thewinesociety.com/rhoneHRSEP16

‘Joyous wines that have developed beautifully and

are ready to drink’

RHONE 2012 A F I N E A L L - R O U N D V I N T A G E

FRUIT, BALANCE AND STRUCTURE

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The Rhône was the Gallic star of 2012. In a year when much of France had been dogged by poor weather, the cool Mistral of the Rhône kept the rains at bay and created a wonderful haven for vines to prosper.

Here we revisit this fine vintage with a mixture of wines that we bought at the time to keep in our cellars and some new wines we couldn’t resist adding to our reserves. It was a privilege to spend time recently re-tasting these wines and I have updated all the tasting notes: they have developed beautifully, are delicious and, with just a couple of exceptions, are ready to drink.

2012 was marked by a generally mild winter until one week in February when temperatures plunged. Worse still, the cold snap was accompanied by a bitter and unrelenting Mistral, the strong, north-westerly wind that buffets the valley had turned from hero to villain. Damage to the vines was considerable and the result was a small crop; the fruit that survived, however, was then allowed to ripen, slowly, to perfection. Bad news for the growers’ bank accounts but a blessing for wine lovers!

2012 is a vintage of fruit and balance. The wines have good structure and the tannins are polished and refined. The vintage was an all-round success but, for me, the best wines are from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I remember Vieux Télégraphe’s Daniel Brunier in particular being bowled over by the quality.

These are joyous wines, perfect to drink in the run-up to Christmas and beyond, and bought when sterling was somewhat stronger, so excellent value for money!

Marcel Orford-Williams Society Buyer

THE STARS OF 2012

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MORE WINES AVAILABLE ONLINE

For a wider selection of 2012s, please visit thewinesociety.com/rhone

Vinsobres, Altitude 420, Domaine Jaume 2012 This is a grenache-syrah blend with no discernible oak, deep colour, lots of dark blackberry fruit and great length. 14% ref HR-RH36061 £9.50 bottle £114 dozen

Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge, Guigal 2012 As a northern Rhône producer, Philippe Guigal understandably sees syrah as the key to this cuvée, though 45% grenache and 5% mourvèdre contribute to the mix. The flavour of cherry pips dominates the wine, which is ripe, spicy and long with soft, round tannins. 14% ref HR-RH41451 £9.95 bottle £119 dozen

NEW Cairanne, Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Les Bruneau, Domaine Delubac 2012 Good Cairanne is full-bodied and generous but at the same time elegant. Domaine Delubac ticks all the boxes. With a few years in bottle this now tastes smooth and rich. 14% ref HR-RH36141 £9.95 bottle £119 dozen

NEW Brézème, Côtes-du-Rhône, Château de la Rolière 2012 This is a syrah grown on the gentle limestone slopes that overlook the river Drôme between Valence and Montélimar. This is Crozes-like, ripe and supple, and amazingly good value. Now to 2019. 13% ref HR-RH35281 £10.50 bottle £126 dozen

Beaumes de Venise, Grangeneuve, Domaine de Saint-Amant 2012 Very round, deliciously fruity southern Rhône from high-altitude vineyards above Beaumes de Venise. The blend is half grenache with syrah and 10% each of carignan and viognier. Very gentle with a touch of spice. Now to 2017. 14% ref HR-RH40731 £11.50 bottle £138 dozen

Ventoux Epicure, Château Valcombe 2012 Ventoux is home to gripping cycle races, and increasingly good wine. Vineyards are planted a little higher up and benefit from cool mountain breezes, hence the freshness in the wines. A full-bodied, rich and generously flavoured Châteauneuf-like red at a modest price. Now to 2021. 14.5% ref HR-RH36311 £11.50 bottle £138 dozen

Séguret

Valréas

Massif d’Uchaux

Cairanne

1 Côtes-du-Rhône Villages2 Vinsobres3 Rasteau4 Gigondas5 Vacqueyras6 Côtes du Ventoux7 Châteauneuf-du-Pape8 Lirac9 Tavel10 Grignan-Les Adhemar

1 Côtes-du-Rhône Villages2 Vinsobres3 Rasteau4 Gigondas5 Vacqueyras6 Côtes du Ventoux7 Châteauneuf-du-Pape8 Lirac9 Tavel10 Grignan-Les Adhemar

