Saturday Tasting
"Rhône Around!"
June 14, 12-5pm
Patrick's love for Rhône valley wines goes way back, and he vividly recalls his visit at Château de Beaucastel winery in 2005 (see photo below).
The Rhône valley viticulture goes back to early Greek settlements, before the arrival of the Romans who expanded it. Then the Papacy arrived and further developped the activity. Much later, in the XXth century, the Rhône valley viticulure and winemaking drove the creation off the French AOC legislation, and the rest is history.
As of 2025, the Rhône has 55 appellations drawing from 37 grape varieties...of which we present 4 of our most popular Rhône wines.
What: 2023 Mourchon La Source: $21
Where: Cotes Du Rhône, France
Grapes: 40% Viognier, 20% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussanne and Marsanne, 20% Clairette
The story of Domaine de Mourchon begins not in France, but in Scotland. In the 1970s, Walterand Ronnie McKinlay selected an excellent Vacqueyras as the house wine for their restaurant at The Udny Arms Hotel in Aberdeenshire. Years later, after selling their businesses, their fondness for Rhône wines led them to explore the Southern Rhône Valley in search of a retirement project.
What they found was a rugged hillside above the village of Séguret—an extraordinary site with no winery and no house, but with undeniable potential. In 1998, they purchased the land and embarked on a bold journey: building a state-of-the-art winery and establishing a brand from the ground up.This certified biodynamic estate produces wines of character that reflect their unique terroir, high-altitude vineyards with clay-limestone soils. La Source is a beautiful introduction to the white wines of the Southern Rhône. Aromas of honeysuckle, spring flowers, and orchard fruit lead into a rich palate of white peach, apricot, and crisp apple. A streak of citrus and a hint of honey lift the long, elegant finish. To preserve its delicate aromatics, the grapes are harvested at night, pressed directly, and fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. A crowd-pleasing Southern Rhône white that shines on its own or pairs beautifully with seafood, shellfish, olives, cured meats, or goat cheese.
What: 2024 Mourchon Loubie Rosé $22
Where: Côtes du Rhône Villages, Séguret, France
Grapes: 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah
From the same high-altitude estate in Séguret, Domaine de Mourchon’s Loubié Rosé is a vibrant expression of Southern Rhône charm—crisp, juicy, and layered with character. Pale salmon in hue, this Grenache-based rosé opens with a bouquet of summer berries, peach skin, and a touch of tangerine zest. The palate is mouthwatering and medium-bodied, offering a rounded texture balanced by fresh acidity and bright, sun-kissed fruit. The grapes are sourced from younger vines planted on the Loubié parcel—soils composed of sand, clay, and limestone that provide excellent drainage and aromatic lift. Harvested at sunrise to capture freshness, the grapes are gently pressed and cold-settled before undergoing a slow, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks. An ideal summer aperitif yet structured enough to shine with food—think salade Niçoise, watermelon and burrata salad, dressed crab, or prosciutto.
What: 2022 Pierre Gaillard, Syrah Terres de Mandrin: $21
Where: IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, Saint Joseph, Rhône, France
Grapes: Syrah
"Opaque ruby. Ripe dark fruit, licorice and a hint of smokiness on the nose and in the mouth. In a fleshy, open-knit style, with good heft on the gently tannic finish, which leaves a cracked pepper note behind.”- Josh Raynolds, Vinous
We're talking about 100% Syrah (nothing else added) from a family with a very long history crafting some of the finest wines from the Northern Rhone. Jeanne Gaillard set out to make a vibrant Syrah, and that's precisely what she did. Lean and fresh, this Northern Rhone makes our mouth water with a whorl of delicious flavors - berries (raspberry, cassis, and dark cherry, pepper, and spice. Yowza. In the 1990s, Pierre Gaillard was one of three producers who recognized the potential of the Collines Rhonaniennes as an "affordable surrogate" to the northern cru appellations. Where is this place, you might ask? Collines Rhonaniennes lies "just outside" the famed northern Rhone appellations of Crozes-Hermitage and St. Joseph. That means you get the same steep granite slopes where the vines struggle for water without paying for the zip code. The result is wines with the same gusto, grace, and delightful violet flower aromas. To keep the flavors lively and fresh of this affordable Syrah, Jeanne reduces the maceration time and minimizes the oak treatment. The berry flavors pop with less telltale tannin - all the while, Jeanne captures the spirit of the Northern Rhone.
What: Famille Perrin, Coudoulet de Beaucastel: $36
Where: Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône, France
Grapes: 40% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault
Coudoulet is often considered the baby Beaucastel. The Coudoulet soil has many similarities to that of Beaucastel. It is made out of Molasse seabed covered by diluvial alpine deposits. These pebbles called “Galets Roulés” play a big role: They take in the heat during the day and let it if off slowly at night which gives a good start to the vines in the Spring. The 2022 vintage experienced contrasting climatic hazards which allowed to offer good quality grapes and a very promising aromatic complexity. Winter and spring were particularly mild and very dry, with the months of January and May proving to be the driest since the start of the 20th century, with record temperatures in May and June. These conditions allowed to maintain an excellent sanitary state of the vines, thanks to a total absence of disease. The summer was then very sunny with high temperatures that presaged high potential in terms of alcohol, but saving rains in mid-August allowed the grapes to slowly continue to mature. The harvest began in very good conditions and 11 days ahead of 2021. It was punctuated by a few rainfalls in September which did not alter the superb quality of the grapes but made it necessary to carry out a light sorting in the vineyard. The reds were gently vinified with delicate extractions which reveal particularly balanced wines. The first tastings suggest a 2022 vintage full of promise, with complex and aromatic palates and great balance.
