complications from the frost, but finally things came through well. The 2021 reds are less rich.”

As a footnote, I served the 2021 CÔTES DU RHÔNE DOMAINE LA RÉMÉJEANNE LES ARBOUSIERS at my son Edward’s wedding in September, 2022, and much enjoyed it was, extremely stylish, a good contributor to a very happy day. Merci, OLIVIER KLEIN.

LEADING 2021 CÔTES DU RHÔNE WHITES

***()	Château de Fonsalette	2043-45	10/22	enjoyable gras, floral, fresh, joli, style
***()	Le Clos du Caillou La Réserve	2037-39	10/22	well furnished, rich, allow time
***()	Clos des Saumanes L'Esprit du Clos	2025	05/22	storming quality, silken, v v fine
****	Pierre Amadieu Dom Grand Romane	2031-32	10/22	gras with style, fine, fresh, long
****	André Brunel Cuvée Becassonne	2025-26	10/22	soft, floral, pretty, grip
****	Clos du Caillou Bouquet des Garrigues	2028-29	10/22	stylish, v long, fine, detail
****	Dom La Collière Les Bergeronnettes	2027-28	11/22	shapely, precise, long; local ID
****	Domaine Coulange	2024	05/22	cosy, fluent, good aperitif
****	Domaine Fond Croze Confidence	2024	05/22	cosy gras, neat juice, trim
****	Signature by La Font du Loup	2025-26	10/22	together, style, interest, w.o.w.
****	Dom Fontavin Petite Robe Blanche	2024	10/22	fine, flowing, floral, w.o.w.
****	Domaine Gramenon La Vie on y est	2025	02/22	refined gras, attractive, w.o.w.
****	E Guigal	2027-28	09/22	engaging, fresh, verve, w.o.w.
****	Famille Lançon La Solitude	2027-28	10/22	gd richness, character, local
****	La Nerthe Les Cassagnes	2026-27	10/22	crystalline, continuous, finesse, tuning
****	Domaine Roger Perrin Prestige	2026-27	10/22	nice gras, cool, precise, V
****	Dom La Réméjeanne Les Arbousiers	2025-26	02/22	tender, precise, floral, stylish
****	Domaine Sainte-Anne	2025	02/22	stylish fruits, racy, v good
****	Domaine du Trapadis Les Plans	2026-27	02/23	joli fruits, floral, dainty, natural
****	Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Clavin	2028-29	02/23	graceful, spherical, v neat
**()	Pierre Amadieu Roulepierre	2027-28	10/22	alert, engaging, feathery, gd apero
**()	Domaine La Bouissière	2029-30	10/22	stealthy inner core, table to show gras
**()	La Cabotte Colline	2025-26	10/22	nicely oily, cosy gras
**()	M Chapoutier Belleruche	2025	10/22	rich, plenty, grip v much la table
**()	Château de Beaucastel Coudoulet	2029-30	10/22	stylish, fine, New Wave, promising
**()	Château de la Gardine Brunel Gardine	2026	10/22	fine fruit, freshness, easy
**()	Château Gigognan Vignes du Prieuré	2025	10/22	joli richness, supple, perfumed
**()	Château Mont-Redon Réserve	2025-26	11/22	discreet richness, inner juice
**()	Château Pégau Lône	2026-27	10/22	firm richness, compact, to evolve
**()	Château Terre Forte Origine	2026	02/23	fleshy, generous, control present
**()	Le Clos du Caillou Le Caillou	2026-27	10/22	neat gras, tangy, vibrant, zesty
**()	Domaine Comte de Lauze	2026	10/22	neat depth, joli, persists
**()	Dom Corinne Depeyre L’Âme du Chêne	2026	02/22	good depth, spine
**()	Dom Corinne Depeyre Style	2025-26	02/22	trim, firm, gd grip
**()	Domaine de Durban	2024	05/22	compote fruits, crisp line, 50 M 50 R
**()	Alain Jaume Réserve Grand Veneur	2027-28	10/22	fluent, running, gras, grip
**()	Maxime-François Laurent Pantomime	2025	02/22	crisp drinking, fresh fruit
**()	Franck & Olivier Mousset Enfants	2026	10/22	tight, agreeable, length, heart
**()	Famille Perrin Nature	2024	10/22	fine detail and tuning, airborne
**()	Dom La Réméjeanne Les Chevrefeuilles	2024-25	02/22	lovely attack, sympa gras
**()	Domaine La Romance	2024	05/22	bright, wholesome, fresh, decant
**()	Dom du Trapadis La Petite Côte	2026	02/23	spritely, electric, cool, clear
**()	Les Vins de Vienne Les Laurelles	2024	05/22	suave Vio content, supple, nice fresh
**()	Maison Les Alexandrins Terrasses Eridan	2024	11/22	tender, bonny, tuneful, fresh, w.o.w.
***	Cave de Gigondas La Font Louisiane	2024	10/22	soft content, well rounded close
***	Cave de Gigondas Dame de Montmirail	2024-25	10/22	smooth texture, rolling depth
***	Clos Volabis	2024	02/22	suave content, tangy, bracing
***	Domaine de la Graveirette	2027	02/24	nutty, core, suave, waxen, table
***	Domaine Julien Masquin Humuer	2024	10/22	light, bit unformed, fleeting
***	Domaine Santa Duc Le Serre du Rieu	2026	02/23	fluid fruits, bit fleeting, light grip
***	Famille Perrin Réserve	2024-25	10/22	yeasty, dour, gummy
*()	Chateau La Genestière	2024	10/22	nutty, tangy, functional
*()	Ferraton Père & Fils Samorëns	2024	10/22	white fruits, flattened, low interest
**	Dom Saint Laurent Papé Plume	2026-27	10/22	very oaked; stretched

