Walls: the best Rhône wines to buy in the UK right now
In advance of his Rhône 2021 en primeur report, Matt Walls recommends a selection of Rhône wines available to buy now from independent UK retailers Lea & Sandeman, Yapp Brothers and Davy's.
In the UK wine calendar, wine merchants concentrate on selling certain regions at the same time every year. For Burgundy, it’s January; Bordeaux starts in April. Others, like the Rhône, aren’t quite so specific, but merchants do seem to agree that autumn is the right time to turn their attention to this part of France.
Following a number of Rhône-focused tastings, and with my full report on the 2021s coming out soon, I have tasted and rated wines that are available to buy in the UK now and my recommendations are below.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 39 great Rhône wines to buy in the UK
It’s encouraging to see more and more merchants placing greater focus on the Rhône. One stalwart of the London wine scene that has improved its range of late is Lea & Sandeman.
This independent London merchant opened its first shop in 1988, and now has five dotted around the capital’s smarter boroughs, not to mention a wholesale arm and a private client list. It’s always been strong in Burgundy and Italy, but in September it hosted its first ever Rhône tasting.
Lea & Sandeman’s Rhône buyer Derek Robertson is a strong believer in the region, and over the past few years has helped the company develop an impressive range. ‘There is some real momentum behind the Rhône at the moment,’ he says. Rather than focusing its recent tasting on the unfinished 2021s, Lea & Sandeman decided to spotlight its current 2020s, along with a smattering of other vintages.
Owner Charles Lea said there’s no pressure from growers to show the 2021s now, so they could have done this tasting at any time, but he thinks these are ‘good autumn wines,’ so September felt like a good time. His customers agreed – the event was a sell-out.
One UK wine merchant that needs little introduction to Rhône lovers is Yapp Brothers. It showed some current vintages at its portfolio tasting in September, and will be selling some 2021s en primeur, but won’t be holding a dedicated tasting.
I caught up with director Tom Ashworth. ‘We think it is too complicated to get barrel samples sent over in good condition for customers to taste and make an assessment of the final assemblage,’ he said. ‘[Domaine Auguste] Clape Cornas, for example, will have multiple components that Olivier and Pierre won’t assemble until the following spring.’
For Yapp Brothers, it makes sense to offer wines en primeur, as some, such as Domaine Auguste Clape, sell out on allocation. Ashworth also points out that certain wines are cheaper if bought this way. ‘If you take [Alain] Graillot’s Crozes-Hermitage 2020, you’d have saved £5 per bottle, or 25%, buying it en primeur.’ The offer is now available on Yapp Brothers’ website.
Davy’s has also developed its range significantly over the past few years. Dedicated Rhône tastings are relatively new to this traditional independent merchant, but ‘interest in the Rhône is building,’ said managing director Andrew Chudley.
Davy’s November tasting was a combination of 2021s available en primeur alongside older vintages it currently have in stock. ‘It’s a hook,’ said chairman James Davy, ‘and tasting en primeur purely is quite challenging for some people.’
While you’re waiting for the 2021s to be bottled and shipped, below is a selection of recommended wines available in the UK now from Davy’s, Lea & Sandeman and Yapp Brothers.
Matt Walls’ top Rhône wines to buy in the UK right now:
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Clos de la Bonnette, Légende Bonnetta, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2020
Expressive, notes of peach compote, verbena and apricot pastries. Ripe, rounded and creamy with concentrated oak and juicy acidity on the palate. Long and pleasing.
2020
Clos de la BonnetteCondrieu
Rémi Niero, Chéry, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2020
Spicy, quite firm, almost musky style. Full-bodied but again it's not too fat, with good intensity and concentration. Well balanced, it handles its oak better...
2020
Rémi NieroCondrieu
Domaine du Grand Tinel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2018
Now taking on some petrol notes, akin to aged Riesling. Full-bodied but not massive and still fresh. There are some subtle, smoky oak tones that...
2018
Domaine du Grand TinelChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Rémi Niero, Les Ravines, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2020
Fresh mango and yoghurt, immediately enjoyable. It's very full, classically Condrieu in its broad mouthfeel. Acidity is balanced, fairly gentle but it works. Good concentration...
2020
Rémi NieroCondrieu
Domaine Garon, La Vieille Maison, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2020
Jasmine characters come through on the nose with a touch of macadamia nut. This has a good sense of breadth on the palate, in quite...
