Rhône 2022 En Primeur

The Rhône Valley represents some of the best value to be had in all of France and the wines make for wonderful short-term cellaring. These have all proved to be delicious in the 2022 vintage.Case includes:6x Côtes du Rhône-Villages Signargues, Cuvée Notre Passion, Gonnet 20226x Château Courac, Laudun Côtes du Rhône-Villages 20226x Rasteau, Domaine la Soumade, Frédéric Roméro 20226x Syrah Or Piste, Vin de France, Aurélien Chirat 2022

This cellar highlights the best examples of their kind from both the northern and southern Rhône. These are slightly lesser-known villages where, we feel, real gems can be found and the quality punches well above their relatively modest price tags. All are from top-class growers who put their respective villages on the map. This selection will provide excellent mid-term cellaring to give you a true flavour of the Rhône Valley.Case includes:6x Lirac Vieilles Vignes, Les Sables d'Arène, Domaine Giraud 2022 (organic)6x Vacqueyras, Cuvée des Templiers, Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux 20226x Rasteau, La Fontaine, Domaine La Collière 20226x Cairanne Rouge, l'Ebrescade, Marcel Richaud 2022

A selection of wines from the region’s most famous appellations. These will all cellar well and have a long drinking window, of up to 15 years and possibly beyond. These are well-known villages where it’s important to seek the best wines, from growers who are the best in class – which these four certainly are! Case includes:6x Cornas, Terres Brûlées, Domaine Colombo 2022 (organic)6x Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Giraud 2022 (organic)6x Gigondas, Les Racines, Domaine Les Pallières 20226x Crozes-Hermitage, Cuvée Gaby, Domaine du Colombier 2022

From ungrafted 50 year old vines this elegant and floral with plenty of white orchard fruits, there is good concentration and depth on the palate with a hint of fresh almond and a lovely fresh finish. 0-3 years.

The vines are now over 40 years old so bring extra depth and concentration to the wine. Brambly with a touch of damson, before some present but well balanced tannins and a very pure fruit character with just a hint of dark chocolate, long on the finish. 3 years.

A very attractive nose with white flowers and sweet yellow fruits. It has a lovely silky mouth-feel, rich orangey fruit, a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne, with the latter bringing freshness and the former weight and depth. 0-5 years.

A welcome return of GrisiŠres after last year. 30% whole bunches were used to bring freshness to the wine which is very deep and concentrated with rich plum-laden fruit, plenty of spice and a more gentle floral note before a creamy, elevated finish. 3-12 years.

Always the brooding one in the line up, more herbal and floral in nature. It is rich, shows great texture and mouthfeel as well as great intensity of cooked orange and spice. 3-7 years.

A clean fresh nose, with floral tones. Very attractive on the palate with super balance, the freshness coping admirably with a rich weighty fruit and demonstrating a chalky mineral note under sweet white peach fruit and super succulence on the finish. 3-7 years

With no Telegraphe produced this year and this wine bolstered with what remained, Telegramme doesn't disappoint. Rich, ripe brambly fruit with raspberry overtones and notes of violets before a hint of strawberry and garrigue herbs on the finish. 5-10+ years.

Super fruit on the nose with an almost liqueur-like intensity. Damson and black cherries to the fore with a more red fruit character underneath. Beautifully weighted on the palate with a freshness and very fine tannins which leave a lingering finish. 5-15 years.

Very fine, elegant cherry and strawberry fruit. Wonderfully balanced on the palate, the lovely sweet fruit character countered with freshness and supported by some super-fine tannins. 5-10+ years.

Packed with black fruits and enticing garrigue notes with a just a nod to licquorice. Despite the heat there is great freshness with appealing concentration. This wine always provides serious value and drinkability - this vintage is no exception. 2-7 years.

Viognier from the northern Rhone with a little Roussanne to bring added freshness, this is rich and weighty with lovely texture on the palate, very elegant and fine with fresh, citrus tones of the Roussanne enhancing the rich Viognier. 0-3 years.

This is a very classic Cornas with dark, black raspberry fruit and liquorice, with some svelte tannins in support but never dominating, before the typical juicy, Cornas freshness comes through on the finish. 3-9 years.

