{"title":"Collectible Rhone","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"domaine-jean-louis-chave-hermitage-blanc-2020","title":"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2020","description":"","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44206957297887,"sku":"","price":380.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P6011381.jpg?v=1685653483"},{"product_id":"domaine-jean-louis-chave-hermitage-blanc-2021","title":"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2021","description":"","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45720604606687,"sku":null,"price":380.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P5180300.jpg?v=1716070718"},{"product_id":"domaine-jean-louis-chave-hermitage-rouge-2021","title":"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge 2021","description":"","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45720633409759,"sku":null,"price":380.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P5180301.jpg?v=1716070709"},{"product_id":"domaine-jean-louis-chave-hermitage-rouge-2022","title":"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge 2022","description":"","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46882924626143,"sku":null,"price":380.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P4050832.jpg?v=1743907012"},{"product_id":"jean-michel-stephan-cote-rotie-coteaux-de-tupin-2022","title":"Jean-Michel Stephan Cote-Rotie Coteaux de Tupin 2022","description":"","brand":"Stelvio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47616986382559,"sku":null,"price":160.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PB250313.jpg?v=1764137383"},{"product_id":"jl-chave-heritage-farconnet-2021","title":"JL Chave Hermitage Farconnet 2021","description":"","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47840791199967,"sku":null,"price":78.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PC030362.jpg?v=1764820283"},{"product_id":"domaine-yves-et-mathilde-gangloff-cote-rotie-la-barbarine-2023","title":"Domaine Yves et Mathilde Gangloff Cote Rotie \"La Barbarine\" 2023","description":"","brand":"Old World","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48358954402015,"sku":null,"price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P1100599.jpg?v=1768100694"},{"product_id":"jl-chave-crozes-hermitage-silene-2024","title":"JL Chave Crozes-Hermitage \"Silene\" 2024","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe Land\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eThe 2024 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003eSilène\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e draws from the southern reaches of Crozes-Hermitage, where the Rhône River moderates a continental climate of hot summers and brisk winters. Here, Syrah thrives in varied soils—granitic outcrops, sandy loess, and stony alluvium—each contributing its own voice to the wine’s profile. The vintage’s warm, sun-filled days were balanced by timely rains, preserving acidity and aromatic lift. Half the fruit comes from Chave’s own biodynamically farmed parcels, rooted deeply in living soils that have been tended with the same quiet precision for centuries. The other half comes from trusted growers whose vineyards mirror Chave’s exacting standards, making \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003eSilène\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e a true composite portrait of Crozes-Hermitage terroir.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eMade entirely from Syrah, the 2024 vintage shows the Northern Rhône’s classic interplay of fruit and savory nuance. Dark cherry, blackberry, and blackcurrant aromas mingle with cracked pepper, violet, and a faint whiff of smoked herbs. On the palate, the fruit is pure and vibrant, framed by fine-grained tannins and a graphite-tinged minerality that lingers through the finish. Aged in neutral oak to preserve varietal character, the wine is supple and approachable now yet structured enough to evolve gracefully over the next 5–7 years. This is Syrah in its most honest form—neither over-polished nor rustic, but perfectly balanced between the two.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe People\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eThe Chave family has been farming the slopes of the Northern Rhône since 1481—sixteen unbroken generations of stewardship, now led by Gérard Chave and his son Jean-Louis. After studies at the University of Connecticut and UC Davis, Jean-Louis returned to the Rhône in 1992, replanting the family’s historic Saint-Joseph holdings and carrying forward their philosophy: meticulous farming, low yields, and minimal intervention to let terroir speak. While their Hermitage bottlings are legendary for complexity and longevity, the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003eSilène\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e—part of the Jean-Louis Chave Selections négociant range—offers a more accessible expression without compromising quality. Named after the mythical mentor of Dionysus, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003eSilène\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e reflects Chave’s belief that wine should embody both wisdom and joy, whether in the rarest cuvée or the humblest glass.