2020
Domaine GaronCondrieu
Château des Roques, Cuvée Blanche, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2019
Pear aromas, with an underlying touch of grapefruit skin. Rounded, silky and generous on the palate, but with a good sense of freshness and...
2019
Château des RoquesVacqueyras
Domaine du Colombier, Cuvée Gaby, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2019
Showing a distinctly nutty style from the oak, and it even has a touch of Hermitage-like marzipan and poached pear flavour. Full-bodied and rich, this...
2019
Domaine du ColombierCrozes-Hermitage
Domaine le Sollier, Les Alisiers, Cévennes, Rhône, France, 2021
Fresh, light-bodied, crisp and direct with grapefruit tones. Gently mineral finish with some fleshy apricot. Well balanced and expressive. From a relatively new estate in...
2021
Domaine le SollierCévennes
Maison Bruyère & David, Les Parcelles, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2020
<p>Freshly washed linen on the nose, gently floral. A ripe style, fairly full-bodied with a silky touch on the tongue. This is expressive and full...
2020
Maison Bruyère & DavidSt-Joseph
Domaine Maby, La Fermade, Lirac, Rhône, France, 2021
90
Gentle honeysuckle notes on the nose. Dry and full-bodied, and weighty on the palate. Melon and pear fruit, ending on a mineral touch. Very classic and good value. Mostly fermented in stainless steel with a small portion in new oak barrels.
2021
Domaine MabyLirac
Domaine de la Mordorée, La Reine des Bois, Tavel, Rhône, France, 2021
A little paler in colour than usual, this has a spicy note to the blood orange aromas and a slightly musky scent. Full-bodied, powerful, there's...
2021
Domaine de la MordoréeTavel
Domaine de la Mordorée, La Dame Rousse, Tavel, Rhône, France, 2021
Blood orange and redcurrant aromas, which are presently quite discreet. Full-bodied, certainly dry and savoury with a good sense of amplitude on the palate. Good...
2021
Domaine de la MordoréeTavel
Domaine Maby, La Forcadière, Tavel, Rhône, France, 2021
Bright geranium pink. Perfumed raspberry and watermelon aromas. In the mouth it's medium-bodied, not overly full. It has good acidity this year, it’s vivid and...
2021
Domaine MabyTavel
Domaine Garon, Lancement, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2015
A very classic Côte-Blonde nose that’s lifted and fragrant, with gently earthy and floral notes and a touch of tobacco from the oak, which is...
2015
Domaine GaronCôte-Rôtie
Domaine La Bouïssière, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2020
This is excellent. Ripe, quite potent, with great freshness, length and fine tannins. This will age well. Thierry Faravel's vineyards are up high among the...
2020
Domaine La BouïssièreGigondas
Domaine Lionnet, Pur Granit, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2020
Spicy char notes on the nose. In the mouth its full-bodied and ripe but not excessive, really mouthfilling and full of energy. Intense and concentrated...
2020
Domaine LionnetCornas
Le Vieux Donjon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2021
<p>Lovely sense of freshness but it's still quite introverted; promising, however. Full-bodied, lovely sense of generosity, not heaviness. Not as weighty or concentrated as some...
2021
Le Vieux DonjonChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Alain Graillot, La Guiraude, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2018
A genuine, detailed northern Rhône nose, both spicy and herbal with an iron tang. Fairly full-bodied, with no huge extraction, but it feels harmonious and...
2018
Alain GraillotCrozes-Hermitage
Château de Montfaucon, Vin de Monsieur le Baron, Lirac, Rhône, France, 2016
Neat, compact, harmonious nose, with a similar profile on the palate. It’s tight, but certainly drinkable despite its youth, which is expressed through primary notes...
2016
Château de MontfauconLirac
Domaine Clusel-Roch, Les Schistes, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2017
Showing well now, with some intriguing gamey notes coming through. Smoky, peppery raspberry fruit shows on the medium-bodied, well balanced palate that is already complex,...
2017
Domaine Clusel-RochCôte-Rôtie
Domaine Lionnet, Terre Brulée, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2020
Good sense of aromatic clarity and freshness. Well balanced with good acidity and controlled alcohol. Chewy, slightly chalky tannins that are plentiful and detailed -...
2020
Domaine LionnetCornas
Domaine du Bosquet des Papes, Chante le Merle, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2015
Starting to look interesting now, with some burnt herbs on the nose and roasted meats. Good freshness and vibrancy on the palate, making it extremely...
