| Single Bottles (75cl) @ £21.00 |
| Cases (12 bottles) @ £252.00 |
| Cases IN BOND(12 bottles) @ £162.00 |
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Tasting Notes: Sweet fruit with the Syrah dominating slightly giving a black fruit edge to the wine but the Grenache certainly weighs in well. A remarkable wine, quite typical of Xavier's refusal to stop playing and experimenting: the 2011 Syrah comes from Cote Rotie (Septrionale) and the 2012 Grenache from Gigondas (Meridionale). The first outing for this wine, "Sacrilege", included Grenache from Chateauneuf but the authorities wouldn't allow it to be anything more than a Vin de France and slapped Xavier with a fine so subsequent bottling have included some impressive old-vine Gigondas Grenache instead. Long and very complex with a very bright future ahead.
All wines from this estate | Drinking Dates: 2018 to 2025+ | Cépagement: 50% 60-year-old Northern Rhône Syrah from 2011 (Septentrionale) and 50% 80-year-old Southern Rhône Grenache from 2012 (Meridionale) | Upbringing: Hand harvesting, destemming and sorting on the plot. Ageing of the Grenache in concrete tanks to preserve the fruit purity. Ageing of the Syrah in barrels for 14 months. | ABV: 14.5% | Critic Reviews: "The NV Côtes du Rhône S.M. is thrilling stuff. Made from equal parts Grenache and Syrah and aged half in concrete and half in barrel, it offers a full-bodied, voluptuous and decadent style to go with overflowing notes of plum and darker fruits, licorice and violets. Gorgeous on all counts, it’s a shockingly good Côtes du Rhône to drink over the coming 4-6 years, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see it last even longer. This is another impressive lineup from oenolgist Xavier Vignon, who works with the likes of Raymond Usseglio, Le Nerthe, Marcoux and Grand Veneur, to name a few. These are all negociant wines, but they obviously have access to some serious vineyard, and the winemaking is impeccable." 94/100 ( Jeb Dunnock, jebdunnock.com) |
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