The she-wolf but far from being aggressive this is intense, almost liqueur like and complex too. Super-sweet fruit but always elegant, some present but very ripe tannins and a fruity finish of blueberry, blackberry, damson and spice. Terrific. 5-15+ years.

Plenty of ripe, fresh red and black fruit aromas with an attractive note of woody herbs and spices. Plenty of chunky fruit on the palate with blueberries and strawberries to the fore, with a warm note of citrus zest lifting the finish. 3-9 years.

Lovely ripe, cooked strawberry fruit on the nose, a wonderful sweetness with great depth of fruit and super, silky and attractive tannins, succulent plenty of weight with notes of orange zest, herbs and subtle rose petal note on th finish. 3-9 years.

Great complexity here with notes of spice, wood, rosehips amongst the ripe red and black fruit aromas. Wonderfully mouth-filling, intense more notes of coffee and cocao nibs but with a juicy red fruit character providing balance on the finish. 5-15+ years.

From 60 years old vines showcasing the blue, red and yellow clay soils. A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre that is showing damsons and violets, great structure without tightness, and a juicy acidity. Tapenade and blossom notes on the finish. 3-7 years.

A small 2.5 ha site centred around a natural spring , 98% Grenache (whole bunch), 1% Syrah, 1% Mourvedre aged for 9 months. Wonderful fragrant notes with a melange of pure fruit flavours, this is both delicate and concentrated, and very fine indeed. 3-9 years.

Wonderfully floral on the nose with violets amongst the fruit, plenty of ripe plum fruit on the palate with some present but rounded tannins but the finish is fresh with crunchy fruit and decent length. 0-5 years.

A fine mix of fruit, flowers and spice on the nose with plums, cassis and damson fruit, some typically present tannins but ripe and rounded in feel, the finish is fine and long with a note of bergamot amongst the ripe fruit. 3-7 years.

A wonderfully rich mouth-filling style with plenty of dark plum and raspberry fruit but also much elegance and super balance on the palate with fine ripe tannins and a soft and juicy finish. 0-5 years.

Deep, intense and brooding on the nose. Rich, dark fruit flavours with notes of liquorice and fresh tobacco, some tannins, this is part aged in wooden vats and casks which bring substance and depth to the wine, before a bright uplifting finish. 3-7 years.

A blend of classic southern Rh?ne white varietals offering an approachable style with some peach and apricot fruit on the nose and palate, a great texture and mouthfeel with lovely weight and an elegant, zesty finish. 0-5 years.

This wine spends 22 months in large oak barrels to bring roundness and complexity. It remains fresh and succulent but with plenty of weight, hints of vanilla and spice are found amongst the rich fruit before a long and concentrated finish. 3-9 years.

A blend of 60% Roussanne, 40% Marsanne which are co-planted in the vineyard and aged in old foudre. Pleasant aromas of Lanolin, honey and citrus lead through to the palate to an appealing nutty, waxy character with crisp, lemon notes, beeswax and honey. 3-7 years.

Plenty of attractive brambly fruit here with a welcome note of spice. There is a lovely juicy succulence on the palate which makes it incredibly easy to drink even when so young, there is a warming note of liquorice on the finish. 3-5 years.

A wonderful rich, ripe fresh apricot aroma, plenty of freshness on the palate from 100% Roussanne grapes, clean, fresh very pure with great elegance and succulence followed by a saline mineral note on the finish. 0-5 years.

Intense and concentrated nose on the dark end of the fruit spectrum but lightened by a note of parma violets. Fresher fruit character on the palate with raspberries and red cherries with some well balanced tannins and a fresh finish. 3-9 years.

From a two hectare plot of granite soils on the top of the Cornas hill. Rich, black-fruited with some oak spice evident, great concentration and depth of flavour balanced by the characteristic Cornas acidity giving lovely raspberry fruit to the finish. 5-15+ years.

Creamy, black fruited aromas and floral notes coming through. Concentrated blackberry notes fill the palate, along with enticingly fragrant ripe, red fruits too and a lovely texture. This is big, full and long with great integration. 5-15 years.

