Return of the Southern Rhone: Great Wines/Great Values!
10/4/26 -
Today's offer contains our favorite wines of the Southern Rhône, back from their summer vacation, as well as some brilliant newcomers, both for long-term cellaring and for immediate enjoyment!
First some great Châteauneuf-du-Papes including some of the very best wines of the excellent 2023 vintage:
2023 Saint Théodoric "les Sablons" - From sandy soils near Pignan and Rayas, this beautiful wine always shows great elegance and freshness - it's been one of our favorite CDPs since first made in 2014. The 2023 is outstanding - "best of the three 2023s" (Guigasse, Grand Pin and Sablons) says Drink Rhone, "one of the most refreshing samples I tasted this year" says Nicholas Greinacher in Vinous. Delicious as a young wine and over the next 25 years!
As usual, the 2023 Domaine Charvin is a subtle, complex and beautiful wine.
Domaine Bosquet des Papes - We had the pleasure of visiting this very traditional estate
a few times back in the early 90s and have always been a fan of their well-priced Cuvée Tradition, which is superb in 2023. Their 2023 "Chante le Merle Vieilles Vignes" has just been released - it's one of the greatest wines of the 2023 vintage made from 95 to 110 year-old Grenache vines, with Syrah and Mourvedre.
The wonderful Biodynamic Domaine Pierre André will continue the same great farming and winemaking under the new owner, with Jacqueline Andre's beautiful old vines. We have a few bottles left of her 2021 and 2022 red and 2024 white...
(Pictured at top: the smiling Laurent Charvin in the old vines of "Le Poutet.")
Over-achieving CDR and CDR Villages:
Returning Favorites include the Charvin "Le Poutet" which is particularly great in 2024, better than many Chateauneufs! Pablo Hocht's beautiful 2024 Domaine Crève Coeur CDR Villages Seguret, two cases left...
Great wines from an old favorite Biodynamic estate, the Domaine de L'Oratoire St Martin
including two unique wines from the 2019 vintage, drinking beautifully now. The lovely Cairanne Réserve des Seigneurs and the awesome Cairanne "Les Douyes" from vines planted in 1905!!
From high altitude vineyards in St Maurice, the gorgeous, supple 2021 La Florane "Echevin" Rouge...
Lighter, brighter, serve cool and enjoy...
Our favorite CDR, the 2025 Crève Coeur, it's an amazing value!!
The Domaine de Ferrand 2024 CDR "Mistral"- particularly fresh and delightful with lovely cherry/raspberry aromas and a supple palate of red and black fruits, very smooth and quaffable.
And the outrageously delicious 2025 La Florane "Je ne Soufre Plus" (I no longer add sulfur) This is a beautifully fresh and luscious Rhône red with bright floral cherry/plum/licorice aromas and a lush but light, bright palate with gorgeous supple fruit and a refreshing finish. It's an explosion of red and black berry fruits - like biting into a bunch of grapes! Serve cool with just about anything! (Zero added Sulfites, 100% delicious)
-David Lillie
