Rhône
The Rhône Valley, located in southeastern France, is renowned for its exceptional fine wines. With its diverse terroir, rich history, and dedication to quality winemaking, the Rhône Valley offers a captivating selection of wines that embody the region's elegance, complexity, and distinctive character.
The Rhône Valley boasts its own iconic vineyards and wineries, including Château de Beaucastel, Domaine Guigal, and Chapoutier, which are celebrated for producing exceptional wines that showcase the region's unique terroir and winemaking expertise.
The Rhône Valley is renowned for its red wines, particularly in the northern part of the region. Syrah reigns as the dominant grape variety, producing intense and structured wines. Appellations such as Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Cornas are known for their robust and age-worthy reds, often displaying notes of black fruits, spice, and earthiness. Famous vineyards such as La Landonne, La Mouline, and Les Bessards are revered for their exceptional expressions of Syrah.
In the southern Rhône Valley, Grenache takes centre stage, contributing to the region's bold and fruit-forward red blends. The renowned appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is famous for its rich and full-bodied red wines, often featuring a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Vineyards like Château de Beaucastel, Clos des Papes, and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe produce remarkable wines that showcase the region's commitment to excellence.
The Rhône Valley is also celebrated for its white wines, particularly in the northern part of the region. Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne are the key grape varieties, producing aromatic and complex whites. Appellations like Condrieu and Hermitage produce exceptional white wines known for their floral aromas, stone fruit flavors, and vibrant acidity.
Rhône
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Rhone | 1 | 95-97 (JD) | د.إ1,220.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)For lovers of powerful, massive Côte Rôtie, the 2019 Côte Rôtie La Brocarde from Billon is going to punch that ticket. Decadent black fruits, scorched earth, roasted meats, and spicy nuances all define this beauty, and it's full-bodied, with a decadent, layered texture, one heck of a great mid-palate, and the density, structure, and balance to benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age and evolve for 20-30 years. |
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Rhone | 4 | 96 (WS) | د.إ1,720.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (96)Lots of taut sinew here supporting the beam of black cherry, plum, tar and mineral flavors, with sweet earth, tobacco and cocoa powder on the finish. This wine has gotten progressively bigger over time and still seems in its ascendancy. Terrific focus and purity.--1995 Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Drink now through 2020. 8,330 cases made. -JM |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) | د.إ2,475.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)Another perfect wine from this brilliant estate is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which matches the otherworldly 2007. A classic blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah brought up all in old foudre, this beauty's deep purple color is followed by a mammoth bouquet of kirsch liqueur, black currants, blueberries, Asian spices, and garrigue. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it nevertheless is as graceful as a ballerina on the palate and has ultra-fine tannins, a silky, seamless texture, and a finish that just won't quit. Hats off to vigneron Paul-Vincent Avril! |
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Rhone | 1 | 98+ (JD) | د.إ1,595.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (98+)One of the strongest wines in the vintage is the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape from Vincent Avril. This beauty has everything you could ask for. As with the 2018, the blend is heavily shifted toward Mourvèdre, and it offers a mammoth bouquet of black cherries, graphite, cured meats, Asian spices, and assorted garrigue-like nuances. Deep, full-bodied, and concentrated, it stays straight and focused on the palate (whereas the 2016 is more expansive and voluptuous), with a stacked mid-palate, ripe, silky tannins, and fabulous length. You’re going to want bottles of this in the cellar, and comparing the 2007, 2010, 2016, and 2017 over the coming two decades is going to be a treat. |
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Rhone | 1 | 96 (JD) | د.إ1,460.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (96)Due to devastating yields, there’s not much of the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape to go around, but it’s going to be worth the extra effort to track down. Based on 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre, and the rest Syrah (and a splash of other permitted varieties), it offers a textbook, classic Châteauneuf du Pape nose of mulled red and black fruits, Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, and saddle leather. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Clos des Papes that has thrillingly polished tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. Made in a style similar to the 1999, 2004, and maybe a kiss of the 2006, it has the beautiful elegance (again, a Grand Cru Burgundy comes to mind) paired with plenty of intensity and length. I doubt it will shut down and it’s going to evolve nicely for 15-20 years or more. |
