One of the most important wines in the Southern Rhône according to Chambers Street Wines

4/21/2008 -

(Lyle and Marchel Richaud in Deauville)

I will admit I am a Grenache hater as the grape, in my mind, when not cared for, makes hot, alcoholic wines that have stewed fruit and a general lack of focus. Most normal cuvèes of Chateauneuf are middling at best because the producers are putting all of their resources into luxury cuveè that few can afford. It is a sad state in Chateauneuf, but true wine lovers are branching out and looking to places like Cairanne, Gigondas, St. Gervais, Chusclan and Brezeme for value and quality.

That is where Marcel Richaud comes in, who is a superstar winemaker in France, but unfortunately does not get the recognition he deserves here. This is actually a boon as it keeps prices down. He grows Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and many local varietals, but there is only 25% Grenache, which to this Grenache-hater, is a good thing. He is based in the village of Cairanne and his regular Cairanne is easily the best example in the village.. It is a wine so full of crackling Grenache fruit, herbs de provence, ripe tannin, crisp acids that you cannot believe what a value it is. You would swear you drinking the "good" Chateauneuf, not the dilute normal cuvèes of today. The wine, though, that he is most famous for is the Cairanne l'Ebrescade. This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre and there is very little of this stuff to go around. 5,000 bottles or less in certain vintages. But despite the rarity of this stuff you need to latch onto as much as you can get as Marcel has outdone himself with the brilliant 2005 l'Ebrescade. The aromas jump put of the glass and grab you with their poignancy and purity. Licorice, black fruits, spice, earth, herbs de provence, lavender, mint, balsam and soy. The nose is layered and very complex already at this young age. Definitely a Rhône wine to drink out of a Burgundy stem. The palate has dazzling purity and richness along with intense flavors of black, blue, red and purple fruits. The whole spectrum of fruits here. The tannins are fine and grainy and the balance is extraordinary. There is serious structure under all that fruit along with a precise backbone of minerality. This is a wow wine and has all the hallmarks of the great 2005 vintage in the Southern Rhône. Density, freshness, structure, minerality and purity. Buy by the case as this will last very long in the cellar. LF