Rhône 2023 En Primeur
Brightness, energy & approachability | Our picks of the Northern & Southern Rhône
We are delighted to bring you our 2023 Rhône En Primeur offering. Much like 2022, 2023 saw another hot and dry summer, but, crucially, with early summer showers which have brought remarkable freshness to the wines. It’s this brightness and energy that defines the vintage, making the wines more accessible for drinking whilst you wait for some of the more concentrated, blockbuster vintages, such as 2020 and 2022, to come around in your cellar. As ever, these wines offer immense value for money in the world of fine wine and will be very worthy additions to your cellar.
2023 Vintage
2023 was another solar vintage for both the Northern and Southern Rhône; like elsewhere in France, it was hot and dry for the most part (though not as hot as the 2022 vintage) with the vines relieved by frequent showers throughout May and June, helping to promote aromatic freshness and acidity in the wines.
The North
Heavy rains influenced a mix of style and quality in the north, but thankfully Cote Rotie, Condrieu and some northern parts of St Joseph avoided this rainfall, with their wines offering elegance and finesse, and the hallmark freshness of the vintage. The white wines from Condrieu are ones to look out for in particular: fresh, expressive and energetic, in line with the precision of the 2021 vintage.
The South
The Southern Rhone in 2023 offers more consistency compared to its northern neighbour, with bright, ripe fruit, soft tannins and a juicy, drinkable quality. The most obvious quality of these wines is their charm; in particular, Châteauneuf and Gigondas have yielded wines of a seductive nature, with allure and balance. Jeb Dunnuck favours the 2023s to the 2022s, commenting on their “soft, plump elegant style, and beautiful overall balance” and that they are “on a par, if not slightly superior to, the 2022s.”
In general, the 2023 is characterised by immense approachability and pleasing freshness, especially in the context of the heat of the vintage.
NORTHERN RHONE
Domaine Clusel Roch | Ampuis
Burgundian finesse is combined with Syrah’s natural muscle in the Côte Rôtie wines of Domaine Clusel Roch. Guillaume Clusel has taken over from his parents and the understated yet complex style synonymous with this estate is still in charming evidence. Nestled below the steep slopes of the Côte Brune, this domaine has been organically certified since 2002 and has some very old parcels of Syrah vines. Meticulous work in the vineyard and delicate handling in the cellar gives wines with much lower alcohol than many of their neighbours.
With some serious terroirs to play with such as La Viallière and the pièce de résistance, Les Grandes Places, it’s no wonder that this domaine crafts hugely pure and distinctive wines deserving of their place in the canon of Northern Rhône Syrah.
Côte Rôtie Les Schistes 2023
£280.00 per 6 bottles IB
Les Schistes is Clusel Roch’s 'calling card' Côte Rôtie. A traditional blend of 95% Syrah with some old plantings of Viognier and a proportion of whole bunch fermented fruit. It comes from four parcels in the Côte Brune, where both young and old vines are planted on mica-schist soils. The 2023 has a wonderfully lifted, floral nose, with violets and cherry blossom. There’s a touch of olive tapenade in the background providing savoury interest. Gloriously expressive on the palate, this is so refined, with pert red plum and raspberry; this is much more on the red fruit spectrum. Plenty of schist-based mineral drive, with so much to enjoy, and a wine you really want to drink today. Drink 2026-2030. Goedhuis Waddesdon
Côte Rôtie La Viallière 2023
£390.00 per 6 bottles IB
La Vialliere is arguably the best vineyard in this part of the schist-rich Côte Brune, at the very north of the Côte Rotie appellation. Black raspberries, spice and small purple flowers on the nose. Much more energetic power here compared to Les Schistes. There’s a small amount of leather and olive coming through on the palate, but it is all about the lift and elegance here. Wonderful freshness leading to a long finish; superb. Drink 2027-2032. Goedhuis Waddesdon
Côte Rôtie Grandes Places 2023
£465.00 per 6 bottles IB
The densest wine of the line up, showing real weight and spice on the nose. Fleshy blue fruit, some plum, with red inflections. There’s still a floral prettiness to the wine but this wine is all about power: spicy and long. One to put away for a few years, but still showing all the finesse and elegance of this brilliant domaine. Drink 2027-2035. Goedhuis Waddesdon
Domaine Rostaing | Ampuis
Since establishing the domaine in 1971, René Rostaing has worked tirelessly to give the Côte Rôtie the exposure it deserves and, in doing so, has built a reputation as the patriarch of the Northern Rhône. In 2014, René’s son Pierre took on the mantle in what has proved to be a seamless transition.