12. 2021 TAVEL

ALEXANDRE & FRANÇOISE HOTE

I confess to feeling slightly underwhelmed by Tavel in 2021. On paper, prospects were good: a cool summer, higher acidity than usual, a gradual ripening, all auguring well for a bright, even dazzling style of wine, with sufficient richness to render them both easy to drink and to appreciate à table. I expected a really good array of high quality wines.

MID-SEPTEMBER RAIN THE DRIVING INFLUENCE

However, it seems that the divisive factor was the mid-September rain, a difference between those who harvested before, and those who harvested later. Before the rain – around 80-100 mm [3.2-4 in] gave a harvest that was healthy from a blight standpoint, rot and friends, but the ripening had been a struggle, meaning it didn’t necessarily give wines with confirmed richness. Lower degree as well, but ripeness on the edge – see DOMAINE DE LA MORDORÉE, for example.

After the rain brought the risk of degradation of the harvest but also a slightly more extended ripening phase; in sensitive hands, prepared to severely sort and discard, this could engender complexity. As a result of all these pre and post rain decisions, there isn’t an obvious rule to apply as to which domaines performed better according to their harvest policy - all rather confusing.

A GOOD YEAR, BUT SELECT CAREFULLY

It’s therefore a good vintage, more crisp than recent solar years, with the best wines balanced, well furnished and nicely long. However, it’s not a year where all the usual suspects delivered the top wines, so be careful with selection.

A couple of views on the year came from the organic, near Vin Nature duo of ERIC PFIFFERLING of DOMAINE L’ANGLORE, and his recent acolyte-follower GAËL PETIT of MOULIN LA VIGUERIE, who has also moved towards low sulphur use.

THE ORGANIC VIEWPOINT

First, ERIC, whose company I thoroughly appreciate, as we explore a wide range of topics: “we did well to avoid frost; flowering went well, but the véraison [turning of colour on the grapes] came late, very interesting. I started the harvest on 1 September – I wasn’t in the 23 August camp – so 10 days later than recent years. The Cinsault was fragile – we had to watch out for a new virus, a grape worm variation. With the 2021 Syrah we decided it needed direct pressing, so it didn’t go into the Tavel.

There was a lot of rain, 150 mm (6 in) around the middle of September, by when we had half the harvest in. The first part brought large bunches which all fermented well, with quite marked, direct levels of acidity, while the second part came with a good level of belle ripeness.”

Next, GAËL: “harvesting was quite straightforward, the health of the grapes OK, though there were worm blights on the Syrah, which meant that we did a direct pressing on it. Ripening occurred more slowly than 2020, while pH is lower than recent years [so more fresh].

I harvested the sand soils on the plateau first, then came Combe which had good balance, while on the Terres Blanches, the limestone, degree went rapidly to 15°. The clay and limestone zones were very good this year. The Carignan suffered from a ripening blockage, just didn’t budge. I harvested most before the rain, and the harvest after the rain I sold as wine in bulk.”

ALEXANDRE HOTE

Tavel is home to some independent thinkers and practitioners such as ERIC and GAËL, and another such person is ALEXANDRE HOTE, whose father GÉRARD cultivates 9 hectares spread across different soils at Tavel, his harvest sent to the Tavel Co-operative.

ALEXANDRE worked as an apprentice at DOMAINE DE LA MORDORÉE, where he witnessed the emphasis by CHRISTOPHE DELORME on bringing in top quality harvest above all else. He started to develop vineyards on his own account, and was part of the panel conducting a review of the soils of Tavel; when DOMAINE MÉJEAN put up their lands for sale in 2018, he acted to acquire vineyards of his own.

He works 3.5 ha of Tavel, 1.5 ha of Lirac red, both on the galet stone soils of Vallongue, his first vintage 2019, when he hit 40. He says that his first calling is that of a viticulteur more than a winemaker. The vineyards are organically managed, the soils worked; he doesn’t sow inter-row seeds, instead allows grass to grow naturally, which is then ploughed. Harvesting is by hand. The two rosés and one Lirac red are fermented with wild yeasts, and are zero added SO2 wines.

He makes one Tavel that is part vinified by macération carbonique, 65% Grenache, 35% Cinsault dating from 1989. In his words, “I want to make wine without artifice, fresh, in the standards of Tavel; the macération carbonique involves mystery – you never know when to take it out of the vat.”

FIRST VINTAGE, 2019, ALL TAVEL SOLD IN BULK

As an example of ALEXANDRE’s quest to do the right thing, he sold all his 2019 Tavel in bulk, his very first vintage of it, since he found its 16° too high, and it “didn’t give the wine I wanted.” There is also second rosé, from 2021 a Vin de France, vinified by direct pressing -it also comes from the 1989 vineyard.

There were two Lirac reds in 2020, one, called Printemps, steel vat raised, the other 60% oak cask raised. In 2021, there was just one Lirac red, also called Printemps. These are good, genuinely hand made wines that carry the integrity of a man trying to work as naturally as possible.

CHRISTIAN & NADIA CHARMASSON

Another couple who could not baulk at the title offbeat, certainly rootsy, are CHRISTIAN and NADIA CHARMASSON, whom I regret not having seen more of in recent years. Their domaine goes by the name BALAZU DES VAUSSIÈRES, and is just outside the village; they work by instinct, have always been hands-off in approach, prizing their vineyards with an absence of intervention. Hence they have been biodynamic for years, even though they left the Demeter system, and also what they term “homeopathic.” The day I visited was a flower day, and they had been out picking camomile flowers.

Their vineyards comprise 2 hectares at Tavel, based on four sites, notably Roumagnac, Le Plan, Les Comères, and La Vaussière, the last named next to their house, where the soils are lauzes-chipped limestone, with a galet covered sandy, grey clay presence. There is 1946 Carignan on the sandy part of Le Plan, a precious gem that responds to the tender handling, allowing its aromatic, tingling side to come through, while next to the domaine grows a mix of Grenache, Clairette rose and a little Carignan planted in 1924.

At Lirac there are 2.8 hectares on two sites, Clary, near the forest of the same name, where there are sedimentary, rather rich soils and on Ste Agricole where there is a mix of sand and clay, galet stones on the surface – these are both at Roquemaure. All the wines are Vin de France.

CHRISTIAN’s great-grandfather made wine, around 100 hl a year, and in 1986 CHRISTIAN took over 0.9 hectare, crop that he sent to the CAVE DE TAVEL until his first vinification in 1993. His explanation of the name of the domaine is droll: “a 13^th century troubadour was a Baladium; now, my grandpa was a communist, and once voted for a right winger called Balazu, and that name stuck after that, tying it in with the troubadour angle.”

Likewise, in 2020 there was a lack of white harvest, so they selected red varieties that held as little ripeness as could be managed in order to achieve the final wine, the Cuvée Lune Bleue, a reference to the 13^th moon in a calendar year, an occasional occurrence roughly every three years – hence the expression “once in a Blue Moon.” This was the best wine I tasted during my visit, a wine with fresh prompts, and very well established richness.

The couple managed a belle, normal harvest in 2021, and made red, white and rosé, all three colours. “The harvest was late to ripen, but suddenly took off, to the extent that juice was running out of the harvest boxes while we were transporting it to the cellars,” states CHRISTIAN.

Returning to the more orthodox world… GUILLAUM DEMOULIN from the sandy soils of CHÂTEAU TRINQUEVEDEL gave his take on the vintage: “there’s more balance and freshness in the Tavel this year. Ripening was slow, and only just made it, the colour not deep. We had rain in the harvest, mid-September. The harvest was nickel, great in the first week of September, then we had 80-100 mm [3.2-4 in] of rain a week later, so I harvested half before and half after that rain. The second tranche of the harvest needed sorting, discarding, with grey rot present. Overall, it’s a vintage of good drinking, very fine, joli.”

PASCAL LAFOND, genial and veteran owner of DOMAINE LAFOND ROC-ÉPINE also remarked on a wide difference according to the rain: “2021 breaks a good 10 years of concentration. If you talk about 2008, that was a year with rain at the start of the harvest, not in the middle. The first harvested crop this year was OK, but there was marked dilution on the second part, after the rain.”

SÉVERINE LEMOINE of DOMAINE LA ROCALIÈRE wove in her views on the transformation that being biodynamic has brought when telling me: “2021 is fresh, a year of acidity that will keep well, the acidity good quality, a lot of fruit with it. Biodynamie has changed things – now there are no additives in vinification, there is systematic use of wild yeasts, all driven by the behaviour of the vines. I also vinify longer, for three weeks, which has brought a gain of superior aromatic complexity.