2015
Domaine du Bosquet des PapesChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine du Cayron, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2018
Taking on some development and interest already, this has a gorgeous nose, really harmonious, with red and black berry fruits, backed up by sappy, leafy...
2018
Domaine du CayronGigondas
Domaine Les Hautes Cances, Col du Débat, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2015
Coal dust and graphite notes imply quite a northern Rhône nose, despite the hot vintage. A smoothly tannic, elegant and well balanced style of Cairanne....
2015
Domaine Les Hautes CancesCairanne
François Villard, Jouvet, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2015
Showing well now, with intense blackcurrant fruit melding with coal dust and wood smoke, and a touch of iodine. Mature now, but still plenty of...
2015
François VillardCornas
Patrick Jasmin, La Giroflarie, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2019
Clearly a hot vintage, the aromas are rich and ripe with clove-spiked blood orange in the background. You could certainly drink this now; it's rich...
2019
Patrick JasminCôte-Rôtie
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Lieu-dit Clavin, Côtes du Rhône, Rhône, France, 2019
A very drinkable, fresh and surprisingly well-balanced Côtes du Rhône from this hot vintage. Vibrant, juicy acidity and fairly firm tannins on the long finish...
2019
Domaine de la Vieille JulienneCôtes du Rhône
Domaine des Carabiniers, Lunar Apogé, Lirac, Rhône, France, 2020
A classic, savoury style that’s straight and energetic, with additional brambly fruit. Good grain and texture to the tannins, not the smoothest perhaps, but great...
2020
Domaine des CarabiniersLirac
Domaine Gaylord Machon, Lhony, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2017
There's a little blackcurrant pastille showing through on the nose and a resinous tang. Fairly full-bodied, but with a good sense of freshness. The tannins...
2017
Domaine Gaylord MachonCrozes-Hermitage
Domaine JL Chave Sélection, Farconnet, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2015
Interesting to see this cuvée with a bit of age, and its drinking well now, taking on some subtle forest floor notes to the blackberry...
2015
Domaine JL Chave SélectionHermitage
Domaine le Sollier, Les Linthes, Cévennes, Rhône, France, 2019
Pencil lead notes on the nose. Fuller and more generous in body than the nose suggests with good acidity - neat and precise even in...
2019
Domaine le SollierCévennes
Maison Bruyère & David, Les Parcelles, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2020
<p>Ripe and juicy, this has good intensity and concentration. It's very ripe with quite high alcohol, good acidity and the oak is also quite forthright....
2020
Maison Bruyère & DavidSt-Joseph
Domaine du Colombier, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2019
Expressive and peppery, starting to show well now. Plenty of powdery tannins on show still, and there’s lots to chew on here, with good fruit....
2019
Domaine du ColombierCrozes-Hermitage
Domaine du Grand Tinel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2017
Dark, brooding, blackcurrant-tinged nose. Structured and fresh blackberry palate. Really powerful and remarkably young. Blackberry acidity, with blackberry skin tannins which are a little rustic,...
2017
Domaine du Grand TinelChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine le Sollier, Terre Ronde, Cévennes, Rhône, France, 2020
Wild strawberry and raspberry to the fore, fairly full and nicely rounded. The acidity is well balanced with a gentle mineral line, finishing dry and...
2020
Domaine le SollierCévennes
Equis, Equinoxe, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2020
Brightly fruited on the nose, there's a touch of raspberry and geranium. Light-bodied, fresh and lively, the tannins are quite subtle. A tiny touch of...
2020
EquisCrozes-Hermitage
Domaine de la Mordorée, Côtes du Rhône, Rhône, France, 2020
Neat, fine and very drinkable. Well balanced and juicy, this is a classic Côtes-du-Rhône. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan and Counoise.
2020
Domaine de la MordoréeCôtes du Rhône
Domaine Garon, La Part des Vivants, Côtes du Rhône, Rhône, France, 2019
Earthy brambly fruits, quite voluminous and generous on the palate, plenty of fruit to chew on. The alcohol is quite high, but this has plenty...
2019
Domaine GaronCôtes du Rhône
Domaine Jean Royer, Le Petit Roy, Vin de France, Rhône, France, 2020
Freshly squished handfuls of red berry fruit. It's toward the overripe, really quite powerful and boozy. It's fun and decent value for such exuberant, powerful...
2020
Domaine Jean RoyerVin de France
