Southern Rhône 2018 report: The top scorers

Southern Rhône 2018

3/5

A devastating attack of mildew hit the region in spring. Those who escaped the worst enjoyed a very hot and dry summer, resulting in juicy, generous reds and whites, some surprisingly good.

Scroll down to see Matt’s top Southern Rhône tasting notes and scores

One of the most important aspects of terroir in the Southern Rhône is the mistral. This penetrating north wind follows the rain, drying wet bunches and helping to keep diseases at bay. But after successive rains throughout a very warm May the mistral never came and mildew spread like wildfire. ‘It happened in one night,’ says Vincent Avril of Clos des Papes who eventually lost 70% of his crop.

Mildew is a fungus-like organism that attacks all the green parts of the vine. It causes leaves to drop, which hampers ripening, and when it attacks the stems it arrests the flow of sap, leaving blackened, wizened bunches. It affected all varieties but Grenache was especially prone, and it had a cruel predilection for old vines. Mourvèdre was fairly resistant however, and Mourvèdre-heavy blends performed well in 2018.

‘There are many excellent wines, but these are the exceptions – there are countless others that are simply best avoided’

Organic and biodynamic estates were often the worst hit, as there’s relatively little they could do to fight back – though some fortunate growers dodged the worst. Those using systemic fungicides were hit less hard, if at all. After the rains stopped in mid-June, summer was extremely hot and dry, except for a heavy rain storm on August 9, and no serious issues during harvest.Estates that weren’t badly hit (or could afford to cut out the worst) often went on to make very good wines, similar to a lighter 2015.

Higher altitude estates in appellations such as Gigondas were frequently the most successful; Châteauneuf-du-Pape also did well. It was a disappointing vintage for Cairanne and Rasteau, light wines often showing a bitter, vegetal streak. Vacqueyras also underperformed, with many wines lacking freshness and depth; a lack of acidity is something that characterises the vintage more generally in fact.

Whites were a little more consistent and between 2015 and 2017 in style. They are ripe, full-bodied, with high alcohol and sometimes low acidity. Some are delicious, and are largely wines to drink young rather than keep.

In difficult years, it can make sense for wine lovers to seek safety among old vines, famous vineyards, top producers or organic/biodynamic viticulture, but in the Southern Rhône 2018 is a vintage in which simple rules-of-thumb don’t apply. There are many excellent wines, but these are the exceptions – there are countless others that are simply best avoided. This is not a vintage to buy blind.

Read Matt’s individual commune reports and top buys below

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

One negoicant joked that all the best grapes from the region ended up in Châteauneuf blends. I’m pretty sure he was just kidding, but Châteauneuf did perform relatively well in 2018. Estates that can sell their wines for high prices are more likely to be have the resources to tackle difficult years.

The more successful wines are in a flamboyant and juicy style that at times veer towards over-ripeness. There are many wines that are exuberant but a little lacking in depth – this is generally a vintage for drinking young. The very best have vibrancy, freshness and intensity without heaviness, similar to 2015.

The whites are broadly as good, and certainly more consistent, in a particularly full-bodied and opulent style. A good proportion that I tasted were on the light side, others were overweight and lacked freshness. Some producers managed to walk this tightrope successfully, but like the reds, drink sooner rather than later.

Value picks

Domaine Pierre André Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2018
Domaine Mont-Thabor Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2018
Domaine de Ferrand Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2018
Vignobles Mayard ‘Clos du Calvaire’ Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2018
Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc 2018

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise

Gigondas is the stand-out appellation of 2018. I wouldn’t compare it to the previous three vintages in terms of quality, but the best have concentration, freshness and power along with dense, ripe tannic structures. In the words of Loïc Alazard, of up-and-coming Domaine les Sibu; ‘it’s not the vintage of the century, but it’s pretty good.’

Another appellation with vineyards at altitude is Beaumes de Venise, whose red wines were fairly solid too this year. One success story is Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and lovers of the style will find plenty to enjoy.

The line-up of Vacqueyras reds were quick to taste – juicy and straightforward but often lacking in character. There were a handful of stand-out bottles that are worth tracking down however, some of which offer good value.

More and more white wines are being planted in Vacqueyras to keep up with demand and there are some enjoyable examples in 2018.

Value picks

Domaine de Font Sane ‘Tradition’ Gigondas 2018
Domaine du Terme ‘Réserve’ Gigondas 2018
Moulin de la Gardette ‘Tradition’ Gigondas 2018
Domaine Les Sibu Gigondas 2018
Domaine la Ligière ‘Le Mourre de la Caille’ Vacqueyras 2018
Domaine Martinelle Beaumes de Venise rouge 2018

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres

Cairanne and Rasteau are adjacent appellations, two halves of a single large hummock of clay limestone with a river on either side. Neither fared terribly well in 2018. Cairanne was disappointing: many wines displayed attractive fruit, then fell down due to a green streak, bitterness, or a lack of depth or length. As in other appellations, certain sites that normally excel didn’t perform as well as expected.

Neighbouring Rasteau suffered from the same issues. A handful of wines found a little more concentration and vivacity, but excess alcohol was a drawback for others. Despite the challenges of the vintage, there are some very enjoyable wines to be found in both appellations (in red and white for Cairanne), but I’d imagine that this is a vintage that most growers would rather forget.

Vinsobres fared better than the Cairanne and Rasteau – it was a little more consistent, thanks in all likelihood to its altitude and alternative wind currents. There are some good value wines to be had here and while not an outstanding vintage the best wines enjoy a juicy exuberance and speak clearly of their origins.

Value picks

Domaine la Luminaille ‘Luminaris’ Rasteau 2018
Domaine Combe Julière ‘Tradition’ Rasteau 2018
Domaine des Amadieu ‘Garrigues’ Cairanne rouge 2018
Domaine les Hautes Cances ‘Tradition’ Cairanne rouge 2018
Domaine Jaume ‘Altitude 420’ Vinsobres 2018

Lirac & Tavel

The west bank of the Rhône wasn’t spared, most reliable here were the whites. When winemakers could capture enough freshness to balance the innate richness of the vintage, some enjoyably characterful wines are the result. White Lirac can sometimes be light on its feet, but the 2018s are fairly full and lush this year. For those that achieved balanced levels of ripeness, the best red Liracs are red-fruited, spry and ready to drink straight away.

Lirac rosés were often on the thin side. There was also a general lack of flavour intensity and acidity in Tavel, but not always – a handful of more generous wines will offer enjoyable immediate drinking.

Value picks

Château de Montfaucon ‘Baron Louis’ Lirac rouge 2018
Château de Bouchassy ‘Quatuor’ Lirac rouge 2018
Domaine des Carabiniers Lirac blanc 2018
Mas Isabelle ‘Blanc Roc’ Lirac blanc 2018
Domaine de la Mordorée ‘La Dame Rousse’ Tavel 2018

See Matt’s top Southern Rhône 2018 wines:

Rhône 2018 En Primeur: Full vintage report

Northern Rhône 2018 En Primeur: Top Scorers