Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas are Syrah powerhouses, and all three expressed themselves to their utmost in the excellent 2015 vintage in the Northern Rhône. See the results of our recent panel tasting below, and read an introduction by Matt Walls...
This time last year I asked Philippe Guigal, the kingpin of Côte-Rôtie, if he could compare 2015 to another year. He had to reach back well beyond his own winemaking experience. ‘My dad would say 1961,’ Guigal replied, ‘and he also talks about the 1945s and the 1929s.’
Northern Rhône winemakers tend to be self-effacing when describing their wines, but while tasting the 2015s from barrel, superlatives flowed across the region.
It was a hot year but not baking, dry but not parched, with only the youngest vines suffering water stress. With no pressure from poor weather or rot at harvest, winemakers could pick when they pleased. The best wines of Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas will be long lived thanks to their freshness, concentration and energy.
The appellations in depth
Côte-Rôtie may translate as ‘roasted slope’, but at 50km north of Hermitage it’s cooler than Cornas or Hermitage.
These vertiginous terraces are built on granite, gneiss and schist and stretch across three communes. The wines have an ethereal and fragrant character, with red berries among the black fruits. The tendency towards over-oaking is diminishing and a more hands-off approach is gaining ground.
It’s the largest of the three appellations, with twice the surface area of Cornas and twice as many producers. It’s the most inconsistent of the three, but at its best Côte-Rôtie reaches heights of breathtaking elegance and profound complexity.
While Côte-Rôtie and Cornas lie on the sprawling west bank of the Rhône, Hermitage is to its east. Thanks to a sudden kink in the Rhône, the hill faces full south, protected from the rampaging north wind. Its western flank is granite, but only a quarter of the whole; the rest is alluvial deposits and some loess.
With the clear majority of production in the hands of just six producers, it is stylistically and qualitatively more reliable than Côte-Rôtie, but less dynamic and diverse. Hermitage has an effortless majesty that sets it apart from other Syrahs.
Twelve kilometres further south lies the baking corrugated granite amphitheatre of Cornas. Côte-Rôtie can include some Viognier in the blend and Hermitage produces some white wines; but Cornas is strictly Syrah. It has largely shaken off its reputation for rusticity, but Cornas retains a certain wildness – a wine red in tooth and claw. What this charismatic appellation lacks in elegance, it makes up for in character and impact.
Some of the most exciting of the new generation of Rhône winemakers are from Cornas, often going down a natural or minimal-interventionist route. At its best it matches the quality of its more illustrious neighbours.
The scores
87 wines tasted
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their 2015 red wines from Côte-Rôtie, Cornas and Hermitage
Exceptional
1
Outstanding
7
Highly Recommended
55
Recommended
23
Commended
1
Fair
Poor
Faulty
The results
Our best Rhône tasting ever? Maybe, say our judges, who waxed lyrical about this line-up of powerful yet balanced Syrahs from a stellar vintage. Tina Gellie reports below.
Our judges were effusive in their praise at what they termed ‘one of the best ever Decanter panel tastings’.
‘The standard was very high,’ said Matt Walls. ‘To taste these three big-hitting northern Rhône appellations from a homogenous, high-quality vintage like 2015 all together gives you a feel for how they compare stylistically and qualitatively.’
Simon Field MW agreed: ‘My marks justify the fact that this was one of the best, if not the best, tasting I’ve done here. We’re generally not generous, so to give so many top scores was incredible.’
Cornas – being the least glamorous but also least pricey of the trio – edged out Côte-Rôtie as the star. Its wines’ atypical ‘dynamic’ style was a winner for Devaney, who enjoyed the wines’ freshness and floral elegance which balanced the power of the vintage. ‘I was expecting that old-school style, but the winemakers showed great restraint.’
Walls felt the wines were more approachable in 2015, ‘combining that classic power, grunt and grip but also with the lush, plush fruitiness of the vintage. ‘Cornas can do scale and thunder like nobody else in the Rhône but also really good consistency. That shone out here.’
Field was ‘extremely impressed’ by Cornas, usually seen as ‘the third fiddle’ of this Rhône trio. ‘It’s not without reason it is seen as the happening appellation.’
‘Côte-Rôtie is the celebrity region of the northern Rhône and it really did shine brightly,’ said Gearoid Devaney MS. ‘They are great wines that will give Decanter readers lots of pleasure for many years to come – they will easily age 10 years and up to 20 years.’
Field was also vocal: ‘They were wonderful. I’ve never given such consistently high scores. Most had modest levels of Viognier giving extra floral dimension and the best wines were those without too much oak or extraction, but still that glossy, showy character.’
Being twice as big as both Cornas and Hermitage, with lots of young vines, meant Côte-Rôtie was often a disappointment, said Walls. ‘But the standard was very good: the fruit was ripe and powerful, with fine tannins in abundance and good acidity.’ He felt you could broach them in 2019 and many could be cellared past 2030.
Hermitage was the ‘trickiest’ from which to find stars in 2015, said Devaney. ‘Qualitatively, they were a great bunch of wines – big and dense, showing all the joys of a warm summer – but not as exciting as Cornas and Côte-Rôtie.’ Walls agreed that they were ‘monolithic’ but didn’t hit the peaks of quality he was hoping for.
Field found the wines almost too potent and powerful. ‘What you want with Hermitage is an iron fist in a velvet glove, and we got lots of the iron. But it is pleasure deferred – broach them in the next three to five years and they will age well for two decades.’
