Vincent Paris 'Les Cotes'

Though Southern Rhone's many red wines (CDnP, Cotes du Rhone, Gigondas) are ubiquitous in the minds, palates, and aisles of the American market, Northern Rhone is considerably less so. This is due to a number of factors, namely that the overall style of wine (red or white) produced in the Northern Rhone is considerably less user-friendly than its neighbors to the South. For starters, the kitchen-sink style of the South is eschewed for varietal bottlings, with only 1 red grape (Syrah) and 3 white grape (Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier) allowed total across the whole region. Additionally, the Northern Rhone Valley is much cooler, and utilizes many of river-lining hills to plant high-ish-elevation vines. The overall result is peppery, structured reds and minerally, long-lived whites. Vincent Paris embraces said red style with gusto with his ‘Les Cotes’ St-Joseph. The nose offers savory, rustic aromas of hay, black pepper, and bacon fat. The palate is comparatively juicy and complex, with rich red and black fruits with a plethora of savory spices and earthy accents.