We've been saying it for years, but it bears repeating—you'd be hard pressed to find any region in the world that offers more consistent and diverse value propositions than the Rhône Valley.
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The beautiful sun that ripens the grapes in France’s Southern Rhône Valley translates to fruity, delicious wines in your glass. With the help of the hearty Mistral wind that blows through the vineyards, these wines retain freshness and verve all while delivering complex, full-flavored wines. Do not miss these!
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape still remains the most recognized region in the Rhône Valley, which is a hub for fantastic values across the spectrum of its offerings. As with the everyday value that Côtes-du-Rhône provides, the cost-to-quality ratio for the higher-end wines from Châteauneuf is nearly insurmountable by any other region.
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Vigneron Rudi des Pins is at the helm of Château de Montfaucon, an estate in Southern Rhône that represents one of the longest-running partners we’ve had in our Direct Import program. Long ago, when directly importing wines was just a twinkle in co-owner Clyde Beffa’s eye, he met Rudi and tasted his wonderful wines; the rest is history. The wines of Montfaucon are fan favorites year after year.
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For many years, Ventoux was associated with thin, lackluster table wines. Yet in recent decades the potential for excellence has been tapped by skilled winemakers, and you now can find some exceptionally good wines from Ventoux on our shelves. The massive slopes of Mont Ventoux, famous for chewing up riders during the Tour de France, dominates the region of vines to the southwest, creating a natural amphitheater that allows for cooler nights and a longer growing season. And no one understands this climate differential more than Sebastien Vincenti, the inspired owner of Domaine de Fondrèche, whose balanced, flavorful range of appreciably affordable wines are stunning stars in our Southern Rhône portfolio.
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In the five years since we added Château Gigognan to our Direct Import portfolio, I’ve watched this estate evolve into a truly impressive producer. When I last visited in 2022, I saw they’d made some exciting physical improvements: they’d added a new barrel-aging facility to augment their concrete fermenters, and they’d put the finishing touches on their new visitor center. Surrounded by the lovely Bois des Moines vineyards, whose fruit goes into their Côtes du Rhône, this is property that showcases the beauty of Provence in full force. But most importantly, its terroir really speaks through its wines.
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Today's Newsletter takes us on a triumphant return to one of our all-time favorite regions, France's Rhône Valley. After three long years, K&L buyer Keith Mabry hit the wine road to check in on some of our longtime direct-import partners, and he was thrilled to find them producing some of their best wines ever. A hand-picked trio of overperforming stars leads things off, followed by showcase profiles of DI standouts Fondrèche, Clos de la Bonnette, and Guy Farge. Finally, a jaw-dropping line-up from the universally acclaimed 2019 Châteauneuf vintage highlights the incomparable collectible value that this treasured region offers. With breadth and depth that few other regions can match, the Rhône Valley truly offers something for any and all wine lovers.
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Today's Newsletter returns us to one of our very favorite regions in the world for both incomparable value stunners and blue-chip collector's trophies alike. Rhône buyer Keith Mabry recently made his first trip back to the region in three years, and he's returned with fresh insight and ton of renewed energy and excitement for the category.
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The 1972 is a very special Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Though it has nearly 50 years of age, it was only put into bottle in 2019! This wine was stored in its original concrete foudre for decades at the domaine, until oenologist Xavier Vignon discovered it. What you get in the bottle is a wine with elegance and some maturity, but still a lively freshness and youthful acidity. A profound experience.
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There’s so much to love coming out of the Rhône Valley these days. After a string of phenomenal vintages, the Rhône is one of the best places to look if you want wines that consistently overdeliver bang for your buck. Buyer Keith Mabry leads the charge of the other K&L Rhônephiles with a list of current favorite bottles and producers in today’s newsletter.
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Hot off the presses, our current newsletter, where French Regional Buyer Keith Mabry takes us on a Tour de France, covering some of the hottest Rhône, Loire, and Rousillon wines on our roster. Vintages have been good, and our producers are knocking it out of the park.
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When I walked into Keith’s house last week, I was greeted by a merry group of K&Lers and friends, and two long tables set with rustic red-checked covers. There was a luscious, savory aroma intertwining the conversations, and a glass in each person’s hand. For tonight was Cassoulet night, night of the rich bean-and-meat stew from the Languedoc, named after the casserole pot it’s cooked in.
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