On Saturday, September 4, Vintages is presenting a new release of wines, with a focus on reds from the Southern Rhone Valley. At its best, the South Rhone produces rich red wines with the savoury character of herbs, game and earth. In the most traditional and rustic bottles, this earthiness ripens into a fecund aroma that most critics euphemistically call barnyard (having never stepped into a barnyard myself, I prefer the term scat).
In any case, you have to watch your step in this particular barnyard because the Rhone also produces a lot of mediocre table wine. So, here are the Short Cellar’s top picks:
Pierre Amadeiu “Romane Machotte” 2007 Gigondas ($22.95 [Ed. Note: No longer available], Vintages #017400)
Gigondas is a high and hot sub-appellation in the Rhone. This terroir gives the wine a molten character that is developing a strong cult following among oenophiles. The 2007 Romane Machotte is a classic Gigondas with rich and spiky juxtapositions of flavour. The nose is like a peony dusted with freshly ground black pepper. The flavours are deep, coarse and complex, featuring a lovely cherry/blackberry fruit spiced with garrigue (the flavour of wild herbs and lavender). This is a perfect cellar wine and it will continue to improve toward 2018. 91/100
Vignerons de Gigondas “La Font des Grières” 2007 Gigondas ($21.95 [Ed. Note: No longer available], Vintages #175729)
This is another excellent Gigondas. It has a perfumed bouquet with hits of lavender and white pepper. It is a cleaner style of Rhone, with a polished and creamy texture. The plum-like fruit is rich and lovely. 90/100
Grandes Serres 2007 Côtes du Rhône-Villages Signargues ($14.95 [Ed. Note: No longer available], Vintages #175638)
Signargues is the south-most of the micro-appellations that make up the Côtes du Rhône-Villages. At $15, the Grand Serres from Signargues is one of the best values in the recent release. Vivacious tannin and acidity give structure and strength to this wine, supporting the core of rich plum. Aromas of mocha and pepper add complexity. The only drawback is a slightly diluted finish, but this is just a venial sin in a congenial wine like this that’s made for drinking, not sipping. 89/100
Vignerons de Caractère “Les Hauts du Castellas” 2007 Vacqueyras ($18.95 [Ed. Note: No longer available], Vintages #177634)
Les Hauts du Castellas from Vacqueyras is the pick of the release as far as I am concerned. Vacqueyras is a barren, rocky sub-appellation whose wines are maddened with the classic Rhones flavour of garrigue. The Castellas asserts itself right away with herbal and medicinal aromas. Rich, textured fruit and wild, earthy tones follow on the palate. This is a really excellent effort and the fine tannins will continue to evolve until 2014. Best of all, there is one flavour that lingers elusively at the threshold of perception, a distinctive but flirty aroma: scat. 91/100
Matthew Sullivan is a civil litigator in Toronto. He blogs weekly here on lawandstyle.ca. The Short Cellar column also appears in the print edition of Precedent. Matthew can be reached at matthew@lawandstyle.beta-site.ca. Follow along on Twitter: @shortcellar.
Photo by Thierry