K&L Newsletter: The Rhône's Fabulous Riches

Remarkable depth of rewarding selections: discover your next favorite bottle... Monday Sep 12th, 2022 [View in Browser]( [KL-emailheader.gif]( [Rhône News]( [Today's Newsletter]( takes us on a triumphant return to one of our all-time favorite regions, France's Rhône Valley. After three long years, K&L buyer Keith Mabry hit the wine road to check in on some of our longtime direct-import partners, and he was thrilled to find them producing some of their best wines ever. A hand-picked trio of overperforming stars leads things off, followed by showcase profiles of DI standouts Fondrèche, Clos de la Bonnette, and Guy Farge. Finally, a jaw-dropping line-up from the universally acclaimed 2019 Châteauneuf vintage highlights the incomparable collectible value that this treasured region offers. With breadth and depth that few other regions can match, the Rhône Valley truly offers something for any and all wine lovers. [Clos du Mont Olivet] --------------------------------------------------------------- Top Hidden-Gem Picks from Keith Mabry What better way to kick things off than a hand-picked selection of three of the top buys in our entire Rhône inventory? Domaine Roche is one of the Rhône Valley’s can’t-miss stars in the value-for-price realm, and the special cuvée “Marcel Roche”, from centenarian Grenache vines, is the coup de grace here. A sub-$20, perennial stunner, "a brilliant gem of wine in the making that readers will love" according to Jeb Dunnuck. Staying in the overachieving value lane, the DC97 2018 Galuval Rasteau "Inspiration" is a shining example of this newly elevated appellation neighboring Châteauneuf-du-Pape. With similar geological features to its more illustrious southern neighbor, Rasteau is now well known for a dark, sumptuous, brooding style in which Mourvèdre can really flex its true character. “The Inspiration does just that with its dense fruit, meatiness, and spice aromas,” notes Rhône buyer Keith Mabry. One of the undisputed standouts in terms of quality and value is Châteauneuf’s Domaine des Sénéchaux. Under the ownership of the Cazes family (of Pauillac’s Château Lynch-Bages), the domaine has moved from strength to strength in recent vintages, and the new release from the classic 2017 vintage is a strong case in point. With 94 points from Rhône authority Jeb Dunnuck, plus a bevy of other solid praise, it’s “a classic beauty,” as Keith describes it. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2020 Domaine Roche "Marcel Roche" Cairanne 93 $19.99 [View]( 2018 Domaine de Galuval "Inspiration" Rasteau 97 $24.99 [View]( 2017 Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape 94 $44.99 [View]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Direct-Import Favorites of Domaine de Fondrèche This newly arrived pair from one of the Ventoux appellation's finest estates already has our staff buzzing with excitement at their beguiling charm coupled with our unbeatable, winery-direct pricing. The 2021 Blanc is a perfect representation of what has made this domaine an all-time K&L favorite. It was a top standout on Rhône buyer Keith Mabry's recent visit to the region, as he notes it's "an absolute super star of a white." We rarely find this level of class and refinement in a sub-$20 value white, but then again, this kind of performance has come to be expected from winemaker Sébastien Vincenti. The 2020 Persia Ventoux Rouge offers 93-point style and class for under $25. "Lively and elegant on the palate, with high yet integrated acidity and very fine, polished tannins," according to Jeb Dunnuck, it's a sterling buy that can stand toe-to-toe with many noteworthy bottlings from nearby Gigondas and Châteauneuf. Plenty of our long-time customers are already on board with Fondrèche, but we're making it our mission to win over as many new fans as possible to this under-the-radar estate, and these two gems will certainly accomplish the goal. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2021 Domaine de Fondrèche Ventoux Blanc $16.99 [View]( 2020 Domaine de Fondrèche "Persia" Ventoux Rouge 93 $24.99 [View]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Clos de la Bonnette: Boutique Northern Rhône All-Stars This miniscule domaine in the heart of the Northernn Rhône produces some of the most undeniably thrilling yet under-the-radar expressions in our entire Rhône inventory. Owners Henri Montabonnet and Isabelle Guiller resurrected this dormant estate in 1992 and have turned it into one of the most impeccably run properties in the region. Their staunchly organic practices have garnered the recognition of their contemporaries, such that Marcel Guigal once propositioned to contract out their fruit for the Guigal estate's line-up. Having declined that enticing offer, Henri and Isabelle are now firing on all cylinders with their own label. The 2020 Condrieu Légende Bonnetta is everything Viognier fans expect from benchmark expressions of the varietal, "a natural, poetic style of Condrieu that's perfectly balanced, not as powerful as 2019 but so beautiful and classic," according to Decanter's 96-point review. Côte-Rôtie fruit is now in the mix as well with the 94-point Cuvée Prenelle. Made by Isabelle's son Vincent, a "fine and elegant" expression that defies the heat of the vintage, according to our own Keith Mabry. This pair just does to demonstrate the depth and intrigue to be found in the Northern Rhône when one ventures off the beaten path. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2020 Clos de la Bonnette "Légende Bonnetta" Condrieu 96 $59.99 [View]( 2019 Clos de la Bonnette "Cuvée Prenelle" Côte-Rôtie 94 $69.99 [View]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 2019 Châteauneuf: Best Buys from a Legendary Vintage in the Making Few regions in the wine world have enjoyed such a run of spectacular successes as Châteaneuf-du-Pape in recent decades, culminating in the soon-to-be-legendary 2019 campaign. In his comprehensive report on the vintage, Jeb Dunnuck declared unequivocally, "If you love Southern Rhônes, which are some of the most underrated wines in the world, you will love to have these wines in your cellar." Perhaps the most compelling feature of the appellation remains the relative affordability of superb, age-worthy renditions that will shine in cool cellars for many, many years. Sub-$50 overachievers abound, including Beaurenard's JD95, "straight-up gorgeous, seamless, ultra-fine 2019 ... [that] has a rare mix of elegance, purity, and power." The ultra-classic 2019 from Le Vieux Donjon is arguably the greatest buy in the vintage, a 99-point masterpiece that Dunnuck calls "the finest vintage I’ve ever tasted from this estate, surpassing even the 2016," while Clos des Papes more than lives up to its lofty repuation with "classic Clos des Papes elegance and finesse backed up by a great mid-palate, fabulous concentration, and a monster of a finish." Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2019 Domaine Saint Préfert "Classique" Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 $39.99 [View]( 2019 Clos Saint-Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape 94 $42.99 [View]( 2019 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape 94 $44.99 [View]( 2019 Domaine Beaurenard Châteauneuf-du-Pape 95 $49.99 [View]( 2019 Domaine de la Charbonnière "Mourre des Perdrix" Châteauneuf-du-Pape 95 $49.99 [View]( 2019 Domaine Grand Veneur "Les Origines" Châteauneuf-du-Pape 95 $49.99 [View]( 2019 Bosquet des Papes "Chante le Merle" Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 96 $59.99 [View]( 2019 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 99 $64.99 [View]( 2019 Domaine de la Mordorée "La Reine des Bois" Châteauneuf-du-Pape 98 $69.99 [View]( 2019 Domaine Pierre Usseglio "Cuvée Mon Aïeul" Châteauneuf-du-Pape 98 $89.99 [View]( 2019 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 98 $99.99 [View]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Cult-Caliber 2019 Stunners from Guy and Thomas Farge It is a simple fact that Guy and Thomas Farge produce reds that stand shoulder to shoulder with iconic Cornas producers such as Thierry Allemand and Auguste Clape. Unlike his compatriots, however, his wines remain strikingly affordable, especially when one considers their remarkable standing and pedigree. Kickstarting the winemaking transition from Guy to Thomas, the 2019 Côte du Pouly St-Joseph hails from the family's finest plot of vines and "expresses the weightless intensity and precision of some of the best Saint-Josephs." The 2019 Passion de Terrasses, meanwhile, exemplifies the quintessential terroir that defines the Northern Rhône—steeply terraced sites of gnarled, centenarian vines. Cornas is an equally compelling milieu for this dynamic estate, as evidenced by the 2019 Harmonie and Reynard, the latter a 95-point, "classic, meaty, exotic, gamey Cornas" from one of the most prized plots in the appellation. We are thrilled to have a direct-import relationship with the estate, as it allows us to offer these stellar reds for a fraction of what you might expect. The only downside with these wines is that production is exceptionally limited, and there’s never enough to go around. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2019 Thomas Farge "Côte du Pouly" St-Joseph 95 $49.99 [View]( 2019 Guy Farge "Passion de Terrasses" St-Joseph 93 $39.99 [View]( 2019 Guy Farge "Harmonie" Cornas 93 $44.99 [View]( 2019 Guy Farge "Reynard" Cornas 95 $89.99 [View]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [New Feed]( [Auction]( [Local]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [On the Trail (K&L Blog)]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [BORDEAUX]( | [NAPA]( | [BURGUNDY]( | [CHAMPAGNE]( | [ITALY]( | [RHÔNE]( | [SPIRITS]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [My Account]( | [Wine Clubs]( | [Events]( |[Gift Cards]( | [Accessories]( | [Delivery]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Missed an offer? 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