10

Séguret

Valréas

Massif d’Uchaux

Cairanne

10

REDS

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To order thewinesociety.com/rhone 01438 7411773

NEW Crozes-Hermitage, Les Pichères, Ferraton 2012 Lovely scented syrah made from almost a single plot of vines on the flat stony plain below Hermitage itself. Deeply coloured and ripe. Now to 2025. 12.5% ref HR-RH36881 £13.95 bottle £167 dozen

NEW Beaumes de Venise, Domaine de Boussière 2012 Beaumes de Venise is better known for its sweet muscat but the Gigondas-like reds are also very good indeed. This is 90% grenache with a little syrah. Sweet, ripe and very attractive. Now to 2022. 15% ref HR-RH41321 £14.95 bottle £179 dozen

Gigondas Tradition, Moulin de la Gardette 2012 Well-rounded, ripe Gigondas from an impeccable source. Layers of succulent fruit make this a brilliant winter warmer for when the temperature drops. Now to 2020. 14.5% ref HR-RH40571 £16 bottle £192 dozen

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2012 The Quiot family owns vines scattered all over the appellation, which gives the wines greater complexity. The nose has cherry, blackberry and violets, and the soft tannins and acidity on the palate provide great freshness, supporting the generous red-berry fruit and spice on the finish. Now to 2020. 14.5% ref HR-RH40611 £16.50 bottle £198 dozen

NEW Saint-Joseph ‘Poivre et Sol’, Domaine Villard 2012 Appealing, fruity syrah from the north. The attractive 2012 vintage has supple fruit, deep colour and a ripe, spicy finish. Now to 2018. 12.5% ref HR-RH37841 £17 bottle £204 dozen

The Society’s Exhibition Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012 Rich, dark and fruity majority-grenache Châteauneuf from Vignobles Mayard. This was aged in large oak foudres for a year which has added a roundness to the gentle spice and hints of figs and herbs. Now to 2021. 14.5% ref HR-RH37691 £18.50 bottle £222 dozen

NEW Vacqueyras Variation, Domaine de Montvac, 2012 Pure grenache from a special plot of old vines, full in flavour and body, with plenty of character and length. Now to 2022. 14.5% ref HR-RH40431 £19.50 bottle £234 dozen

NEW Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de Beaurenard 2012 70% grenache with 10% each syrah and mourvèdre, with the remainder made up of all the other permitted grape varieties. A lovely full-flavoured Châteauneuf, ripe-tasting, spicy and round. Delicious now but will keep well too (to 2024). 14.5% ref HR-RH41171 £22 bottle £264 dozen NEW Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de la Charbonnière 2012 This is a generously flavoured Châteauneuf, deeply coloured with flavours of ripe plum, fig, blackberry and spice. The tannins are round and though there is weight, there is also a feeling of freshness. Now to 2024. 15% ref HR-RH43521 £23 bottle £276 dozen

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To order thewinesociety.com/rhone 01438 7411774

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Font de Michelle 2012 2012, rated as exceptional at Font de Michelle, produced a full range of cuvées. This is the standard-bearer, using all grape varieties, including muscardin, counoise and vacarèse, with no new oak. Rich, fruity and full-flavoured with that unmistakable charm that is Font de Michelle. Needs perhaps a little bit longer in bottle. 2017 to 2028. 14.5% ref HR-RH36461 £23 bottle £276 dozen

Cornas, Patou, Domaine Dumien Serette 2012 Gilbert Serrette married into a family of Cornas growers and learned to make wine from his father-in-law, Henri Dumien. Set beneath a church spire, which must augur well, the clean and tidy earthen-floored cellars have delivered a classically styled, focused syrah, concentrated but fresh in 2012 and about to blossom fully. 2017 to 2026. 13% ref HR-RH35511 £29.50 bottle £354 dozen

NEW Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Piedlong 2012 This is a new wine from the Vieux Télégraphe stable and comes from two plots of very old vines, one being Piedlong itself, the other on Pignan, near Rayas. Both are prime sites, stony and continuously swept by strong winds. Grenache is king here and accounts for 90% of the blend with mourvèdre making up the rest. Great structure, richness and complexity which need time to knit together. 2019 to 2030. 14% ref HR-RH36571 £29.50 bottle £354 dozen