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood pairing:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eGrilled lamb chops with garlic-rosemary roasted potatoes. (recipe on blog)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eThe lamb’s juicy, savory depth complements the wine’s supple tannins while the rosemary and garlic echo Syrah’s signature peppery, floral lift. The roasted potatoes bring an earthy warmth that grounds \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003eSilène\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e’s vibrant black fruit and stony minerality, with the grill’s gentle smokiness weaving it all into a seamless, satisfying experience.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48682243817695,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P3261204.jpg?v=1774579583"},{"product_id":"domaine-jean-louis-chave-hermitage-rouge-2023","title":"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge 2023","description":"","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48814014202079,"sku":null,"price":380.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P4041252.jpg?v=1775351757"},{"product_id":"domaine-jean-louis-chave-hermitage-blanc-2023","title":"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2023","description":"","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48814060732639,"sku":null,"price":380.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P4041251.jpg?v=1775351694"},{"product_id":"domaine-jean-louis-chave-saint-joseph-2023","title":"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 2023","description":"","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48814135247071,"sku":null,"price":126.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P4041248.jpg?v=1775351549"},{"product_id":"j-l-chave-selection-crozes-hermitage-blanc-sybele-2024","title":"J.L. Chave Selection Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Sybele 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Land\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSituated in the esteemed Crozes-Hermitage appellation of the Northern Rhône Valley, the vineyards for J.L. Chave Selection Crozes-Hermitage Blanc \"Sybele\" thrive on the region’s distinctive terroir. The area is characterized by its granite and alluvial soils, which contribute to the wine’s unique minerality and complexity. The Rhône River’s influence moderates the climate, providing a balance of warm days and cool nights that is ideal for the cultivation of white grape varieties. This microclimate allows the Marsanne and Roussanne grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, developing rich flavors while retaining essential acidity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Crozes-Hermitage Blanc \"Sybele\" is a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne, crafted with precision to highlight the finest attributes of each variety. This wine offers an elegant balance of richness and freshness. On the nose, it presents an enticing bouquet of white flowers, pear, and honeydew melon, complemented by subtle hints of almond and wet stone. The palate is equally captivating, with flavors of ripe peach, apricot, and a touch of Meyer lemon zest. The wine’s vibrant acidity and a delicate, creamy texture culminate in a long, refined finish marked by nuances of hazelnut and a whisper of oak. Truly exceptional wine!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe People\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe legacy of J.L. Chave Selection is one of centuries-old tradition and unyielding passion for winemaking. Jean-Louis Chave, the current steward of this esteemed family estate, embodies a deep respect for both heritage and innovation. With a lineage of winemakers dating back to 1481, the Chave family has honed their craft through generations of dedication to the terroir of the Northern Rhône. Jean-Louis combines time-honored techniques with a keen understanding of modern viticulture to create wines that are both expressive and true to their origins.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Willette Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50111318425823,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P6140366.jpg?v=1781563301"},{"product_id":"domaine-font-de-courtedune-cotes-du-rhone-vieilles-vignes-2021","title":"Domaine Font de Courtedune Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFont de Courtedune farms in Courthezon, in the Vaucluse, with vineyards that sit right up against the boundary of Chateau Rayas, the most mythic estate in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. That neighboring proximity matters: the domaine's soils run to roughly 80% sand, the same rare, free-draining ground that gives Rayas its signature lightness, mixed here with rolled stones. The estate holds parcels across Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone Villages, IGP Vaucluse, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape itself, 35 hectares total, all farmed under the same sandy-soil logic that shapes wines built on finesse rather than weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA blend of old-vine Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah, vinified whole-bunch in a style that draws an explicit comparison to Rayas itself. The 2021 growing season was a difficult one across the southern Rhone: a mild start gave way to April frost that cut yields, then a wet, humid summer forced constant disease pressure through July and August before more rain hit right before harvest. The result is a lighter-alcohol, higher-acid style than recent vintages, with silky tannins and a fresher, more pointed fruit character than the ripe, sun-baked reds this region is known for. Expect black cherry, ripe strawberry, and garrigue on the nose, with a round, enveloping attack and fine, structured tannins carrying through a long finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Charrier family has farmed at Font de Courtedune for three generations, but until 1998 the grapes went to the local cooperative rather than into their own bottles. Siblings Caroline and Frederic Charrier changed that, building a cellar and starting estate production themselves, then taking over full management after their father's death in 2010. Caroline trained at the wine school in Beaune and runs the winemaking; Frederic manages the vineyards. Their location next to Chateau Rayas is not a marketing line, it is the reason their Grenache tastes the way it does: same sand, same restraint, a fraction of the price.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis wine's whole-bunch spice and silky tannin make it a natural with grilled meats that carry their own char. Try it with herb-crusted lamb chops, merguez sausages off the grill, duck breast with a cherry reduction, or a mushroom and thyme tart for something vegetarian. The garrigue notes echo rosemary and thyme in the cooking, while the fresh acidity from this cooler vintage keeps richer cuts of meat from feeling heavy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Empire","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50516397490399,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P7040605_1e9c3e92-2795-4308-8260-2a29e9b18302.jpg?v=1783392392"},{"product_id":"clos-petite-bellane-cotes-du-rhone-villages-valreas-2000","title":"Clos Petite Bellane Cotes du Rhone Villages Valreas 2000","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValréas is in the Vaucluse, but you cannot walk there from the Vaucluse. The town and its three neighbors form the Enclave des Papes, a detached exclave separated from the rest of the department by roughly 2.5 kilometers of Drôme on every side — the residue of fourteenth-century papal land purchases that began after John XXII tasted a Valréas wine in 1317 on his way to Avignon. The geography is not trivia. This is the northern edge of the southern Rhône and its coolest corner, with appellation vineyards averaging 245 meters and climbing to 532 at Mourre de Broche. Clos Petite Bellane sits at 410 meters on clay-limestone over the Vinsobres plateau, vines running between truffle woods and beehives, with the Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail on the horizon. Altitude is why these wines keep.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrenache and Syrah, the estate's standard pairing for its Valréas bottling, though the exact 2000 percentages are not on record. The vintage was a strong one in the south: picking started in late August under dry skies, and the fruit came in healthy, thick-skinned and high in tannin. The caution attached to 2000 from the beginning was acidity — many wines were built for fifteen years, not twenty-five. Valréas altitude is the argument for this one. At twenty-six years expect a garnet-to-tawny rim, dried plum and fig, leather, tobacco leaf, dried thyme, and a faint cedar edge, with tannin fully melted and the finish savory rather than fruity. Stand it upright overnight, decant off the sediment without swirling, and drink within the hour. Serve at 60 to 62 degrees. Storage history matters more than the vintage chart here.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe name on the label is worth getting right. Clos Petite Bellane was Olivier Peuchot's estate: he took over the vineyard around 1999 and was working roughly fifty hectares from a low, modern cellar tucked among trees in the middle of the vines. Peuchot's reds were the estate's calling card through the 2000s. In 2010 he sold the 48-hectare property to Stéphane Vedeau, who renamed it Clos Bellane, converted the farming to organic and earned Ecocert certification a few years later. This 2000 is entirely Peuchot's work, made a decade before any of that. It is a snapshot of the site before it became one of the reference addresses for cool-climate Côtes du Rhône Villages.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollow the estate's own truffle woods. Buttered pasta or soft polenta with shaved black truffle meets this wine on its tertiary, earthy register without asking anything of its tannin. Duck breast with a cherry or plum reduction picks up the dried stone fruit. A beef daube braised with orange peel and bay does the same in a heavier key. Roast chicken with wild mushrooms and thyme is the weeknight version. Open it on an evening when the cooking is the event.