If you’re not on board the U.S. Rhone Ranger train, start running, because it’s leaving the station!  By “leaving the station”, I mean that the prices are about to go up as this moves from the fringe to the mainstream.  Delille’s sister label, Doyenne, is reserved exclusively for Rhone varietals and every one of their reds that I’ve tasted is absolutely awesome.  Below are my impressions of the Doyenne wines I’ve tasted so far.  These wines can be shipped across the country and the prices are way low.  Look for more as I try the rest of their lineup.

Doyenne Aix Proprietary Red 2007 – $23.95 (ST92, WA92, WS90)
The wine that got me hooked on Doyenne is called AIX, a blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Mourvedre.  I thought AIX was a spectacular value when I wrote it up at $27.  This 92 pointer is now down to $24, making it an even better value.  It’s the very definition of why blending makes great wine.  Complex flavors complemented by rich oak, make for an all around killer package.

Doyenne Metier Red 2008 – $29.95 (ST92)
All I can say is BUY THIS WINE.  It’s 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah and if you threw a Chateauneuf-du-Pape label on this wine, it would sell for $60.  Plain and simple.  Impeccable balance makes this a standout amongst some truly fantastic wines.  In addition to the balance, it’s deeply concentrated and complex.  Wow.  Absolutely incredible.

Doyenne Syrah 2007 375ml – $19.95 (RP94, WE93, WS90)
Concentrated but without the overripe flavors of some warmer climate Syrah, this polished wine is black in color with firm tannins built for aging.  Chocolate and bacon combine for a rich, mouth coating palate.  This wine pretty much summarizes the reason why wine writers have been singing the praises of the Syrah grape for years.  The floral, lengthy finish rounds out a world class package.

To give you an idea of how serious I am about Doyenne wines, I’ve already purchased 4 bottles of the 2008 AIX without any scores.  These are top notch wines at exceptionally fair prices.

On a rainy Sunday evening last weekend, I  enjoyed this Chateauneuf-du-Pape from what Robert Parker called the “the greatest vintage I’ve ever tasted in southern Rhone”.  Accolades like that, combined with the fact that these wines were released going on 2 years ago, means 2007′s are almost impossible to find – especially the good values.  Chateauneuf-du-Pape reds usually start at over $30 and 90+ ratings drive the price up from there.

This wine pours a slightly translucent brickish red that’s signature CdP.  A bright cherry nose leads into focused dark berries and a perfect acid balance in the mouth.  But it’s the lingering 30 second finish that defines and sets apart this incredible value.

This and most Chateauneuf-du-Pape are perfect examples of how great wine can be made without oak influence.  Good Cabernet Sauvignon can’t be made without the oxidation that oak aging provides.  But oak isn’t necessary for many southern Rhone wines, which are aged in neutral oak barrels and/or concrete vats.  This technique really shows off the quality of the fruit, especially with old vine Grenache and Syrah.

For the money, this is absolutely the best 2007 CdP I’ve had.  The only problem with this wine: the name is so long I couldn’t fit it in the title of this post…

Buy up on this one because when it’s gone it’s gone!  That’s the beauty and the curse of wine.  Each vintage only happens once.

Buy Here:  Skalli Chateauneuf-du-Pape Maison Bouachon La Tiare du Pape $27.95

International Wine Cellar 90 points

“(60% grenache, 30% syrah, 7% mourvedre and the rest counoise, terret noir, muscardin and vaccarese) Vivid ruby. Pungent aromas of dark berries, cherry and garrigue, with hints of smoke and licorice. Bitter cherry and blackcurrant flavors are lifted by juicy acidity and pick up dusty tannins with air. Finishes focused, spicy and impressively persistent, with echoes of smoke and dark fruits. This will be better with a few more years of bottle age.”

If you aren’t on the lookout for Rhone Ranger blends from California, you are missing out on an up-and-coming segment that is providing some great values.  The same grapes that made Sine Que Non an impossible to find cult wine, have remained under the radar for some reason.  Grenache and Syrah blends, and to a certain extent Mourvedre, blend to create interesting, elegant and fun to drink wines.

