Rhône
The Rhône Valley, located in southeastern France, is renowned for its exceptional fine wines. With its diverse terroir, rich history, and dedication to quality winemaking, the Rhône Valley offers a captivating selection of wines that embody the region's elegance, complexity, and distinctive character.
The Rhône Valley boasts its own iconic vineyards and wineries, including Château de Beaucastel, Domaine Guigal, and Chapoutier, which are celebrated for producing exceptional wines that showcase the region's unique terroir and winemaking expertise.
The Rhône Valley is renowned for its red wines, particularly in the northern part of the region. Syrah reigns as the dominant grape variety, producing intense and structured wines. Appellations such as Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Cornas are known for their robust and age-worthy reds, often displaying notes of black fruits, spice, and earthiness. Famous vineyards such as La Landonne, La Mouline, and Les Bessards are revered for their exceptional expressions of Syrah.
In the southern Rhône Valley, Grenache takes centre stage, contributing to the region's bold and fruit-forward red blends. The renowned appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is famous for its rich and full-bodied red wines, often featuring a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Vineyards like Château de Beaucastel, Clos des Papes, and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe produce remarkable wines that showcase the region's commitment to excellence.
The Rhône Valley is also celebrated for its white wines, particularly in the northern part of the region. Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne are the key grape varieties, producing aromatic and complex whites. Appellations like Condrieu and Hermitage produce exceptional white wines known for their floral aromas, stone fruit flavors, and vibrant acidity.
Rhône
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Rhone | 7 | 95 (WA) | HK$5,340.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95)When a so-called entry-level wine performs at this level, you know that producer has had a stupendous year. The 2015 Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne is full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with loads of cassis fruit and masses of ripe tannin. To top it off, some meaty, savory notes creep in on the long finish, imparting some intriguing complexity. |
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Rhone | 5 | 18.5 (JR) | HK$3,190.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (18.5)Dried, mature fruit with a raisiny edge. Full, high-octane, fleshy and with remarkably juicy red fruit that adds unexpected vibrancy after that desiccated nose. Sandy tannins that are swept up by the acidic bite. This is boxy and thick, yet absolutely in proportion, the equivalent of brutalism in architecture. |
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Rhone | 1 | 96+ (WA) | HK$8,575.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (96+)In complete contrast to the sexy, flamboyant les Granits, the tiny production 2012 Saint Joseph le Clos (which comes from a vineyard just a couple kilometers from the les Granits) is firm, tight and structured, with edgy notes of cassis, blackberry, powdered rock and ground herbs. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich, it needs 3-4 years in the cellar, and will have two decades of longevity. This is almost non-existent in the marketplace, but it's worth the effort to track down. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97+ (JD) | HK$1,205.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)Crème de cassis, graphite, gunpowder, lavender, and obvious crushed rock notes all emerge from the 2016 Saint Joseph Le Clos, which is the unquestionably one of the finest wines in the appellation. Coming from a higher elevation, east-facing block, brought up in 30% new barrels, it offers a Hermitage-like stature and level of structure, bright acidity, and a big finish. Young, backward, and in need of 5-7 years of bottle age, it's going to keep for 2+ decades. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97 (JD) | HK$3,865.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97)I've loved every vintage of this cuvée and the 2018 Saint Joseph Le Clos is undoubtedly with the best of them. Incredibly complex notes of black raspberries, flowers, lavender, bouquet garni, and a terrific sense of elegance all emerge from the glass, and this full-bodied beauty has a silky, elegant texture, great tannins, and one seriously lengthy finish. It shows more spice and meaty nuances with time in the glass and this is more Hermitage than your classic Saint Joseph. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 20 years. |
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Rhone | 1 | 96-98 (JD) | HK$4,380.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (96-98)The 2019 Saint Joseph Le Clos comes from higher elevation granite soils and is just about always in the running for the Saint Joseph of the vintage. Reminding me of the Vieilles Vignes cuvée from the Gonon brothers, this dense purple-hued effort offers incredible blackberry and smoked currant-like fruits as well as notes of violets, crushed stone, incense, and leather. It's a rich, full-bodied, incredibly impressive red that's going to take 4-5 years to shed some baby fat and keep for two decades. |