The Rhône valley viticulture goes back to early Greek settlements, before the arrival of the Romans who expanded it. Then the Papacy arrived and further developped the activity. Much later, in the XXth century, the Rhône valley viticulure and winemaking drove the creation off the French AOC legislation, and the rest is history.
As of 2025, the Rhône has 55 appellations drawing from 37 grape varieties...of which we present 4 of our most popular Rhône wines.
What: 2023 Mourchon La Source: $21
Where: Cotes Du Rhône, France
Grapes: 40% Viognier, 20% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussanne and Marsanne, 20% Clairette
The story of Domaine de Mourchon begins not in France, but in Scotland. In the 1970s, Walterand Ronnie McKinlay selected an excellent Vacqueyras as the house wine for their restaurant at The Udny Arms Hotel in Aberdeenshire. Years later, after selling their businesses, their fondness for Rhône wines led them to explore the Southern Rhône Valley in search of a retirement project.
What they found was a rugged hillside above the village of Séguret—an extraordinary site with no winery and no house, but with undeniable potential. In 1998, they purchased the land and embarked on a bold journey: building a state-of-the-art winery and establishing a brand from the ground up.This certified biodynamic estate produces wines of character that reflect their unique terroir, high-altitude vineyards with clay-limestone soils. La Source is a beautiful introduction to the white wines of the Southern Rhône. Aromas of honeysuckle, spring flowers, and orchard fruit lead into a rich palate of white peach, apricot, and crisp apple. A streak of citrus and a hint of honey lift the long, elegant finish. To preserve its delicate aromatics, the grapes are harvested at night, pressed directly, and fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. A crowd-pleasing Southern Rhône white that shines on its own or pairs beautifully with seafood, shellfish, olives, cured meats, or goat cheese.
What: 2024 Mourchon Loubie Rosé $22
Where: Côtes du Rhône Villages, Séguret, France
Grapes: 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah
From the same high-altitude estate in Séguret, Domaine de Mourchon’s Loubié Rosé is a vibrant expression of Southern Rhône charm—crisp, juicy, and layered with character. Pale salmon in hue, this Grenache-based rosé opens with a bouquet of summer berries, peach skin, and a touch of tangerine zest. The palate is mouthwatering and medium-bodied, offering a rounded texture balanced by fresh acidity and bright, sun-kissed fruit. The grapes are sourced from younger vines planted on the Loubié parcel—soils composed of sand, clay, and limestone that provide excellent drainage and aromatic lift. Harvested at sunrise to capture freshness, the grapes are gently pressed and cold-settled before undergoing a slow, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks. An ideal summer aperitif yet structured enough to shine with food—think salade Niçoise, watermelon and burrata salad, dressed crab, or prosciutto.
What: 2022 Pierre Gaillard, Syrah Terres de Mandrin: $21
Where: IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, Saint Joseph, Rhône, France
Grapes: Syrah
"Opaque ruby. Ripe dark fruit, licorice and a hint of smokiness on the nose and in the mouth. In a fleshy, open-knit style, with good heft on the gently tannic finish, which leaves a cracked pepper note behind.”- Josh Raynolds, Vinous
We're talking about 100% Syrah (nothing else added) from a family with a very long history crafting some of the finest wines from the Northern Rhone. Jeanne Gaillard set out to make a vibrant Syrah, and that's precisely what she did. Lean and fresh, this Northern Rhone makes our mouth water with a whorl of delicious flavors - berries (raspberry, cassis, and dark cherry, pepper, and spice. Yowza. In the 1990s, Pierre Gaillard was one of three producers who recognized the potential of the Collines Rhonaniennes as an "affordable surrogate" to the northern cru appellations. Where is this place, you might ask? Collines Rhonaniennes lies "just outside" the famed northern Rhone appellations of Crozes-Hermitage and St. Joseph. That means you get the same steep granite slopes where the vines struggle for water without paying for the zip code. The result is wines with the same gusto, grace, and delightful violet flower aromas. To keep the flavors lively and fresh of this affordable Syrah, Jeanne reduces the maceration time and minimizes the oak treatment. The berry flavors pop with less telltale tannin - all the while, Jeanne captures the spirit of the Northern Rhone.
What: Famille Perrin, Coudoulet de Beaucastel: $36
Where: Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône, France
Grapes: 40% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault
Coudoulet is often considered the baby Beaucastel. The Coudoulet soil has many similarities to that of Beaucastel. It is made out of Molasse seabed covered by diluvial alpine deposits. These pebbles called “Galets Roulés” play a big role: They take in the heat during the day and let it if off slowly at night which gives a good start to the vines in the Spring. The 2022 vintage experienced contrasting climatic hazards which allowed to offer good quality grapes and a very promising aromatic complexity. Winter and spring were particularly mild and very dry, with the months of January and May proving to be the driest since the start of the 20th century, with record temperatures in May and June. These conditions allowed to maintain an excellent sanitary state of the vines, thanks to a total absence of disease. The summer was then very sunny with high temperatures that presaged high potential in terms of alcohol, but saving rains in mid-August allowed the grapes to slowly continue to mature. The harvest began in very good conditions and 11 days ahead of 2021. It was punctuated by a few rainfalls in September which did not alter the superb quality of the grapes but made it necessary to carry out a light sorting in the vineyard. The reds were gently vinified with delicate extractions which reveal particularly balanced wines. The first tastings suggest a 2022 vintage full of promise, with complex and aromatic palates and great balance.