New Arrivals from Alain Voge
The red and white wines of the Northern Rhone never cease to amaze me. Majestic, tantalizing and transcendental are a few adjectives that come to mind, but what really gets me excited is the QPR (quality price ratio.) For wines that are seemingly popular and in an area with expensive real estate, in my humble opinion there is no greater value in the world. Even the most basic northern Rhone wines can age and age with the better ones lasting decades. When a customer wants a case of wine for $50/bottle to last several decades for their children, Northern Rhone Syrah is the first to come to mind.
Alain Voge has been on my radar for many years and often spoke about in numerous wine circles, but due to scarcity and lack of distributorship, I never really had a chance to get into them. With their recent acquisition by one of my better companies, I am extremely interested in working more with this producer.
I got a chance to try several of these yesterday at a tasting and was so impressed I changed today's newsletter at the 25th hour. The whole line-up is stellar, with their great uniqueness, individuality and insane ability to age.
Alain Voge has been on my radar for many years and often spoke about in numerous wine circles, but due to scarcity and lack of distributorship, I never really had a chance to get into them. With their recent acquisition by one of my better companies, I am extremely interested in working more with this producer.
I got a chance to try several of these yesterday at a tasting and was so impressed I changed today's newsletter at the 25th hour. The whole line-up is stellar, with their great uniqueness, individuality and insane ability to age.
2016 Alain Voge Cotes du Rhone Les Peyrouses
Why is this Cotes du Rhone different than other Cotes du Rhone? A few reasons. It is 100% Syrah and in the Northern Rhone. Super rare. From both inside Cornas and Saint-Peray. Aged between 2-5 years in oak casks. Super bright red fruit with oodles of raspberry coulis and herbs de provence spice all over. Light, fine and powdery in the mouth with soft tannins. This is one of those stand out Cotes du Rhones and did I mention it is under $20?
2016 Alain Voge Saint-Peray Fleur du Crussol
Very limited and small production. This is 100% Marsanne made in barrel with lees contact. I am always skeptical of northern rhone whites. I love perfume and tulip gardens but not when both are combined on the nose of a wine. This is not that. Golden fruit driven nose with oodles of lemon cream, herbs and fine ingrained minerality. Medium bodied with fine roaming textures. A perfect white for those bored with Chardonnay and want something with a little more something than Sancerre.
2015 Alain Voge Saint Joseph Les Cotes
Surprisingly not that tight and wound up although obvious there is a lot going on behind the curtains which will emerge over time. Finely tuned herbs and berries roam free like Bob Dylan's dogs and percolate with primordial cigar box and earth driven minerals. Fresh and tangy fruit is dark and dried but alive simultaneously.
2015 Alain Voge Cornas Les Chailles
Aged 18 months in neutral oak from 30 year old vines. Tight as hell and unable to smell pretty much anything except a twig a stick and some crushed berries. Should open up in 10 years and can age for another 20. I guess the Wine Spectator has more to say....
95 Points Wine Spectator: "An understated style, but focus and you’ll see just how lovely the cassis, cherry and raspberry flavors are, carried by riveting acidity and flecked with notes of powdered white pepper and violet. An iron girder drives the finish, pulling everything along. This is defined by pure, sleek cut. Best from 2020 through 2035."
2015 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vielles Vignes
Oh my. Even in such a youthful state, there is so much exoticism it's freakin ridiculous. The white pepper is so quaint yet so primordial and exotic, I almost want to become white pepper for Halloween -- #not literally. The ferociousness of this pepper is understated on the palate where there is gorgeous interplay between dried fruits, scorched earth, spitfire roasted bacon and some decaying forest elk. So much ferociousness I almost don't want to quote RP, but whatever...
95 Points RP: "Rich, deep and layered, the 2015 Cornas Vieilles Vignes has it all. Big fruit allied to spicy complexity? Check. Ample tannins that are fully ripe? Check. A finish that extends for days? Check. Oh, you want details? Hints of brown sugar, savory spices and roast meat accent black berry and plum fruit, and while the mid-palate is dense and tannic, those tannins actually turn more supple and approachable on the lingering finish."