Paso Robles and Santa Barbara county are producing some of the best, but Grey Stack’s Greywacke Vineyard “The Folly” is from Russian River Valley, of all places.  This Syrah and Grenache blend is an absolute stand out value at $20 and a must try for anyone looking for a departure from the norm of California Cabernet.  I like Syrah, but believe that when blended with Grenache, it really “kicks it up another notch” in the words of that annoying guy from the Food Network.

This blend is aromatic with rose petal notes on the nose.  On the palate, the Syrah contributes smoke and white pepper, while the Grenache rounds things out with rock candy and raspberry flavors.  This is a very polished wine, although Grey Stack’s own website would have you believe otherwise, saying:

“Grey Stack Cellars makes distinctive,
food friendly wines
from unique sites in Bennett Valley.
Honestly, and without a lot of BS.

Grey Stack does not make:
Intellectual wines, grown in obsessively farmed vineyards
each berry polished by a virgin using a shammy
made from sustainably farmed baby seal skins.”

The fact that they have a sense of humor makes a great wine even better.  Even better still, LA Wine Co is once again the lowest price in the country according to Google Shopping.  Another notch: this wine was the February 10th Wine of the Week from the LA Times.

Buy Here: 2009 Grey Stack “The Folly” Greywacke Vineyard $19.95

Robert Parker called the 2007 vintage in Southern Rhone “the greatest vintage I have tasted in my 30 years working in that region… Moreover, the vintage is remarkably consistent from top to bottom”.  That quality and consistency might be perfectly expressed in the 2007 Font du Vent Cotes du Rhone-Villages Notre Passion Signor, which is the best Rhone value I’ve tasted all year.  This wine would probably be good in an average vintage, but in an historic vintage like 2007, it’s incredible.  This $11 Cotes-du-Rhone Villages tastes like a pretty good Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  That’s really saying something.

Everything about this wine is well put together, fresh and elegant.  Like most wines of this style, it’s not influenced by a lot of oak, though half of it does see some time in barrels.  The bouquet of strawberry and honey leads into a firm attack that has a perfect balance of fruit and mineral flavors on the palate.  I literally can’t understand how someone can grow, ferment, blend, bottle and ship a wine of this quality for $11, but I’m really glad they did.

I can’t think of a better daily drinker red than this awesome Rhone.  Buy a case of this and the 2007 Sean Minor “Four Bears” Cabernet we wrote up in July, and you will have 24 evenings of daily drinking pleasure.  I can’t overstate the value of either of these wines.  I taste hundreds of different wines a year, and these are at the top of the heap in terms of value.

Buy Here: 2007 Font du Vent Cotes du Rhone-Villages Notre Passion Signor

Wine Spectator 88 points

“A nice pure beam of raspberry and red cherry fruit is supported by cocoa powder and graphite notes. The fresh, stylish finish has good underlying grip. Drink now through 2010. 3,100 cases made.”

With the hyped 2007 vintage still on the shelves, the 2008 Rhone vintage is starting to hit the market and, in a less hyped vintage, there are often some serious values to be had.  The latest vintage of Domaine Paul Autard Cotes-du-Rhone Rogue might just prove to be the best value of the vintage. There’s just a special pleasure about drinking a great tasting wine for under $10.  In some respects it can be more fun than drinking a $100 bottle because it’s all pleasure with no pain.  That is unless someone else is paying for that $100 bottle of course.

The 2008 Domaine Paul Autard is juicy, smooth and delicious.  The 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Counoise blend has a nose of rock candy followed up by the signature Rhone pepper.  It tastes juicy with nice cherry flavors and a surprisingly lengthy, focused finish.  This wine is aged in vats rather than barrels, so there is no oak to distract from the pure fruit.

Vintner Jean-Paul Autard (how’s that for a French name?) makes an $85 Chateauneuf-du-Pape and, while this might not be of that pedigree, the winemaking skill shows through.  Until further notice, this will be my house Rhone- guilt free!

Buy Here: Domaine Paul Autard Cotes-du-Rhone Rogue $9.95

Wine Spectator- 88 points

“This has good ripeness for the vintage, with juicy plum and blackberry fruit laced with mesquite and graphite notes. Fine length. Drink now. 4,000 cases made.” (WS)

Memorial Day weekend started early for us today (okay really early), with an awesome Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  Much has been said about second wines on these pages. Telegramme is the second wine from Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe- one of the most famous wineries from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CdP) appellation of the southern Rhone Valley.  The top wine, “La Crau”, was rated 96 points by Robert Parker in this 2007 vintage.  2007, by the way, has been widely reviewed as one of the best southern Rhone vintages of all time.