Ripe, blue fruits and floral armoas exude from the glass. This follows through on to the palate with wild raspberries, sweet blueberries, soft tannins and a juciy morish quality. Tr?s Jolie! 0-5 years.

A lovely floral nose from the white grapes used. It is super-crunchy with fresh strawberry and cranberry fruit. The palate is ripe but the lovely fresh fruit character is beautifully balanced, a black treacle note brings a darker note to the finish. 3-7 years.

Intense notes of black and blue fruit with a lovely floral character and even a hint of citrus keep it fresh and appealing. On the palate the fruit is rich, concentrated with plenty of supple, ripe tannins before a note of black pepper spice to finish. 5-15 years.

A lovely rounded, supple wine with ripe tannins and long flowing flavours. Notes of mulberry, sweet spice and pure, juicy fruit shone through in this very appealing wine. Great length. 3-7 years.

Toasty, chocolate oak with plenty of black fruits. Sweetly fruited on the palate with complexity coming from liquorice, baking spice and black pepper notes. Supple tannins round this off very well and leave a long lingering finish. 3-9 years.

Black-fruited this is rich, sweet, succulent with plenty of ripe, mouth-filling fruit, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries all present but with notes of liquorice and allspice, fine ripe tannins and great length. 5-15+ years.

This is big, bold, juicy and mouthwatering. Red fruit flavours abound with notes of milk chocolate, a little spice and an alluring umami, soy sauce note. 80% whole bunches which gives the wine a lovely texture and fragrant quality. 3-9 years.

Inviting dark chocolate and mocha notes entice on the nose. Whilst the palate is bold and driven with a silky, suppleness. There is great concentration here with an appealing fresh, fragrant quality too. 3-9 years.

This is a sumptuous blend of Syrah and Grenache with plenty of black fruit and ripe tannins. The vineyards here are fairly high, so cooler and fresher than many other Vinsobres.

A cooler site so extra hang-time on the vines gives extra depth here. Intense, smoky damson fruit, very concentrated on the palate, spicy, juicy cassis and blueberry fruit with a herbal note before a long finish. 3-7 years.

A forward, aromatic nose with plenty of ripe fruit flavours, on the palate it is fresh with a succulent note amongst a good depth of fruit, a hint of liquorice and a lovely red fruit finish.

A wonderfully sweet aroma of berry fruit with notes of garrigue herbs. A lovely weight on the palate with concentration, grip, more dark fruit charcater with notes of menthol and liquorice to boot before a fine, succulent and juicy finish. 5-15 years.

A dark intense wine with notes of white pepper and a floral hint on both the nose and palate with oodles of sweet cherry fruit with a soft, approachable style and a wonderfully juicy finish. 0-3 years.

Best thought of as mini-Condrieu this Côtes du Rhône is made with 100% Viognier aged in old oak barrels. The result has a lovely floral, tangerine skin note with good weight, excellent freshness with a note of Earl Grey tea on a lovely, saline finish. 0-5 years.

A very pretty nose with plenty of violet notes, more intense on the palate with ripe raspberry and plum fruit. A lovely juicy freshness on the finish provides balance and there are ripe tannins already well integrated before a long satisfying finish. 3-7 years.

Restrained on the nose but with concentrated apricot fruit. The palate is more open almost peachy but the characteristic freshness of the vintage brings welcome balance, a juicy finish with a hint of ginger from the oak before a long lingering finish. 3-7 years.

Quite smoky and meaty on the nose, this is intense and brooding, the palate strikes a lighter tone though still with plums and mulberry fruit but also showing a mineral streak that brings balance and roundness to the finish. 3-7 years.

Intense, dark and brooding blackcurrant fruit with a touch of herbal liquorice. The palate has a lovely silkiness, rich and intense but wonderfully smooth, ripe black cherry fruit with rounded tannins and a very long finish. 5-12 years.

A lovely attractive wine this year, the 8% Viognier lightening the intense Syrah. Violets, dark red fruits merging with blueberries, this has lovely weight and super balance. There are plenty of tannins present but wonderfully rounded and in balance. 5-15 years.