The Rhône, North and South
The Rhône, North and South
by Tom Wolf by Tom Wolf
12-Bottle Sampler 12-Bottle Sampler
The Rhône North and South Sampler
The Rhône North and South Sampler
The hill of Hermitage
Galets roulés
Bastien Jolivet
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Normally $375.00 SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $279.00 (a 25% discount) |
This item does not take further discounts
The Rhône River flows west from Lake Geneva until it reaches Lyon, where it turns south and eventually empties out into the Mediterranean. The Rhône Valley—for our purposes, specifically the stretch of the river between Lyon and Avignon—is divided into two distinct wine regions.
The northern Rhône is defined by a cooler, more continental climate, primarily granitic soils, and some of the most dramatic hillside vineyards in the world. The great wines of the northern Rhône are often made with a single grape variety. Syrah reaches its apogee across a handful of red appellations, showing beguiling aromas of violet, black olive, and cracked pepper unmatched anywhere else in the world. The region’s rare whites, made from Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne, are textural treats loaded with luscious perfume.
The southern Rhône, by contrast, is defined by abundant warmth and sunshine, diverse and striking soils—such as the famed galets roulés (round riverbed stones)—and the prevalence of fragrant garrigue that surrounds the vineyards, imparting its intoxicating aromas to the air and, seemingly, the wines. Southern Rhône cuvées are mostly blends, with Grenache playing the leading role in reds and rosés, supported by a rotating cast that includes Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Carignan. The whites, meanwhile, often comprise some mix of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, and Viognier. In all three colors, bottles from the southern Rhône tend to showcase generous ripe fruit seasoned with spicy, earthy nuances that evoke the distinctive landscape of this sunny slice of France.
If any thread ties these world-class regions together, it is that—whether white, rosé, or red, northern or southern—a wine from the Rhône delivers a sublime meal unto itself, with mesmerizing flavors, texture, and rich personality.
Clairette de Die Brut • Domaine Achard-Vincent $26.00
A dry Clairette crafted in the méthode traditionnelle (or Champagne method). With refreshing citrus and a hint of magnolia on the nose, this mineral sparkler ensures palate stimulation with every sip.
2025 Tavel Rosé • Trinquevedel $23.00
A medium-bodied, deeply tinted rosé with notes of red berries, orange zest, and spice. Sip it on its own, or pair with your main—you can’t go wrong with any kind of Provençal dish.
2025 Vin de France Rosé “au petit bonheur” • Les Pallières $29.00
A creamy, textured rosé meant for the table, it radiates warm, soulful southern identity. It has the brightness and salinity to accompany olives and goat cheese at apéro hour, as well as the roundness and depth from aging in demi-muids that allow it to stand up to more elaborate dishes like grilled spatchcock chicken, braised fennel, or falafel.
2025 Vaucluse Blanc “Pigeoulet” • Famille Brunier $29.00
The blend is equal parts Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette. Together, they create a refreshing, versatile white that works well at table with Mediterranean herbs.
2024 Vin de France Blanc “Cuvée de Louis” • Domaine Jolivet $32.00
This harmonious blend of Roussanne and Viognier is grown at high altitude in the hills west of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols. Golden-hued and aromatic, the delicious honeysuckle-infused nectar invites you in for a leisurely dip.
2025 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge • Domaine de Durban $16.00
An easy drinker full of dark fruit, black olive, and bramble. It’s light enough to serve with a chill, but still hearty enough to stand up to winter fare.
2024 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge • Selected by Kermit Lynch $16.00
Our house blend reliably captures classic Rhône flavors in an approachable, everyday red. Expect rich, juicy aromas of ripe black cherry fruit, spicy flavors of licorice and wild herbs, and chewy tannins.
2025 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins” • Domaine Gramenon $33.00
This vibrant and classy cuvée is the southern France counterpart to our favorite Morgons. Vines grow in galets roulés under the baking sun, which means there’s plenty of bramble and grip, but this is no doubt Gramenon’s most easy-drinking bottling.
2024 Collines Rhodaniennes “Syrah Mauve” • Jean-Claude Marsanne $40.00
Tasting of pure Syrah, like a baby Saint-Joseph, it is great for any time you want an unmistakable flavor of the region and its smoky, peppery reds.
2024 Saint-Joseph Rouge “Les Ribaudes” • Lionel Faury $43.00
Lionel has had a large part in bringing the appellation its deserved acclaim in recent years, crafting incredibly transparent, expressive wines. A testament to his house style, Les Ribaudes is a perfect balance of tart fruit, spring flowers, and stony minerality. Old-school Saint-Joseph at its finest.
2024 Vacqueyras Rouge “Azalaïs” • Le Sang des Cailloux $43.00
A fresh wine doesn’t mean fruity, proven here with a red whose flavors are mostly deep and dark—stone, licorice, and blackberry—but the frame is lithe, yielding a mesmerizing yin and yang.
2024 Crozes-Hermitage “Tiercerolles” • Barruol/Lynch $45.00
In this cuvée, Louis Barruol blends Syrah from half a dozen of Crozes- Hermitage’s crème de la crème lieux-dits. He has produced a masterful wine that swims gracefully across your palate with notes of currant, herbs, and a touch of brine. Lovers of northern Rhône Syrah, you’re in for a treat.
The hill of Hermitage
Galets roulés
Bastien Jolivet
If any thread ties these world-class regions together, it is that—whether white, rosé, or red, northern or southern—a wine from the Rhône delivers a sublime meal unto itself, with mesmerizing flavors, texture, and rich personality.
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Normally $375.00 SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $279.00 (a 25% discount) |
Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch