A blend of the 2015 and 2016 vintages, the NV Côtes du Rhône S M checks in as the same equal parts Grenache and Syrah raised in tank and barrel. A huge nose of cassis, ground black pepper, garrigue, and olive tapenade gives way to a ripe, rounded, medium to full-bodied effort that has good acidity, building tannin, a seamless, light texture, and a great finish. It's a singular wine that has a big kiss of Northern Rhône Syrah with a touch of the rounded, sexy, opulent style of the south. It's going to drink nicely for a decade.

A blend of 50% Syrah from the Northern Rhône with 50% Grenache from the Southern Rhône, the NV Vin de France SM Second Edition is a fascinating wine, combining smoky, peppery, herbal notes with ripe black cherries. Full-bodied, plush and velvety, Vignon allows that it's "more 2016 than 2015" in style, but no matter how you characterize it, it's a lovely, complex wine.

Toen Jay S. Miller in 2011 voor Robert Parker's Wine Advocate jaargang 2007 van de 'Selectus' beoordeelde, liet hij doorschemeren dat de wijn nog een paar jaar in de kelder mocht rijpen. Dat is precies er is gebeurd. De 'Selectus' is nu volledig volwassen en op zijn hoogtepunt qua drinkplezier. Syrah, cabernet, merlot en petit verdot hebben elkaar perfect gevonden. De kalksteen laat zijn kenmerkende, minerale spoor achter en het hout brengt harmonie. Dit is het resultaat van uitstekende wijnbereiding en een strenge selectie. De naam 'Selectus' past goed. In feite is deze wijn alleen gevinifieerd in de jaren die uitmuntende kwaliteit leveren, en in 2007 was alles goed.

The Bodega’s flagship is called Selectus: no 2006 was made but the 2007 Selectus was worth the wait. A blend of 30% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot, it was aged for 18 months in new French oak. Smoky oak, pencil lead, Asian spices, incense, lavender, and assorted black fruits lead to a suave, dense, succulent offering that features outstanding volume and a 45-second finish. Give it another 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it from 2014 to 2027.

Colour: Cherry, garnet rim; Aroma: ripe fruit, balsamic herbs, cocoa bean, earthy notes; Flavour: powerful, spicy, long, balanced

The Rall 2022 Swartland Red is Syrah (from the same vineyard in the Swartland used in the mono-varietal expression) with Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault. This wine delivers more texture and intensity, and it shows a big-boned personality that wraps thickly over the palate. It is fleshy and oozing with dark fruit, along with fragrant tones of heritage rose, wild herb and African brush. The fruit is very balanced and prett

A silky, elegant red blend that has aromas of chocolate strawberries, wild cherries, light spices and orange leaves. It’s medium-bodied, supple and fine-grained. Cool finish. 78% syrah, 12% grenache, 7% carignan and 3% cinsault, all 100% whole-bunch fermented.

Donovan Rall's la red blend is Syrah based, with a supporting crew of 12% Grenache, 7%
Carignan and 3% Cinsault. Always released a year later than the rest of the portfolio to allow
the tannins to harmonise, it combines components from schist and granite soils, showing
plenty of grip, aromas of Campari spices and garrigue and a core of plum, tobacco leaf and
red cherry.

De Gigondas ‘Les Espaliers’ laat op indrukwekkende wijze zien waarom de wijnen uit deze appellation zo geliefd zijn: intens rood fruit, Provençaalse kruiden en een vleugje zoethout. Op de tong is hij weelderig en zijdezacht, tegelijkertijd fris en prachtig in balans – een klassieker uit de Rhône met groot potentieel.

This wine radiates purity and finesse, but with an edge that commands attention. Aromas of fresh roses, Carpentras strawberries, red licorice, flaky salt, and crushed stone rise with confidence. The palate is liquid silk—focused, laced with rose and anchored by fine tannins and quiet power. There's a tension beneath its elegance that hints at something deeper. A captivating stunner.

Another great success at this address, the 2023 Gigondas Crous Saint Martin Les Espaliers—an 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah blend—wafts from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, dark berries, licorice and garrigue. Medium- to full-bodied, satiny and suave, it’s perfectly balanced, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, ethereal finish. It was matured entirely without oak.

Round and velvety, this blend of 80% grenache, 10% syrah and 10% mourvedre offers red cherries, sweet berries and sweet baking spices. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Focused and fleshy with a long, fruity and spicy finish. Drink or hold.

The third vintage that I tasted next to the previous ones was the 2021 Transatlántica, cropped from a cooler year with a big snowstorm (Filomena), but the rest of the season was warm and dry. They used 50% full clusters for the fermentation in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured the wine in 2,000-liter oak vats for around 14 months. It has similar parameters as the other vintages I tasted next to it, with good ripeness and around 14.5% alcohol and very good freshness, denoted by the low pH (3.3). It feels very young and vibrant, with very fine tannins. The difference with the other vintages here is the quality of the tannins, which are finer and more elegant, making it approachable. It has a combination of flowers, fruit, spice and rocks, with fine granularity. It comes from slate soils. 3,800 bottles were filled in December 2022.