The house recipe remains unchanged: a high proportion of whole bunch fermentation, long macerations and a judicious use of French oak (René has always been adamant you must never be able to taste new oak). The domaine boasts some serious parcels on the Côte Rôtie including holdings on the granite soils of the Côte Blonde and in the famous La Landonne lieu dit.
Condrieu La Bonnette 2023
£265.00 per 6 bottles IB
The 2023 Condrieu La Bonnette showcases redolent apricot, honeysuckle, banana and white peach tones. Medium-bodied with lifting freshness and spot-on balance, the 2023 is absolutely delicious. This is a magnificent Condrieu. True to Rostaing’s house style, this Condrieu sees no oak and its malolactic conversion was blocked to preserve both aromatic purity and citrus-like acidity. Drink: 2025 – 2029. 93 points, Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous
Côte Rôtie Ampodium 2023
£265.00 per 6 bottles IB
The 2023 Côte-Rôtie Ampodium entices with zesty blood orange, black cherry and violet notes. Medium-bodied with a fresh, juicy profile, the 2023 is remarkably accessible, offering total freshness and class. This is a Côte-Rôtie to watch, closing with stemmy subtleties on the juicy finish. Drink: 2026 – 2036. 93 points, Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous
Côte Rôtie La Landonne 2023
£540.00 per 6 bottles IB
Vinified with 100% whole clusters, the 2023 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne is dark and alluring, opening with black cherry compote, black plum, crushed violet and graphite alongside stemmy traits. Touching the medium- to full-bodied palate with intense flavor concentration neatly balanced by lifting freshness, the complex 2023 gracefully makes its exit with an elongated, refined finale. Rostaing fans better watch out for this one—it might even outperform the terrific 2022 I tasted alongside. Drink: 2029 – 2040. 94-96 points, Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous
Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde 2023
£594.00 per 6 bottles IB
The standout 2023 Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde offers intense black fruit, crushed violet, graphite, black pepper and savory subtleties. Medium- to full-bodied, the 2023 shows off with fresh acidity that brings remarkable energy. Complex and structured with spot-on overall balance, the outstanding 2023 concludes with a long, expansive finish. Drink: 2029 – 2040. 94-96 points, Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous
Domaine André Perret | Chavanay
André Perret has an astonishing gift for producing light-footed, complex Viogniers from the granite soils of Condrieu. Crafting cellar worthy wines from this fickle variety is no easy task but Andre’s sophisticated examples taste delicious both in youth and with bottle age. Since 2020 André has been joined by daughter Marie, who spent time making wine in Chile before coming back to join the family estate. Their 13-hectare estate includes a monumental 3 hectares on the enviably positioned Chéry slope where his old vines (70 years) enjoy a south facing exposition and a crumbly loess topsoil. The small parcel of Clos Chanson is another treasure and gives wines with great energy and verve. From their 5 hectares in St Joseph, they craft a peppery herb-tinged St Joseph Rouge and a pithy St Joseph Blanc, both of which offer excellent value.
The attention to detail in the vineyard and winery is apparent when tasting through the 2023s. The Condrieus are exceptionally good in this vintage, striking the perfect balance between expressive fruit and steely minerality. The St Joseph white and red are just as impressive, showcasing the Perret’s trademark energising freshness.
Saint Joseph Blanc 2023
£126.00 per 6 bottles IB
Really alluring nose of blossom and yellow apple and yellow plum. This is very successful in this vintage, with a lovely weight of the classic Marsanne/Roussanne richness of fruit, with a touch of orange and quince giving structure to the lovely round stone fruit on the palate. Nice savoury touch with some blanched almonds and a fine bead of salinity running through it, providing a lovely freshness. Drink 2025-2032. Goedhuis Waddesdon
Saint Joseph Rouge 2023
£102.00 per 6 bottles IB
St Joseph had a difficult time in 2023, but from these vines further north in Chavanay, Perret’s wine is a lovely expression of the terroir and fared much better. Peppery blue fruit and violets on the nose, that carry through onto the palate. There’s a wonderful energy here, framed by bouncy fruit: black cherries with a saline bite. Generous and delicious to drink now, and well worth stocking up on.