Telegramme pours a slightly translucent ruby with an ever-so-slight brick tinge.  The nose hints of good things to come with fantastic red raspberry and dessert scents that remind me of warm apple pie with cinnamon and a hint of smoke.  The fruit theme continues as the wine tastes exceptionally smooth, with tart cherry flavors and a mineral finish, making it clear that this wine came from a top vineyard.

Speaking of vineyards, this wine is made from the same grapes as Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe’s $70 example- just the “young” vines.  Young in this case average 25 years old, which by new world standards is almost ancient.

If you are looking for an elegant, classic, well made CdP, buy this before the 2007 vintage is gone.  I’ve found something else to enjoy about this wine with every sip and, to me, that’s the true definition of a great wine.

P.S. LA Wine Co has the lowest price in the country.  Again…

Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe “Telegramme”- $29.95

90 points- WA, IWC and WS

“A fresh, pure, silky style, with red currant, licorice and shiso leaf notes gliding over the long, supple, minerally finish. Textbook for the vintage, with the fruit and minerality stretching out at the end. Drink now through 2017. 4,000 cases made.” (WS)

“The outstanding 2007 Telegramme Chateauneuf du Pape (15.8% alcohol) offers notes of kirsch liqueur, spring flowers, and framboise, medium to full body, good acidity, a beautiful texture, and a luscious, heady finish. It is best drunk over the next 5-6 years.” (WA)

“Deep red. Captivating aromas of black raspberry, wild rose, Asian spices and smoked meat. Brighter red fruits on the palate, with notes of cola and candied flowers gaining strength with air. Showing more depth, richness and warmth than last year. Finishes with very good grip and an echo of smoke.” (IWC)

2007 has been an amazing year for Rhone reds and here is the great thing about the best vintages: they turn traditional “great values” into knockout classics.  70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, this wine pours a deep opaque purple/red color that suggests good things are to come, and it doesn’t disappoint.

At first, I thought the nose was a little closed with a touch too much alcohol, but after an hour in a decanter it totally changed, showing a great peppery scent framed by ripe fruit and nice smokey overtones.  This wine tastes dense and bold, if a little rustic, without being overblown.  What differentiates old world Rhone from many of the new world Rhone blends is they show a great constraint and clarity while still being aggressive, concentrated, bold and lengthy.

This wine will only get better with age (the same reason it improved throughout the evening).  I’m going to put a few back and try it again in five years.  I think it will gain a significant complexity which will only serve to build on the great wine it already is. It’s my birthday today and I look forward to opening another bottle on April 8, 2015, if not before!  Under $20 for a potential RP 93 Cotes du Rhone-Villages?  Amazing.

Robert Parker 91-93 Points

“The 2007 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau La Ponce (70% Grenache and 30% Syrah) reveals a smoky, chocolaty, meaty character as well as abundant quantities of black cherry jam displayed in a full-bodied, sensationally concentrated, dense, chewy style that saturates the palate. The vintage’s greatness is noticeable in the noble, ripe tannins and stunning length. This serious wine should age for 10-15 years.

Readers should be on the lookout for the wines from this superb estate. None other than the brilliant southern Rhone oenologist Philippe Cambie is the consultant at Domaine des Escarvailles, and their 2006s were profiled with considerable accolades in issue #178′s report on the World’s Greatest Wine Values. The 2007s are the finest wines yet produced at this estate. Proprietor Gilles Farran owns some sensational old vines spread among his 160+ acres in the Cotes du Rhone and the Cotes du Rhone-Villages of Rasteau, Cairanne, and Roaix. Yields are low, with most of the vineyards rendering less than 30 hectoliters per hectare. Don’t forget about the extraordinary, bargain-priced Cotes du Rhone reviewed in issue #178, Domaine Calendal, which is a joint project of Philippe Cambie and proprietor Giles Farran” (WA)

2007 Domaine des Escaravailles Cotes-du-Rhone Rasteau La Ponce- LA Wine Company $18.85