Northern Rhône 2023: The connoisseur’s guide
Matt Walls offers his buying advice for the northern Rhône which saw varied and challenging weather conditions in 2023, with the whites standing out as particularly impressive.
Northern Rhône overall vintage rating: 3.5 / 5
Fresh, supple and drinkable reds at the southern pole; more concentration in the northern reaches, making for some very fine Côte-Rôtie. Vibrant, fresh whites, particularly good in Hermitage.
Red wine of the vintage:
Stéphane Ogier, Lancement, Côte-Rôtie 2023
White wine of the vintage:
M Chapoutier, L’Ermite, Hermitage 2023
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If 2023 was challenging in the southern Rhône, it was even more troublesome in the north. The decisive climatic incidents were essentially the same, but parts of the northern Rhône had additional problems to contend with.
Despite this, there are some very good wines if you buy with care, with certain appellations performing better than others.
Role reversal
January to April was very dry, then May to August was wet – a reversal of normal rainfall patterns, which produced a big crop and rampant vegetation.
It also brought about downy mildew and black rot outbreaks throughout the season, the wet weather lasting for longer here than it did in the south.
Successive treatments were needed in the vineyard, and some areas suffered reduced yields as a result. According to Pierre Rostaing of Domaine Rostaing, mildew can give earthy, bitter notes to a wine, so careful sorting was required.
Hail menaced the area throughout the summer. It hit different parts of St-Joseph in May, June and July; Cornas twice in July; and Crozes-Hermitage in August.
The heatwave that came in the second half of August was very drawn-out. Jean Gonon of Domaine Gonon says they had temperatures of 40-42 ̊C for a fortnight.
‘We’ve never seen that during a two-week period before,’ he says.
Reports of scorched foliage, sunburnt grapes and young vines dying in the heat were widespread.
See all 400 Rhône 2023 tasting notes and scores
Harvest contrasts
‘What was supposed to be a late vintage became an early vintage,’ says Maxime Chapoutier of M Chapoutier, as they rushed out to pick the whites. But some of the reds hung on until October. ‘Six weeks of harvest – a record for us,’ he says.
I happened to be in the region to witness the storm of 18 September. The next day I tried to walk up the hill of Hermitage, but it was impossible.
The foot of the hill was a mess of wooden posts, bits of vine, mud and rock, and the torrents of rain had cut deep ravines into the paths.
According to Guillaume Sorrel of Domaine Marc Sorrel, 30mm of rain was forecast, but over 100mm fell. It caught many growers off guard, and he estimates that by that time only half of the hill had been harvested.
Some vineyards on the slopes suffered superficial damage, but at least the rain runs off here; on the flat parts of Crozes-Hermitage, the rain had a diluting effect on some of the wines.
In Côte-Rôtie, and the northern part of St-Joseph, the rain was much lighter, just 20mm according to Stéphane Ogier, ‘almost beneficial,’ he says.
He finished picking on 11 October in ‘an Indian summer… everything we picked at the end was magnificent.’
The whites are the other big success this year, particularly in Hermitage, where the wines have depth, power and freshness.
Read Matt Walls’ full vintage overview
Top northern Rhône producers in 2023
- Benjamin & David Duclaux
- Domaine Clape
- Domaine Jean-Paul Jamet
- Domaine JL Chave
- Domaine Marc Sorrel
- Domaine Vincent Paris
- M Chapoutier
- Maison Stéphan
- Stéphane Ogier
- Yves Cuilleron
Top-scoring northern Rhône 2023 wines:
Highest scoring wines are listed white, then red in score order.
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M Chapoutier, L'Ermite Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
This has the classic Ermite aromatic markers of flint, spice, smoke and salt. Very full-bodied, there's ample flesh here, all wound around an intense, granitic,...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
Yves Cuilleron, Les Chaillets, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2023
Almond milk, jasmine and white peach notes. This is soft and gentle, full-bodied but fresh. It's well balanced and has good length, very classic and...
2023
Yves CuilleronCondrieu
Domaine Marc Sorrel, Les Rocoules, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
Slightly darker in colour than the domaine's classic Hermitage. Intense quince and pear, very rich and powerful, but has a dry, savoury, edge and a...
2023
Domaine Marc SorrelHermitage
M Chapoutier, Le Méal Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
A little closed at the time of tasting, showing pear, honeysuckle and apricot fruit. Full-bodied, very powerful and rich, with intense salinity and moderate but...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
M Chapoutier, Coteau de Chéry, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2023
Lovely jasmine aromas. Full-bodied, but not overly fat or heavy – it has great tension and energy. This is a very pure, linear and focused...
2023
M ChapoutierCondrieu
Domaine JL Chave, Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
A tasting of the Péléat and Les Rocoules vineyards behind this wine points to an expressive, juicy, relatively soft and juicy style of white Hermitage...
2023
Domaine JL ChaveHermitage
Famille Garon, Fossyl, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
<p>This is a great example of a white Hermitage that teams power with freshness. It has great impact, huge salinity, serious extract and drive. The...
2023
Famille GaronHermitage
M Chapoutier, De L'Orée, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
The 2023 has that characteristic De l'Orée richness, but it's not as massive or as opulent as some recent vintages, and feels all the more...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
Stéphane Ogier, Lancement, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Immensely aromatic, with pink peppercorns, Turkish delight... just an unbelievable nose. The aromatics flood the full-bodied palate, which is incredibly silky and fine. It's a...
