Rhone 2006 vintage report

It seems that the Rhône can do no wrong! The last 10 years have seen just one poor vintage (2002) and with the general quality level ever increasing, the advent of the 2006 vintage is an excuse for genuine excitement. Our intrepid buyers first had a taster of what was in store when they ventured over to Châteauneuf in April 2007, where they were duly stunned by the purity and freshness of the reds and whites, which are packed with juicy, forward fruits and displaying perfect balance, despite their young age. A second trip in January 2008 only served to confirm this.

Described by many of the growers as a ‘classic’ vintage, 2006 has been revered by some as perhaps the best of the three very fine vintages since 2004 in both the North and South. It has often been compared with the much-loved 2004 vintage, with characteristics of pure, forward fruit, gentle structure, and above all, freshness and finesse; yet with perhaps even more supple fruits than the 04s. It is also a consistent vintage across all appellations.

This vintage certainly proved far easier to taste than the more austere 2005s, which are firmly structured, highly tannic wines which will take quite some time to come round. However the 2006 wines also show the potential to age well too, but can also be enjoyed earlier in life. This will delight the impatient drinkers among you, as well as the French market with their penchant for youthful drinking.

Growing conditions in the South were not dissimilar to the North: the ripening process was given a kickstart with an extremely hot June and July, however temperatures dropped right down again in August, which cooled the grapes and slowed down the ripening.

In the North, the first fortnight in September brought about a mini-heatwave, which helped to raise the sugar levels.

In the South, September was generally bright and sunny with the cooling Mistral blowing during most of the month. Some rainfall mid-month helped to rejuvenate the vines. Harvest in the South began in early September and continued through until 12th October, whereas in the North, most growers had harvested their grapes between 20^th September and 15th October.

We were lucky enough to be able to retaste many of the 2005s during this year’s visit. While the wines have undeniably closed up, the structure, fruit concentration and firm tannins are present in abundance and prove that this vintage does indeed have the potential for serious longevity. Any cellar should include both of these very fine, but stylistically contrasting, vintages.

Please read through the offer and, as ever, just pick up the phone if you would like advice or recommendations on what to buy. If you have not yet tried the wines from André Brunel – new to our portfolio in September – then we cannot recommend them highly enough. Particular mention should also be made of the stunning Côte Rôtie from Domaine Burgaud and Châteauneuf du Pape from Domaine Charvin.

As the quality is so high across the board, the everyday drinking appellations, such as Côtes du Rhône and Vacqueyras, represent superb value for money. The highly sought-after top-end wines are, as ever, in very short supply and will be subject to allocation. However the standard cuvée Côte Rôties and Châteauneufs are excellent purchases and will not disappoint those unable to get their hands on the top cuvées.

We anticipate a flurry of orders given the strength of the vintage, so we strongly advise that you put in your order now to avoid disappointment.

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