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Rhone | 3 | 99 (WCI) | د.إ1,625.00 | |||||
The Wine Cellar Insider (99)Rich, supple, deep, intense and complex, this is stunning from the get go. One sniff of all that gorgeous, spicy kirsch, herbs, peppery spice and mélange of red fruits and you're hooked. If that wasn't enough, the silky, supple, elegant, fresh palate presence will seal the deal, finishing with its layers of deep, red fruits. This wine should age and evolve for 2-3 decades with ease. The wine is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and the remaining 5% consists of various, allowable grape varieties. The grapes are as always 100% destemmed. |
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Rhone | 2 | 99 (DC) | د.إ1,400.00 | |||||
Decanter (99)Fresh and a bit closed, but starting to transform now with some subtle sous bois notes. Such an elegant, fine and juicy wine, with real depth and pinpoint acidity. Like a fur coat, this is ultimate Châteauneuf elegance, showing extraordinary length, balance and tension. All destemmed, matured in old oak foudres. |
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Rhone | 10 | 18 (JR) | د.إ1,555.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (18)Leather and spiced notes, pure with good fresh vivacity on the nose. The palate is ripe and seductive, layered with forest fruits, dark spiced figs. Attractive refreshing acidity, red fruits and a wild garrigue savoury Mourvèdre note – the tannins are supple and silky – dark forest-fruits finish which is broad, ample and opulent but always with a finesse of tannins and a savoury liquorice mineral note. |
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Rhone | 2 | 98 (JD) | د.إ1,420.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (98)The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is showing beautifully, with the sun-kissed style of the vintage yet more depth and density than most in the vintage. Blackberries, Provençal garrigue, spice, and saddle leather all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with the classic elegance of the estate in its medium to full-bodied, layered, multi-dimensional style. It's one of the wines of the vintage and will have two decades of longevity. |
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Rhone | 1 | 94+ (WA) | د.إ4,900.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (94+)The medium to full-bodied 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc boasts impressive concentration and richness, allied to terrific freshness and length. As I was tasting it, I kept shaking my head marveling at how this blend of Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul and Roussanne achieved such a wonderful sense of balance. Hints of anise no doubt play a prominent role in achieving this, enlivening the melon and pear that form the wine's core, to be elegantly replaced on the finish by lingering notes of ripe citrus. Certainly this is one of the most impressive whites I can recall tasting from this benchmark estate. |
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Rhone | 1 | 94+ (WA) | د.إ1,720.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (94+)The medium to full-bodied 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc boasts impressive concentration and richness, allied to terrific freshness and length. As I was tasting it, I kept shaking my head marveling at how this blend of Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul and Roussanne achieved such a wonderful sense of balance. Hints of anise no doubt play a prominent role in achieving this, enlivening the melon and pear that form the wine's core, to be elegantly replaced on the finish by lingering notes of ripe citrus. Certainly this is one of the most impressive whites I can recall tasting from this benchmark estate. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97 (JD) | د.إ1,605.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97)The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is the usual blend of all the permitted varieties. It shows the richer, layered, opulent style of the vintage beautifully, with loads of pear, acacia flower, citrus oil, and spice notes all defining the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a layered, opulent texture and a great finish. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) | د.إ2,625.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)Lastly, and a perfect wine, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve is a 60/40 split of Grenache and Mourvèdre that’s brought up in demi-muids. It shows the vintage’s ripe, sexy, yet also concentrated and powerful style, offering full-bodied aromas and flavors of red and blue fruits, Provençal herbs, pepper, and violets. Possessing sensational elegance, perfect balance, and ripe, polished tannins, it’s always the more aristocratic, classy, seamless wine compared to the more exuberant, overflowing with character Les Quartz release. This matches the otherworldly 2001, 2007, 2010, and 2016. |
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Rhone | 1 | 98-100 (WA) | د.إ2,870.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98-100)A co-fermented blend of 55% Grenache and 45% Mourvèdre, matured in demi-muids (about 10% of the volume is in amphorae this year), the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reserve is a strong candidate for perfection. Sourced from the lieux-dits of Guigasse and Pignan, the nose delivers the essence of sandy-soil Grenache, with notes of rose petals, lavender, thyme, cherries and raspberries. Full-bodied and lush, silky and long, it adds hints of toasty oak and salted licorice on the finish. |
