Top five Northern Rhône vintages ready to drink now

While the red wines of the Southern Rhône have a relatively smooth transition from one state of maturity to another, the wines of the Northern Rhône experience a bumpier ride.

It’s advisable to open them in one of two windows; either young and fruity, or wait until it has comfortably moved into a mature stage. If you open it between these two windows, you risk finding it closed down and introspective rather than open and giving.

This doesn’t always happen. Sometimes you get lucky (or unlucky – these closed periods can return in waves). Lighter vintages don’t always fall into a hole; the more structured, tannic and long-lasting a vintage, the more likely it is. I also find that wines made with a large proportion of whole bunches are more susceptible.

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top Northern Rhône wines from vintages ready to drink now

My general rule of thumb for Northern Rhône reds is ‘first four years or after eight’, but really it depends on the terroir.

For the best wines of Hermitage, it’s worth waiting longer – 15 to 20 years for before opening is safer, but then the wines age for longer than other appellations. Crozes-Hermitage has very different soils; most of the vines are grown on recent alluvial terraces rather than the granite and gneiss of the west bank. They are less likely to close down, and only the very best are worth keeping as long as eight years anyway.

There are other considerations as well as terroir when it comes to ageing Northern Rhônes; vine age, yields and élévage all can play a part. The remaining factor is the character of the vintage. I’m pulling out the following vintages out from my collection to drink now.

2017

The 2017s still sit within the earlier drinking window, and while I’d rather wait to drink Hermitage and Cornas, all the other appellations of the Northern Rhône are still on the table.

It was a hot and exceptionally dry growing season which led to small yields of very concentrated grapes. There was a high proportion of skins to juice, which has produced wines that are rigorous and often quite muscular, not always the most elegant but with plenty of impact. It’s a style that’s likely to close down in the next year or two, so either drink them now or put them out of reach for a while.

I’ve been enjoying Domaine Laurent Habrard’s exceptional Crozes-Hermitage rouge ‘Kévin’ that has retained a sense of freshness despite the dry conditions. Easier to find is Delas Crozes-Hermitage rouge ‘Le Clos’, an elegant style from old vines that is drinking well now.

Red Saint-Josephs are also in a good place. At the lighter end of the scale, Domaine du Mortier ‘Bara’ is fresh and approachable; Ferraton’s ‘Paradis’ is fuller in body, but its bright aromatics are irresistible now.

I’m greatly enjoying Domaine Xavier Gérard’s 2017 Côte-Rôtie at the moment, and even the 2017 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie is still vividly expressive, though it will be even better in 10 years time.

As for white 2017s from the Northern Rhône, for all but Hermitage blanc, Château-Grillet and the best Condrieus, it’s a vintage to drink rather than hold.

2012

The 2012s are just coming up for air after their eight years in bottle, and many are looking really good now. It was a very good vintage in the Northern Rhône, a warm but not hot year that resulted in very well-balanced, elegant wines. It was consistently good throughout the valley, but some more straightforward Côte-Rôties aren’t always as generous as you might hope.

The more basic Saint-Josephs might not have long left in them, but more ambitious single-vineyard bottlings are in a lovely place right now. By contrast, most Cornas and even some Hermitage wines are just starting to awaken. So either way you’re unlikely to by stymied by a wine in a hole unless you pull out a particularly ageworthy Hermitage.

Domaine Monier-Parréol Saint-Joseph rouge ‘Le Châtelet’ 2012 is in a lovely state of maturity now, and in Hermitage, the Domaine Yann Chave 2012 is just starting to come around, though will benefit from longer in bottle. If you have any whites other than top Hermitage in your collection, I’d put them in the ‘drink soon’ pile.

2008

Generally considered to be the worst vintage in the Rhône since the dire 2002, the 2008 started with difficult flowering then had a cool and very wet growing season. From what I’ve tasted recently, there’s no point in keeping these for any longer – get them out and drink them.

Some, especially in Côte-Rôtie can be on the green side. But further south, on the best slopes of Saint-Joseph, Cornas and Hermitage, not everyone made disappointing wines: you might be in for a pleasant surprise.

The Domaine Gonon Saint Joseph rouge 2008 is lean but fresh and appetising, and Domaine Clape Cornas 2008 lacks a little of its characteristic intensity but is nonetheless complex, with peppery herbal aromatics.

Though remembered as a poor vintage, many of the white wines were much more successful. Chapoutier’s Hermitage blanc ‘Le Méal’ is skinnier than a typical vintage, but still a delicious bottle of wine by any standards, with a few more years in the tank still to go. And a Domaine Lombard Brézème blanc 2008 tasted recently was a revelation, brimming with citrusy acidity, lavender honey and violets: a wine of extraordinary character.

2006

A warm, easy-going growing season without great extremes resulted in a delightful vintage for both reds and whites in the Northern Rhône. Though the whites, except for Hermitage blanc, should now all have been drunk, the best reds are drinking well and largely in a harmonious and hugely enjoyable state.

Domaine Clape’s 2006 Cornas is simply incredible and will last for much longer than their 2008. Hermitage is largely ready to be broached now, with wines such as Domaine des Martinelles old vine cuvée ‘Louis et Aimé’ now fully mature but still brimming with sap and intensity.

1989

Some of the best wines from the run of three excellent vintage that started in 1989 are still delivering lots of pleasure today.

At this stage, storage conditions play an important role regarding how the wines are drinking today, but all being equal, I’d be pulling out my 1989s. It was an excellent vintage, hot and dry, but generally not quite as long-lived as the legendary 1990. The 1991 vintage might not be so familiar, perhaps because it was uninspiring almost everywhere else in the world apart from California and Rioja. But don’t underestimate the wines – it was a little cooler and wetter than the others in the trio, but made some beautifully balanced, very long-lived reds.

The greatest 1989s still have plenty of life ahead of them, even if they’re unlikely to improve as such.

Both the Jaboulet Hermitage rouge ‘La Chapelle’ and the Domaine JL Chave Hermitage rouge are at the peak of their legendary powers at the moment. And don’t forget Hermitage Vin de Paille – the Cave de Tain 1989 is still delicious, combining kaleidoscopic aromatics with perfect balance.

See Matt Walls’ top Northern Rhône wines from vintages ready to drink now

Other ‘ready to drink’ vintage guides

Top five Southern Rhône vintages ready to drink now

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