Guigal’s Hermitage Rouge is a true expression of the Northern Rhône Valley, where the red wines have a profile unlike anywhere else in the world, an irresistible combination of warm flavors of red and black fruit and exotic spice notes that bring great pleasure.

Hermitage is one of France’s most spectacular and famous appellations within the Rhône, producing small quantities of extraordinarily intense and ageworthy red wine and tiny amounts of dry white. The entire vineyard consists of 309 acres planted on a single granite hillside on the banks of the Rhône. In Guigal’s hands, the Hermitage Rouge is a racy wine, that manages to remain seductive.

Les Petits Monts is a small, 9 acre vineyard just up-slope from Richebourg. Mounir Saouma says about Les Petits Monts that it is not far from Les Suchots, and on top of Richebourg, with a poor, dry soil. It is in character the opposite of Les Suchots, which is colored and tannic – it is a subtle and very fine wine, which shows little tannin, more floral notes and more of a St-Vivant character.

Volcanic wines are currently one of the hot topics in the wine world, and the Vulcanico Falanghina is having its moment in the sun. The name “Vulcanico” highlights the fact that the grapes are harvested from vineyards near the base of Mount Vulture, an extinct volcano. The Vulcanico combines the freshness, balminess and delicacy of the Falanghina grape with the brightness and generosity that one would expect from a white wine from southern Italy. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks for 10 days and remain in contact with the lees for approximately 5 months.

Condrieu is one of the most exotic and distinctive wines in the world, with its intense aromatics and flavors of apricots, white peach and citrus, and its luscious, almost umami body. It happens to come from a dramatically steep area, and one so small that were it not for several influential people, Marcel Guigal among them, the appellation and its Viognier grape would have been swallowed by history.

A vineyard sitting between Mazis-Chambertin and Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze is on the same limestone as Montrachet – you can almost think of it as a wine from Chassagne, a white wine with red color. It has almost an essence on the palate, it is supple, long, and without a lot of body or tannin. A sublime wine.

This Valpolicella Pinot Grigio can be described as sitting between the richer, more concentrated Pinot Grigio from Friuli to the north, and racier styles from the Veneto at large. The nose is spicy with hints of tropical fruit, the flavors clean and crisp, and the body round and soft with a crisp finish.

Crozes-Hermitage is the “entry” appellation to the Northern Rhône Valley, but there are very clearly quality vineyard sites that can produce wines of appealing complexity and depth. While not much Crozes-Hermitage white is produced, Guigal has become the most important producer of white wine in the Rhône Valley, and from their vineyards and in their hands, Crozes displays an expressiveness and brightness while also capturing the warmth of the area. Explosive and exotic floral and fruit aromas and flavors meld with intense mineral notes, and the silky, powerful concentration of flavors has an appealing roundness that finishes remarkably fresh.

Clos de la Roche lies on an easterly-exposed slope at the northern end of Morey-Saint-Denis, divided by the road leading to Gevrey-Chambertin, and shares some of the nuances associated with the grands crus of the commune. It is divided into eight parcels totalling 41.75 acres.

Les Petits Monts is a small, 9 acre vineyard just up-slope from Richebourg. Mounir Saouma says about Les Petits Monts that it is not far from Les Suchots, and on top of Richebourg, with a poor, dry soil. It is in character the opposite of Les Suchots, which is colored and tannic – it is a subtle and very fine wine, which shows little tannin, more floral notes and more of a St-Vivant character.

Coming primarily from the Ornellaia’s younger vineyard sites and made with the same passion and attention to detail as the estate’s flagship wine, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia combines generosity and depth of flavor with an engaging and vibrant personality. Made to be more approachable, yet delivering the quality experience of Ornellaia, Merlot has a dominant role in this wine in contrast to the Cabernet Sauvignon in Ornellaia. 

The soils of Clos Saint Denis are very drained, and the fruit achieves a lot of ripeness and flavor Mounir calls this a humiliating wine, because your first impression is of a wine that is full of earthy, dirty notes, but when it emerges after time to breathe, or with age, it displays sweet red fruits and a sweet finish. The soil here is rich in iron and phosphorous, giving this wine a contrast between dirty and sweet.

The last decade has brought vastly increased interest to Gigondas, as the quality potential has been increasingly recognized. The Guigals have been deeply involved in Gigondas for well over 50 years, and it brings them great pleasure to see the increasing interest and appreciation of the appellation. We consider Guigal’s Gigondas the “quiet storm” among their village wines. While they have been widely known for their Châteauneuf-du Pape also produced in the Southern Rhône, and they are increasingly important in Crozes-Hermitage in the North, the Gigondas is the wine that when poured jumps up and down and demands attention. It’s a wine of sheer pleasure, full of ripe fruit, and with a depth and even slightly brooding sense that comes from the important Mourvèdre component. Yet is has refinement, complexity, length, and has a terrific ability to age.

A blend of Rully Premier Cru, Marsannay white, Monthelie, Pernand Vergelesses, and Bourgogne from Meursault. Also, since the 2014 vintage, old vine Pouilly-Fuisse aged in new barrels.

This esteemed vineyard bordering Musigny and Clos de Vougeot regularly produces one of Lucien Le Moine’s most celebrated wines. Mounir says that the vineyard parcel from which his wine comes from has roots that go deep into the rocks, and the wine can be described as one with a lot of minerality, but with very little tannin or acidity, and notably a character of a very limited attack that draws out to an incredibly persistent finish.

B13 stands for ‘Bollinger 2013’ as showcased by the unique logotype that both resembles the letter ‘B’ and the number ‘13’. This limited edition Blanc de Noirs from the 2013 vintage is characterized by its freshness and precision, and is composed of 100% Pinot Noir, predominantly from Bollinger’s ancestral home of Äy.

PN, made entirely from Pinot Noir to underscore the very essence and DNA of the House style, is the first new cuvée added to Bollinger’s permanent range since rosé in 2008. Each release of PN, developed as a series to bring Bollinger’s unique vision of Pinot Noir to light, will showcase a different cru from the base year that highlights its distinctive terroir and taste. The second edition of the series, PN VZ16, explores the interpretation of Pinot Noir from Verzenay 2016 and features reserve wines dating back to 2006.

Burgundy meets the Rhône. An utter respect for tradition, and in some ways a total break. We’ve watched as Mounir and Rotem Saouma, of Burgundy producer Lucien Le Moine, slowly developed their estate and wines in the Rhône Valley, and the results today are too extraordinary and distinct to ignore.

This wine features Givry fermented by carbonic maceration, Hauts Côte de Nuits, some beautiful Cte de Nuits village, Fixin, Marsannay, and Pernand. Both the Bourgogne red and white spend a full 2 years in barrel, with some Premier and Grand Crus even bottled before them.

Les Haut Doix is a small vineyard between Les Charmes and Les Amoureuses. It sits within Les Amoureuses before the road to Les Charmes, but the wines show more acidity and fresh fruit than Les Amoureuses. It is crisper, less spicy, with fruit that is less ripe in character than Les Amoureuses. There is less drainage in this vineyard, and the soil is more viscous.