Drink 2025-2030. Goedhuis Waddesdon
Condrieu Clos Chanson 2023
£246.00 per 6 bottles IB
More muscular than the Coteau de Chery – a Condrieu with shoulders! Incredible intensity of fruit on the nose – rich, ripe apricots, preserved orange peel and a touch of saffron. Carries through onto the palate, but with a fennel herbal streak running through the core providing freshness through the rich and textured palate. Quite simply awesome. Drink 2026-2030. Goedhuis Waddesdon
Condrieu Coteau de Chery 2023
£246.00 per 6 bottles IB
The 2023 Coteau de Chery has a lovely soft peachy nose, with apricot, a touch of ginger and white blossom. There’s a steely saline minerality on the palate that brings a great driving freshness, balanced wonderfully against the riper Viognier character. Lovely generous weight and body, with a long, crystalline mineral finish. This is such a fabulous expression of this famous vineyard, a true labour of love. Drink 2025-2028. Goedhuis Waddesdon
Domaine du Colombier | Crozes Hermitage
Proudly flying the flag for Crozes Hermitage is Domaine du Colombier where brothers Florent and David Viale cultivate just over 14 hectares of vines as well as a small 1.6 hectare parcel at the top of the Hermitage hill. The Syrah is vinified whole and, so as not to mask the fruit flavours, maturation takes place in large oak tonneaux. Dark and bold, the red wines are enjoyed for their power and their distinctive palate of dark fruits and black olive.
Hermitage Rouge 2023
£270.00 per 6 bottles IB
Lovely soft delicacy on the nose, with dark raspberries and cherries and some hedgerow fruit. Oak beautifully integrated, with the palate quite round and creamy but with a focus and freshness driving it. Absolutely lovely now, this is very approachable, but will age gracefully too.
Drink 2027-2035. Goedhuis Waddesdon
SOUTHERN RHONE
Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux | Vacqueyras
Brothers Jean-Michel and Frédéric Vache are the fifth generation of winemakers in their family and tend to their vines with passion and precision. Their holdings lie in Vacqueyras and Gigondas nestled below the foothills of the jagged spurs of the Dentelles de Montmirail. With no oak maturation, these Grenache based blends convey a sense of place with great ease. A long maceration and an extended élevage give the wines their signature density and purity of fruit.
Gigondas La Tour Sarrasine 2023
£90.00 per 6 bottles IB
As ever, raised solely in stainless steel to achieve maximum brightness and terroir-transparency. The youngest vines are 50 years old, and many are much older and come from a vineyard carpeted in pudding stones. This is super successful in 2023, immediately accessible and approachable. Sweet fruited, with cherry and fresh brambly fruit. A sweet pastry element makes it very moreish indeed. Lovely purity and spritzy freshness here, with a touch of liquorice giving it a darker, more brooding core. A lot to like! Drink 2026-2031. Goedhuis Waddesdon
Domaine Font du Vent | Châteauneuf du Pape
Owned by the Gonnet family, this extensive estate was previously known as Font de Michelle after the eponymous lieu-dit in Châteauneuf du Pape. A change in legislation means that the name is no longer protected and so a decision was made to rebrand. The winemaking remains impeccable, and this re-christened estate continues to produce consistently excellent Châteauneuf.
Guillaume Gonnet has taken the reins from his parents with impressive assurance and guides this historic domaine with modern innovation. The family recently acquired an additional 15 hectares on the other side of the La Crau, planted with some younger Syrah vines as well as some older Grenache and Mourvèdre to complement their 50 to 100+ year old vines that grow in the southeast of the appellation. Guillaume has also been busy overseeing the conversion to organic and biodynamic practices across the entire estate.
Châteauneuf du Pape Font du Vent Tradition Rouge 2023
£140.00 per 6 bottles IB
Sweet and delicious fresh fruit on the nose, brambles and sweet vanilla spice with some garrigue-y complexity. Very elegant, with a lovely lift and gloss, with a real softness. Will provide great joy straight out of the gates. Drink 2026-2030. Goedhuis Waddesdon
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