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wilkie Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51234979447007,"sku":null,"price":37.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8190150_7b2419e8-1884-4cae-8f86-a0e01cb8845d.jpg?v=1787200636"},{"product_id":"domaine-des-escaravailles-cotes-du-rhone-villages-rasteau-1997","title":"Domaine des Escaravailles Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau 1997","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Rasteau on this label is not the appellation you buy today. In 1997 Rasteau's dry reds were a named commune inside Côtes du Rhône Villages, a rank they had held since 1966, and INAO did not elevate them to a standalone cru until 2010. The only Rasteau appellation standing on its own at the time was the Vin Doux Naturel, recognized in 1944. The village sits on a hilltop at 200 meters, facing south toward the Dentelles de Montmirail and shielded from the worst of the Mistral. Escaravailles farms 40 hectares here on stony clay-limestone slopes, its parcels running from 260 to 340 meters, among the highest in the commune. Cold nights at that elevation delay ripening and hold acidity, which is why a bottle from 1997 is still worth opening.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrenache leads, as it does in every Rasteau red, filled out with Syrah and Mourvèdre; the exact 1997 blend was never published. The vintage matters here. 1997 ran cooler than average in the southern Rhône, and uneven flowering left ripening irregular, producing lighter, earlier-maturing wines than the decade's benchmarks. At twenty-nine years this is fully tertiary: a bricked garnet rim, dried cherry and fig, leather, tobacco, dried thyme and rosemary, orange peel, and tannin long since resolved into the fruit. Stand the bottle upright a full day, decant slowly off the sediment, and pour right away — a wine this old and this light-framed can fade inside half an hour. Serve at 60 to 62 degrees. Provenance decides everything with a bottle like this, and variation between corks is real.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJean-Louis Ferran founded the domaine in 1953 with his sons Daniel and Jean-Pierre, taking on a ruined hillside farmhouse with no electricity, no running water, and vineyards the monks had abandoned. The name comes from escaravay, the local dialect word for scarab: the Black Penitents of Avignon owned this land, appear in the Rasteau archives in 1623, and worked the rows in black robes that made them look like beetles from a distance. The beetle has been on the label ever since. This 1997 predates the current era — Daniel ran the estate then, Gilles took over in 1999, and his daughter Madeline joined the cellar in 2019. The family farms 40 hectares in Rasteau plus 25 across Cairanne, Roaix, Villedieu and Saint Roman de Malegarde, plowing rather than spraying and fertilizing organically.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMature Grenache wants slow cooking and savory depth, not char. A daube provençale with orange peel, black olives and thyme is the natural match: the wine's dried-fruit sweetness meets the braise, and its softened tannin will not fight the tomato's acidity. Roast leg of lamb studded with garlic and rosemary works on the garrigue register alone. Mushroom risotto finished with parmesan picks up the forest-floor side. For cheese, a two-year Comté, nothing washed-rind. This is a bottle for a Sunday with people who will notice what twenty-nine years did to it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wilkie Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51234979479775,"sku":null,"price":52.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8190153_9c42f0b2-19d8-4e6d-ae2e-eca9970d6080.jpg?v=1787200652"},{"product_id":"dard-ribo-crozes-hermitage-rouge-cest-le-printemps-2025","title":"Dard \u0026 Ribo Crozes-Hermitage Rouge C'est le Printemps 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis one comes off the plain, and that is the point. La Grace at Mercurol sits on the flat southeastern side of Crozes-Hermitage, on clay mixed with sand and rolled stones dropped by the Isere. It is a precocious site with a Mediterranean tilt, which means the Syrah here ripens early and arrives with more sun in it than hillside fruit does. That is what a wine built for spring release needs. To keep it from running hot, Dard and Ribo blend in Syrah from Les Baties at Larnage, up in the hills to the north on red clay and rolled stone, where ripening is slower and acidity holds. The plain gives this wine its flesh, the hillside its spine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name and the release date invite the Beaujolais comparison, and the assumption that follows is carbonic maceration. It is not. C'est le Printemps ferments 67 percent whole bunch in open wooden vats with pumpovers, a vinification of eight to ten days, then four to five months of elevage split half in vat and half in used 600-liter casks. It is early-release by design rather than by technique, which is why it tastes like Syrah rather than like a method. The fruit splits evenly between vines planted in the 1970s and in 1996, and alcohol sits low, around 11.5 percent in recent vintages. Crushed raspberry, sweet spice, cracked pepper and a granitic snap, no oak flavor, and a finish that stops short and clean on purpose. 