2023
Stéphane OgierCôte-Rôtie
Domaine Jamet, La Côte Brune, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
This has a beautiful scent of berries, smoke, earth, iodine and flowers (rose and violet), with herbal nuances and potpourri. It's so fine and fresh...
2023
Domaine JametCôte-Rôtie
Domaine Jamet, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
A tasting of the constituent barrels, so this is a provisional score. Gerine has a touch of cold-fireplace aroma from the stems, the tannins are...
2023
Domaine JametCôte-Rôtie
M Chapoutier, L'Ermite, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
This has beguiling smoky, flinty, petrichor notes. There's great energy, focus and salinity, it's straight as an arrow. The tannins are pure, fine and fully...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine Jamet, La Landonne, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Iron, iodine and violets. Remarkably lifted for La Landonne, but still assertive, with serious energy and tension. Austerity is usually the watchword for this lieu-dit,...
2023
Domaine JametCôte-Rôtie
Benjamin & David Duclaux, Coteaux de Tupin, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
A spicy style with a good sense of ripeness, it's really quite mouthcoating but with super-fine tannins, good acidity and a long finish. Exceptionally fine,...
2023
Benjamin & David DuclauxCôte-Rôtie
Maison Stephan, So'Brune, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Very cloudy. Incredible aromas. Bright, lifted lavender, black olive, violet and a touch of cassis. It's lower in alcohol, very fresh and light in body,...
2023
Maison StephanCôte-Rôtie
Domaine Marc Sorrel, Le Gréal, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
Powerful, explosive, peppery mulberry fruit. Very smoky in style, with iodine notes and lots of dense, ripe tannin underneath driving fruits. Very fresh and focused,...
2023
Domaine Marc SorrelHermitage
Stéphane Ogier, Belle Hélène, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Unusually deep and dense for a 2023, but with all the freshness of the vintage. Mouthcoating bold tannins, deep, earthy and bassy, with floral top...
2023
Stéphane OgierCôte-Rôtie
Stéphane Ogier, But de Mont, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
A very attractive raspberry-scented style, this is perfumed, fresh and pretty. It's very much Blonde in style, with exceptionally fine tannins and lovely minerality. Not...
2023
Stéphane OgierCôte-Rôtie
Stéphane Ogier, Côte Blonde, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
A very complete wine, with lovely tannic finesse and plenty of freshness and concentration. Bright acidity, with a tobacco note. It's not quite as immediately...
2023
Stéphane OgierCôte-Rôtie
Domaine Clape, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2023
A tasting of the constituent parts, so this is a provisional score. The 2023 is less ripe in style than the 2022. It has plentiful...
2023
Domaine ClapeCornas
M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
Beautifully perfumed, with violets and juicy black fruits. Very smooth in tannin, actually quite soft, it's approachable for Les Bessards. WIth its tangy plum sauce,...
2023
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine Rostaing, Côte Brune, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Very soft, generous, enveloping tannins, with violets and rose, blackberries and raspberries. Has good concentration and ripeness. It's a bold, rounded style of Côte-Rôtie with...
2023
Domaine RostaingCôte-Rôtie
Stéphane Ogier, Côte Bodin, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Rose, incense and star anise, this is like a Côte Blonde on the nose, but then has the silky, soft-yet-bold tannins of a Côte Brune...
2023
Stéphane OgierCôte-Rôtie
Stéphane Ogier, La Viallière, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Full-bodied for La Viallière, with inky fruit and super-fine, fur-coat tannins. It has black cherry and graphite flavours – there's a graphite mineral edge to the...
2023
Stéphane OgierCôte-Rôtie
M Chapoutier, Quator, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Really compelling mulberry fruit, smoky and so enticing, with notes of white pepper and intense blackberry, blackcurrant and black cherry. It's sappy and delicious, structured,...
2023
M ChapoutierCôte-Rôtie
Domaine Garon, Les Rochins, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
Distinctly spicy, clove and cinnamon notes. Very fresh and precise, with good acidity. It's a medium-bodied style, not hugely concentrated, but it will last into...
2023
Domaine GaronCôte-Rôtie
Emmanuel Darnaud, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
An earthy expression of Hermitage, with dried fruit notes to the blackberry and cassis. Has weight and power, is properly ripe, with quite warming alcohol...
2023
Emmanuel DarnaudHermitage
E Guigal, La Landonne, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
A very good, full-bodied wine, but it doesn't quite have the intensity of the best vintages. That's not a bad thing necessarily, as 2023 accentuates...
2023
E GuigalCôte-Rôtie
Domaine Vincent Paris, La Geynale, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2023
Beautiful nose, very lifted, with violets, black olive, blackberry and cassis. Has a good sense of fullness and ripeness on the palate – it's full,...
2023
Domaine Vincent ParisCornas
Domaine du Colombier, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2023
A lighter style of Hermitage, spicy and brisk, but the tannins are very fine and it has good concentration. Acidity is well balanced and there's...
2023
Domaine du ColombierHermitage
Benjamin & David Duclaux, Maison Rouge, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
This is fuller in body than the La Germine this year, with generous and mouthcoating fine tannins. It has perfect ripeness and lovely acid balance....
2023
Benjamin & David DuclauxCôte-Rôtie
E Guigal, La Reynarde, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2023
The whole-bunch element really helps to temper the new-oak spice, which is present but less evident compared to the other La Las. With punchy, bold...
2023
E GuigalCôte-Rôtie