Saint-Joseph, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave 2012 Stunning quality from the Rhône’s leading estate. Much of Chave’s vines are on very steep granite slopes and have the same potential as Hermitage. This is deeply coloured with good depth of flavour, concentration and finesse. Now to 2024. 13.5% ref HR-RH40521 £32 bottle £384 dozen

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Hermitage, Domaine Jean-LouisChave 2012 2012 was a fine vintage for Hermitage. If 2009 and 2010 produced big, full-bodied wines, 2012 was much more about finesse and length. The tannins are quite soft and ripe. Approachable now but will gain in depth and complexity with age. 2018 to 2035. 14% ref HR-RH40511 £169 bottle £2,028 dozen

We have more 2012 Saint-Joseph (including

Chave’s Offerus cuvée) at thewinesociety.com/rhone

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5

WHITES

TO ORDER01438 741177

NEW Viognier Vin de Pays Rhodannienes, Domaine Barou 2012 2012 was a very short crop as the vines had been badly affected by the wet spring. The result is greater concentration and wonderful ripe, peachy flavours. Drinking now. 14%ref HR-RH34831 £14.50 bottle £174 dozen

Saint-Péray, Les Pins, Domaine Bernard Gripa 2012 Deliciously refreshing, citrusy, floral and beautifully lifted marsanne grown on limestone in a small appellation once better known for sparkling wine but earning a reputation for stunning whites. Try with crayfish or scallops. Now to 2018. 13.5%ref HR-RH35041 £19 bottle £228 dozen

NEW Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Roches Blanches, Domaine Belle 2012 A tiny cuvée of very old-vine marsanne, all fermented in wood, with approximately a quarter of new barrels. Long and complex, Hermitage-like and exceedingly ageworthy. Now to 2019. 13%ref HR-RH34771 £23 bottle £276 dozen

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Blanc 2012 White Vieux Télégraphe, with its emphasis on the clairette grape, is always a beautifully presented white Rhône. Generous, full-bodied yet always well balanced. Glorious in 2012. Now to 2022. 13.5%ref HR-RH34891 £39.50 bottle £474 dozen

NEW Condrieu la Bonnette, Domaine Rostaing 2012 René Rostaing, better known for his Côte-Rôtie, takes great pride in his whites, which he has always made in a style that betrays his dislike of ponderous, oaky whites. The opulent palate has a silky and creamy texture, and is nicely balanced by a bright acidity and citrus notes that lead to a long, mineral finish. His wines tend to take a little longer to come round, but the 2012 is superb now, and to 2018. 14%ref HR-RH37511 £42 bottle £504 dozen

Hermitage Blanc, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave 2012 For many, the true spirit of Hermitage is white and the earliest wines indeed were. Most of the Chave vines, approximately 80% marsanne and 20% roussanne, are in the middle, chalkier part of the great hill. Not especially weighty in this fat and long vintage, it has great finesse and will gain in complexity over many years. Now to 2029. 14% ref HR-RH40531 £129 bottle £1,548 dozen

We have more 2012 Saint-Péray at

thewinesociety.com/rhone

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Uncork with confidenceThe Wine Society is a mutual organisation, so our members’ satisfaction is paramount. If, for any reason, you haven’t enjoyed a wine we want to hear about it and will happily offer a credit, a replacement or a refund. thewinesociety.com/promise

THE SOCIETY’S PROMISEKEY

- bone dry to intensely sweet new vintage

2012 COTES-DU-RHONE VILLAGES REDS

2012 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE CASE

A 12-bottle case containing two bottles of each of the following:

Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge, Guigal 2012 Vacqueyras Variation, Domaine de Montvac, 2012 Beaumes de Venise, Domaine de Boussière 2012 Cairanne, Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Les Bruneau, Domaine Delubac 2012 Gigondas Tradition, Moulin de la Gardette 2012 Ventoux Epicure, Château Valcombe 2012

A six-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the following:

The Society’s Exhibition Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Font de Michelle 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de Beaurenard 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Piedlong 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de la Charbonnière 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2012

£159 £129

To order thewinesociety.com/rhone 01438 741177

This offer is open until Sunday 9th October, 2016 while stocks last.

ref HR-MX16192 ref HR-MX16193

MIXED CASES FREE UK DELIVERY

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