I have rationalised the vineyard, and really seek the expression of terroir, with biodynamic energising the soil. These changes have also brought out better vintage by vintage character, a more true example of each year. So 2021 is a higher acidity version of Tavel, with aromatic complexity, isn’t too heavy or concentrated, gives good drinking.” I find that SÉVERINE's Tavel has gained in depth and structure since these changes, and is a more interesting wine as a result.

AMBRE DELORME of DOMAINE DE LA MORDORÉE, who conducted all the harvest before the rain, reported: “2021 has belle freshness, tension, a joli minerality, already tastes well, a good sign. We harvested before the rain, so weren’t marked by high degree, and there is attractive balance, a belle roundness. It was a stressful, so we are happy with the result.”

LEADING 2021 TAVEL ROSÉS

***()	Domaine de L'Anglore	2031-32	05/23	firm, rootsy, vinous, cool-terroir
***()	Château La Genestière	2025	05/22	nice richness, juicing, character
***()	Alain Jaume Le Crétacé	2024	05/22	enjoyable content, balance, tasty gras
***()	Domaine Lafond Roc Epine La Relève	2025	05/22	suave, furnished, nourishing, gd oak
***()	Moulin Viguerie La Combe des Rieu	2031-32	05/23	silky, flowing, inner drive, quality
****	Cellier Chartreux Les Hautes Roches	2023	05/22	gd fruit flow, fresh, clear, w.o.w., V
****	Château d’Aquéria	2023	05/22	soft sweetness, cut, glow
****	Château de Manissy Langoustière	2024	05/22	soft, fresh tone, pure, joli
****	Château de Manissy Trinité	2023	05/22	crisp fruit, tasty, cool, length
****	Domaine de L'Anglore Vaucroze	2030-32	05/22	spine, gunflint, iron, end depth
****	M Chapoutier Beaurevoir	2024	05/22	knit, firm, grounded, long
****	E Guigal	2025	05/22	well rounded, savoury, firm close
****	Domaine Alexandre Hote	2024-25	05/22	serene, grounded, vegetal clarity
****	Domaine Maby Libiamo	2025-26	05/23	free stream, upbeat, structure, perfume
****	Ogier Singulier Pluriels	2024	05/22	reassuring heart, clear, long
****	Vignerons de Tavel Cuvée Royale	2023-24	05/22	juiced, shapely fruit, joli gras
**()	Château de Trinquevedel	2023	05/22	fresh, defined fruit, soft, apero
**()	Domaine Le Vieux Moulin	2023	05/22	mild fruit, ease, clear
**()	Domaine Maby La Forcadière	2024	05/22	emphatic fruit, firm couch
**()	Domaine Maby Prima Donna	2023	05/22	soft, cool fruit, early
**()	Gabriel Meffre Saint Ferréol	2024	05/22	nicely juiced, curvy, carb gas
**()	Moulin Viguerie Postérité Soixante-Dix	2027-28	05/23	direct, free, naked, upright
**()	Domaine des Muretins	2024	05/22	wavy fruit, fresh vibe, clear
**()	Dom La Rocalière le Classique	2024-25	05/22	knit, firm, structured, time
**()	Vignerons du Castelas Dom Respelido	2023	05/22	bonny attack, tasty, cosy
**()	Vignerons de Tavel Les Lauzeraies	2024	05/22	helpful density, late surge
**()	Vignerons de Tavel Tresor des Sables	2024	05/22	soft, bit loose, agreeable
**()	Vignobles & Cie Réserve Chastelles	2023	05/22	easy richness, juiced, thrust
***	Château de Manissy Tête de Cuvée	2027	05/23	firm flavour, direct, oxidation notes
***	Château de Ségriès	2024	05/22	juiced, firm, knit, extraction
***	Domaine Amido Les Amandines	2023	05/22	fair fruit, plain, mainstream
***	Domaine Amido les Gourmandines	2023	05/22	light, gently aromatic. extraction
***	Domaine des Carabiniers	2023	05/22	sweet, unctuous, syrup, bit dull
***	Domaine Mordorée La Dame Rousse	2023	05/22	light, ready, floral, pinched end
***	Dom de la Mordorée Reine des Bois	2023	05/22	stewed, savoury, pointed close
***	Prieuré de Montézargues	2023	05/22	low-key fruit, sweet, escapist
*()	Domaine Corne-Loup	2023	05/22	thin attack, linear, clinical
*()	Lavau	2023	05/22	light, direct; bracing fruit
*()	Domaine Pelaquié	2023	05/22	ease, direct freshness, fleeting

Username (your email)
Password

	Forgotten your password?

Leading Wines by vintage