2025 was hot and dry in the northern Rhone: heat waves in June and again in August, ripening two weeks ahead of 2024 from the end of July, severe drought in the final weeks before picking, red yields down roughly 25 percent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRene-Jean Dard talks about wine that is alive and does not necessarily have to be kept, and C'est le Printemps is the clearest statement of that position on the list. Alongside it they bottle Rouge Divers, a primeur that goes into a clear Bordeaux bottle so you can see what you are getting. The single-vineyard cuvees only appear in vintages that justify them. The partnership started in 1980, when Dard, who had inherited Saint-Joseph vines from his father at 15, and Ribo, from Tain-l'Hermitage, decided to farm together after meeting at wine school in Beaune. They made it official in 1983, and today sell into 17 countries off 8.5 hectares.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServe this cold, around 55 degrees, and treat it like a summer red. Grilled sausages with mustard and a shaved fennel salad play straight to the pepper and the low tannin. A charcuterie board with cornichons and good butter is the natural home, since the acidity handles the salt. Tuna steaks seared rare with olive tapenade work because there is almost no tannin here to clash with fish. This is the bottle for the first warm evening of the year, opened on a porch, finished before anyone asks what it cost.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51443383271647,"sku":null,"price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9230380.jpg?v=1790224667"},{"product_id":"dard-ribo-crozes-hermitage-blanc-les-karrieres-2024","title":"Dard \u0026 Ribo Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Les Karrieres 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarnage is known in the Drome less for wine than for clay. The white kaolin quarried in the hills above the village went into pottery and bread-oven linings for centuries, and the name Les Karrieres points straight at it: the quarries. That white clay is the site. It sits in the hillier northern stretch of Crozes-Hermitage, away from the alluvial plain that makes most of the appellation's volume. Kaolin holds water without going heavy and reflects light back into the canopy, which keeps Marsanne fresh where it usually turns broad and flat. Sources differ on how much granite runs through the parcel, but the white clay is the defining element, and the reason this gets bottled apart from the estate's regular Crozes blanc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarsanne, on its own, from old vines. Most Crozes-Hermitage blanc is a Marsanne and Roussanne blend, and the domaine's own regular white runs roughly 65 percent Roussanne. Fermentation and aging happen in wood, and the whites are racked without debourbage, the gross lees expelled during fermentation rather than settled out first. The wine then sits on its fine lees, which is where the texture comes from. The whites are also made without added sulfur now, a change that came later here than it did for the reds. Alcohol on the 2024 is 13 percent. Baked apple, quince, dried herbs and crushed stone, then a mid-weight arrival with a nutty, chewy grain that is the signature of old-vine Marsanne on white clay, closing dry, saline and long. 2024 across the northern Rhone was wet and fungal with yields cut by poor fruit set, but the whites picked in early September came in clean and precise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite wine is the quiet argument Dard and Ribo have been making since 1983. Roughly 35 percent of the domaine's 8.5 hectares is planted to white varieties in a region closer to 10 percent, and the partners keep their own massal selections of Roussanne rather than ordering clones. Whites were also the last thing they took sulfur out of. The reds have gone without since Rene-Jean Dard started making wine at 15, following his father's practice, but the whites held on longer, until the racking method gave them a way to work clean without it. Dard trained in Dijon and then Beaune, where he met Francois Ribo, and the two have run the domaine from Blanche-Laine at Mercurol ever since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOld-vine Marsanne with this much grain wants fat and salt rather than delicacy. Roast a chicken with tarragon and creme fraiche and pour it alongside; the wine's texture matches the sauce instead of fighting it. Scallops seared hard and finished with brown butter and hazelnuts pick up the nutty side directly. A gratin of potatoes and Beaufort, baked until the top blisters, works because the saline finish resets things between forkfuls. This is a white with enough weight to carry a winter dinner, which is not what most people expect from Crozes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51443383304415,"sku":null,"price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9230379.jpg?v=1790224667"}],"url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/collections\/collectible-rhone.oembed","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}