Interview with Michèle Aubéry-Laurent and Maxime-François Laurent, Domaine Gramenon
October 4, 2021
Interview with Michèle Aubéry-Laurent and Maxime-François Laurent at Domaine Gramenon, 7th February 2020 at Domaine Gramenon. Edited for clarity and brevity. How would you describe your wines? Are they Natural wines, or is that the wrong term? Michèle: The problem at the moment is lots of people are making Natural wines, but not in the same way. So let’s talk about our definition. We…
Interview with Louis Barruol, Château de Saint Cosme, Gigondas
September 7, 2021
Selected excerpts from an interview with Louis Barruol of Château de Saint-Cosme 2nd September 2019 How has the 2019 vintage been? We’re in a hot year, very dry, and that never makes the best vintages… But it could be a year like 1988, a year like that with a small harvest when the wines have – after ageing – become extraordinary. A vintage for collectors perhaps? For people that drink Gigondas…
Interview with Christine Vernay, Domaine Georges Vernay
August 9, 2021
Interview with Christine Vernay 5th March 2020 at Domaine Georges Vernay Edited for clarity and brevity How would you describe a Condrieu to someone who has never tasted one? Viognier is an aromatic variety by definition. In Condrieu, this aromatic side is much less exuberant, much less pronounced. There’s a complexity compared to Viogniers from other parts of France or abroad, which display…
Interview with Jean-Paul Jamet, Domaine Jamet
February 1, 2021
To celebrate the publication of my new book, Wines of the Rhône, on 25th January, I'll be published a series of interviews with some of the most influential winemakers in the Rhône Valley, starting with this interview with Jean-Paul Jamet. Interview with Jean-Paul Jamet 2nd March 2020 at Domaine Jamet Edited for clarity and brevity What are the different styles of Côte-Rôtie? The soils…
2019 Rhône Report out now on Decanter Premium
December 2, 2020
With rolling travel restrictions and intermittent lockdowns this year, I was lucky to be one of the few Rhône specialists to taste the new vintage in situ this year. I spent two and a half weeks tasting over 1,300 wines from every cru in the Rhône Valley, both north and south. This is an extreme vintage, one marked by record temperatures and parched conditions, that has – where winegrowers have…
Images of Nyons
October 29, 2020
Nyons is the newest Named Village in the Rhône, since October 2020. I visited the area in 2019, but didn't take any photos as I didn't know it was going to be promoted at this stage! The following are images supplied by the Syndicat des Vignerons du Nyonsais. For the sake of completeness, I wanted to include some images on this site - it would be a shame to have photos of every appellation in…
Images of the Diois
September 4, 2020
There are four appellations in the Diois: Clairette de Die (which equates to around 95% of all AOC wine), Crémant de Die, Coteaux de Die and Châtillon-de-Diois. AOC Châtillon-en-Diois, in the far east of the region, makes still whites, reds and rosés from Burgundian varieties (and some Syrah). Olivier Rey, president of co-operative Jaillance, which makes over 70% of AOC Clairette…
Images of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
August 21, 2020
The village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape viewed from the east Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with the ruined château in the background The village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape - smaller and quieter than you might expect Morning in Châteauneuf-du-Pape The cellar of Château de Beaucastel Blending at Château de Beaucastel Emmanuel Reynaud of Château Rayas (taken 2015)…
Images of Cornas
August 7, 2020
The village of Cornas Largely east-facing slopes at the southern part of the appellation - lieu-dit Combe on the left, lieu-dit Patou on the right Olivier Clape, with lieu-dit Sabarotte in the background The slope in the background features the south-facing lieu-dit Reynard (left side, in shadow) and the west and south-facing lieu-dit La Geynale (spread around the…
Images of Hermitage
July 24, 2020
The south-facing hill of Hermitage; the lower part is lieu-dit Les Bessards, the upper part is lieu-dit l'Hermite with the 'chapel' on top. Standing in lieu-dit Les Greffieux, looking up at lieu-dit l'Hermite to the left, lieu-dit Le Méal to the right Never-ending wall building and upkeep The front of the chapel The wine named after it Caroline Frey,…