Our experts felt winemaking across the board was of a high standard, with no issues around high alcohols, extraction or excessive faults such as reduction or brett which was once common. The only comment from Walls was of over-oaking, particularly in Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie: ‘Just because you have powerful fruit, that’s not a reason to age the wine endlessly in new oak.’
As these are small, high-quality appellations, the wines are not cheap. But they do represent value, said Devaney. ‘Hand-made wines of real character and quality from esteemed appellations that age for decades for £40 or £50 a bottle? That’s value!’
Our tasters each pick their top 3 from the tasting
Gearoid Devaney MS
Devaney is director of Flint Wines, an independent merchant based in London. He also consults to restaurants and hosts wine events. He was UK Sommelier of the Year 2008, and has been a Master Sommelier since 2009. Devaney has worked at London’s Capital Hotel, Tom Aikens and L’Oranger, as well as the three-Michelin starred Pierre Gagnaire in Paris.
Benjamin & David Duclaux, La Germine, Côte-Rôtie 2015
A wonderful wine, from a great estate that I have been following since a recommendation from the great Rhône expert John Livingstone-Learmonth. Bright cherry, violets and spices plus Viognier lift on a rich and glossy palate with plenty of mineral bite. Very classy. 95 Drink 2020-2028.
Yves Cuilleron, La Madinière, Côte-Rôtie 2015
I’ve loved Cuilleron’s wines since my time as a young sommelier at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris. This is open and giving, with sleek, dark fruit, oak spice and smooth tannins. Lots to enjoy now but will be even better with cellaring and a piece of venison. 95 Drink 2019-2029.
Alain Voge, Les Vieilles Vignes, Cornas 2015
A classic from start to finish, from the granite slopes of Les Mazards. Cornas is often forgotten but shouldn’t be, especially not on the evidence of this tasting. Here, the palate is powerful and intense, with fine tannins, fresh acidity and a long finish. 94 Drink 2020-2028.
Simon Field MW
Field joined merchant Berry Bros & Rudd in 1998, having spent several years as a chartered accountant in the City of London. He is responsible for purchasing wines from the Rhône among many others, and gained his Master of Wine qualification in October 2002.
Ferraton Père & Fils, Les Grands Mûriers, Cornas 2015
’ve long admired Damien Brisset’s ability to coax the heart and soul from an appellation. Here he has captured the raw, energetic core of Cornas, while adding an ethereal lift. Extraordinary! 98 Drink 2022-2034.
Xavier Gerard, Côte-Rôtie 2015
A new name to me and a great wine. Côte-Rôtie is often seen as feminine, and here the 4% Viognier no doubt has its part to play but it is the magisterial elegance and profundity of the Syrah which takes the breath away. 98 Drink 2019-2028.
Domaine Eric & Joël Durand, Empreintes, Cornas 2015
These energetic brothers are lucky enough to have some old parcels in the famous Chaillot lieu-dit, and the sheer quality of the fruit – as always chez Durand – is given a magnificently eloquent expression in this great vintage. 96 Drink 2019-2028.
Matt Walls
Walls is Regional Chair for Rhône at the Decanter World Wine Awards. He is an award-winning freelance wine writer, author and blogger who regularly contributes to Decanter. He also helps restaurants develop their wine lists, trains staff and judges wine competitions.
Ferraton Père & Fils, Les Grands Mûriers, Cornas 2015
Ferraton has some real gems in its range, particularly in Hermitage, but this Cornas showed terrifically well on the day: concentrated, powerful and traditional in style, with characteristically dramatic thunder and energy. 98 Drink 2022-2034.
Xavier Gerard, Côte-Rôtie 2015
It’s great to see this talented winemaker do so well. He has some excellent terroir, including La Viallière and La Landonne, and the quality is clear to see. A superbly drinkable wine of impeccable balance and elegance. 96 Drink 2019-2028.
Benjamin & David Duclaux, La Germine, Côte-Rôtie 2015
David Duclaux has serious winemaking talent. His wines are thoughtful and savoury in style, but with great textural finesse. This won’t be ready for a while, but it’ll be worth the wait. 95 Drink 2020-2028.
Northern Rhône: the facts
Total producers (2014)
Cornas: 56; Hermitage: 37; Côte-Rôtie: 99
Surface area (2015)
Cornas: 136ha; Hermitage: 136ha; Côte-Rôtie: 291ha
Total production (2015)
Cornas: 4,837hl; Hermitage: 5,340hl; Côte-Rôtie: 11,448hl
Production (2015)
Cornas: 100% red; Hermitage: 72% red; Côte-Rôtie: 100% red
Permitted red wine grapes
Cornas: Syrah only; Hermitage: Syrah (can include max 15% Marsanne/Roussanne); Côte-Rôtie: Syrah (can include max 20% Viognier)
Vintage Overview
2016 Less consistent than 2015, but there are many excellent wines of freshness, power and precision. Hermitage crop reduced due to hail.
2015 Hot conditions produced a stunning vintage; impressive throughout, particularly in Côte-Rôtie.
2014 A challenging vintage. Reds are lean in style and largely for early drinking.
2013 Long growing season and late harvest led to some very good reds, especially Cornas and Côte-Rôtie. The best will age well.
2012 Delightfully fresh, balanced and detailed wines, but not powerfully concentrated. Very good in Cornas and Hermitage; some Côte-Rôties lack substance.
2011 A decent vintage despite a cool, wet July; lesser sites lack aromatic precision but the best terroirs exhibit good freshness.
Top northern Rhône reds from the panel tasting:
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