Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2019

At age 28 Natacha Chave started her own domain in 2004. She purchased 1.3 hectares of vines in Saint-Joseph in Northern Rhône and just three years later she purchased another 6.5 hectares of old vines in the Crozes-Hermitage. 100% Syrah that echoes the sentiments of the Rhone Valley. There is a lovely elegance about this wine, notes of violet, green peppercorn, dark red fruit and a gentle meaty edge. This wine shows approachability with silky smooth tannins.

Domaine Aléofane Crozes-Hermitage 2020

Brothers, Dominique and Laurent Courbis took over their family domain in the early 1990’s and work with a gravity fed winery built into the majestic slopes of Saint Joseph. The duo is known for their modern winemaking approach in the Northern Rhone. The grapes are hand harvested and destemmed, before being vinified in a mix of tank, barrique and sometimes new oak should the wine call for it. Picture perfect Syrah, a sweet and deep layer of bright red fruits, some cured meat savouriness and a lick of polished tannin.

Domaine Courbis Champelrose Cornas 2019

Even more intensity and concentration then the 2018 vintage. A ripe perfume of dark fruit, olive tapenade, cracked pepper and licorce. An energetic palate with an alluring sweet red core, candied violet, baking spice and minerality. The finish is long and precise with a build of mouth-watering tannin.

André Perret Saint-Joseph Rouge Les Grisières 2019

A lively and ripe palate of peach, pineapple and tangerine peel, there is a lovely energetic mineral edge that keeps you wanting to go back for more. Excellent!

André Perret Saint-Joseph Blanc 2019

André Perret Saint-Joseph Rouge Les Grisières 2019 

Notes of earthy spice, violets, and dark berries. There is a lovely core of cherry, star anise and cracked pepper on the palate wrapped in a racy acidity. A lovely wine!

Francois Villard L'Appel des Sereines Syrah 2018

A lively wine, that that a lot of unpack. Layers of minerality, crushed rock, spice, red fruit, and fine tannin. There is a lovely vibrancy and intrigue that this wine brings to the glass. Yum!

La Ferme de l'Arbre Saint Joseph Rouge 2020

Top-notch Syrah from the hillsides of Crozes-Hermitage in the Northern Rhône, fermented and aged in concrete tank and wooden vats. Made by Maxime Graillot, this is bold and complex, with black pepper, glossy tannins, olive tapenade, dark fruit, and bitter chocolate.

Equis Equinoxe Syrah 2019

Simon Gastrein Cuvée L'Effrontée 2020

Notes of fresh red fruits and cracked pepper spice meet in this pure and structural expression of the Rhône Valley.

Slope Terra Syrah 2020

Bright aromatics with a touch of Syrah meatiness and showing more Grenache on the palate with crunchy red fruits and some peppery spice. Fruits from predominately organic vineyards and a smattering of sandy tannin make this an energetic wine that we are liking a lot!

Slope Klima Grenache Syrah 2020

A densely packed palate of dark cherries, blackberry, cassis, spice and chewy tar-laced tannin. A rich full body and a lovely velvet dark chocolate finish. So much to offer now, and so much to offer if you have the patience to hold onto it.

Andre Perret Saint-Joseph Rouge 2019

Andre Perret Saint-Joseph Les Grisières Syrah 2019

From a multi-generational family of vignerons, this is benchmark Cornas. Grilled meat, black pepper, and anise alongside a core of blueberry and cassis. Fine tannins and lingering spice.

Domaine Verset A & E Cornas 2019

Sure, if you trust youtube, you can open a wine bottle with a shoe, but you deserve better than that. This legendary waiter's knife comes from the Cartailler-Deluc cutlers in Thiers, founded in 1896. The perfect marriage of style and utility, this opener is a beauty and a breeze to use.

Cartailler-Deluc Wine Knife

A gorgeous Syrah from the iconic granite hills of Saint Joseph in the Northern Rhone region. Notes of delicious black cherry, fresh liquorice, swirl with a hint of black olive. Subtle grilled meat and a fine-grained tannin offer an iron-edge relief on the palate.

Bernard Gripa Saint-Joseph Rouge 2018

Lying just outside the borders of Saint-Joseph, this is a wonderful entry point to the more savoury examples of Syrah produced in the northern Rhône Valley. It's rich and meaty, with salted licorice, plum, dried herbs and smoky charcuterie notes wrapped in gravelly tannins and a vibrant line of acid. Shiraz lovers, try this one on for size!

Sylvain Gauthier Pierre Sèches Syrah 2019

With a background as a chef in Lyon, Simon Gastrein grew tired of the kitchen lifestyle and decided to follow his passion for wine after a bit of good old fashioned soul-searching in South America. Upon his return, he worked with the iconic André Perret in Condrieu for seven years before venturing out on his own in 2018. Cuvée L'Enclume is a blend of Syrah, Gamay, and Mornen Noir which was produced in collaboration with Northern Rhône royalty, Yves Cuilleron. Medium-weighted and slightly lo-fi in style, it sits somewhere between a norther Rhône red and a Loire Valley red. Lavender, violet flower, brambly berries, and spice with chalk dust tannins to close.

Simon Gastrein Cuvée L'Enclume 2019

With a background as a chef in Lyon, Simon Gastrein grew tired of the kitchen lifestyle and decided to follow his passion for wine after a bit of good old fashioned soul-searching in South America. Upon his return, he worked with the iconic André Perret in Condrieu for seven years before venturing out on his own in 2018. Cuvée L'Effrontée is a blend of Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, and other lesser-known indigenous varieties such as Cugnette. Despite the varietal richness of these varieties, Gastrein teases out plenty of levity and vitality which makes this wine an absolute delight to drink. Apple blossom, apricot, cinnamon, and almond with lovely concentration and light oxidative notes that linger on the finish.