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Rhone | 1 | - | HK$1,185.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 15 | 93 (VN) | HK$5,090.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)I underestimated the 2022 Saint-Joseph Le Clos when tasting it from barrel last year. Now in bottle, we’re talking about a deeply alluring, complex red Saint-Joseph with lots of savory character. Pronounced black cherry compote, cassis pastille, licorice, cedar and a touch of violet are all intensified. Full-bodied, round and generous, the 2022 walks off the stage with utter refinement on the long, complex finale. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97 (JD) | HK$2,535.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97)A more reductive, meaty, backward effort than normal, the 2018 Saint Joseph Les Granits is all Syrah that comes from unquestionably one of the top terroirs in Saint-Joseph. It was vinified in concrete tanks and aged in a mix of barrels and demi-muids, 20% being new. It blossoms with air and reveals an almost Hermitage-like class and minerality, with killer crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits supported by loads of smoked game, saddle leather, crushed stone, barbecue smoke, garrigue, and violet-like aromas and flavors. Just incredible on the palate as well, with medium to full-bodied richness, awesome tannins, and a liquid rock-like minerality, this tour de force from Saint-Joseph ranks with the finest vintage of this cuvée ever made and matches the 2015, although it shows a very different style. It should be snatched up by readers. It will need 3-5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly over the following 20 years or more. |
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Rhone | 3 | 95 (VN) | HK$2,300.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)Glass-staining ruby. A highly complex, expansive bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, olive paste, potpourri and incense, along with exotic spice and smoky mineral notes that build steadily with air. Sweet, focused and penetrating on the palate, offering intense, spice-accented cassis, boysenberry, cherry preserve, smoky bacon, olive and violet pastille flavors that are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Melds concentration and energy with a sure hand and closes with resonating minerality and superb, youthfully tannic persistence. Sourced from two vineyards of mostly old vines at Tournon. |
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Rhone | 1 | 87-89 (VN (ST)) | HK$6,205.00 | |||||
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (87-89)Superripe aromas of roasted apple, clove and minerals. Rich, fat and dense; just short of topheavy. Softer acids than the Chante Alouette. Finishes with noteworthy length. |
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Rhone | 1 | 95 (WA) | HK$1,045.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95)Another blockbuster that savvy readers need to buy up, the 2012 Saint Joseph les Granits Blanc is a drop-dead gorgeous wine that offers up tons of crushed rock-like minerality, stone fruits, white peach and buttered citrus to go with a full-bodied, decadent, yet also elegant and focused style on the palate. Count me a fan, and while it's a great drink now, it will have an easy 15+ years of evolution. |
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Rhone | 6 | 95 (WA) | HK$1,035.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95)The white of the vintage in Saint Joseph is the 2014 Saint Joseph les Granits Blanc. Coming all from one of the top terroirs in the region, the granite soils of the lieu-dit Saint Joseph, this 100% Marsanne release boasts terrific aromas and flavors of buttered citrus, poached pears, honeysuckle, spice and caramelized pineapple. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and textured, yet also elegant and silky, it should be a must buy by anyone who loves northern Rhône whites. It will have 10-15 years of prime drinking. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97 (JD) | HK$3,310.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97)A killer wine as always, the 2018 Saint Joseph Les Granits Blanc reveals a medium gold color as well as powerful notes of white currants, toasted spices, brioche, quince, and crushed rock. With beautiful richness, medium to full body, no hard edges and a great finish, it's consistently one of the great whites in the appellation. |
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Rhone | 1 | - | HK$3,800.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 1 | - | HK$3,125.00 | |||||
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Chateau de Saint Cosme, Hermitage, Rouge 2018 is a sublime expression of Northern Rhône tradition. Grown on the esteemed slopes of Hermitage, the vineyards benefit from granite-rich soils and optimal sun exposure, fostering ripe Syrah grapes with intense character. The meticulous vinification process involves hand harvesting, destemming, and fermenting in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats to preserve the varietal's purity. Following fermentation, the wine is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, imparting subtle complexity and elegant tannins. Produced by a family-owned estate renowned for its commitment to quality and terroir-driven wines, the 2018 vintage showcases deep ruby hues, robust aromas of dark berries and spices, and a refined palate with velvety texture and a lingering finish. Chateau de Saint Cosme, Hermitage, Rouge 2018 is a testament to the art of fine winemaking, offering connoisseurs a distinguished and memorable experience. |
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Rhone | 1 | 16.5 (JR) | HK$23,010.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (16.5)Sweet and polished and pretty nectar-like. A bargain hint of Rayas? Very pure, sweet, just-not-jammy Grenache. Lots of fun. And no animal flavours at all. Very sweet; very transparent. GV |
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