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Rhone | 1 | 98-100 (WA) | د.إ2,845.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98-100)A candidate for perfection, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reserve is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre from sandy parcels in Guigasse and Pignan. Alluring scents of crushed stone, floral elements and almost truffle-like complexities accent black cherries and plums on the nose, while the wine is full-bodied and expansive in the mouth yet manages to do that without seeming heavy or overly rich, and the silky finish is near-endless, reverberating with notes of dark fruit and licorice. |
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Rhone | 3 | 97+ (JD) | د.إ1,490.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)Moving to the tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz, which is mostly Grenache with around 25% or so of Syrah, it has a rich, full-bodied, dense, and almost backward style to go with powerful black fruits, ground pepper, and violet aromas and flavors. I love its purity of fruit, and it builds nicely with time in the glass, showing more mid-palate depth as well as ripe tannins. It’s a stunning bottle of wine, but patience will be required. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades. |
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Rhone | 1 | 94 (JD) | د.إ1,720.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (94)The 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Safres is deeper and richer than the base cuvée and possesses terrific notes of black raspberries, blackberry jam, exotic flower, and orange blossom. Full-bodied, polished, elegant and gorgeously pure on the palate, with fine tannin, it's a killer wine. Made from 95% Grenache (the balance is Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Vaccarèse), it too has a decade and more of prime drinking. |
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Rhone | 1 | 92 (JS) | د.إ1,415.00 | |||||
James Suckling (92)There’s a lot of complexity here. Plump, red plums and cherries with some wild herbs and meaty elements. Supple and plush, red-fruit palate. Slick and ripe. Drink or hold. |
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Rhone | 1 | 91-93 (WA) | د.إ442.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (91-93)A blend of 80% Grenache (maturing in demi-muids and foudre) and 20% Syrah (in used barriques), the 2020 Cotes du Rhone Les Quartz was entirely destemmed, yet it offers up seductive floral-herbal notes of rose garden alongside raspberries and cherries. Medium to full-bodied, silky and voluminous on the palate, it finishes long and elegant. It's another terrific wine that should prove relatively affordable upon release. |
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Rhone | 1 | 94 (JD) | د.إ981.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (94)Including more Mourvèdre, the 2018 Côtes du Rhône La Reserve checks in as 75% Grenache and 25% Mourvèdre that was brought up all in demi-muids. Almost opaque ruby, with a blockbuster nose of Bing cherries, black raspberries, flowery incense, toasted spices, and dry-aged beef, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, loads of fruit, and a great finish. The level of purity as well as finesse in this wine, paired with plenty of richness, is something to behold. It way over-delivers for a Côtes du Rhône. In fact, for my money, this is one of the best Côtes du Rhône out there. It’s terrific today yet will evolve nicely for a solid decade. Does Côtes du Rhônes get any better? |
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Rhone | 2 | 94 (JD) | د.إ702.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (94)The 2023 Côtes Du Rhône La Reserve Blanc is all Clairette Rose, which is a later ripening variety compared to Clairette and a variety that brings a touch more richness and texture. Beautiful notes of honeyed melon, minty, sappy herbs, and spice all define the aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied white that has a layered, balanced profile, beautiful freshness, and one heck of a finish. This is one Côtes Du Rhône Blanc that would have no problem standing in a lineup of top Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc! Drink bottles over the coming 2-4 years. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (WA) | د.إ5,885.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)Deeper and richer, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina has been nothing short of perfection on the 3-4 times I’ve been lucky enough to try it. Muscular and powerful, with a serious, full-bodied profile, it gives up incredible aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, licorice, graphite, beef blood and loamy earth. Like most 2010s at this stage, it’s backwards and dense, and needs to be forgotten for another couple of years. This beauty will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity. |
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Rhone | 1 | 98 (JD) | د.إ1,940.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (98)Deep ruby-colored and offering a heavenly bouquet of black raspberries, toasted spiced, cured meats, licorice, and cured meats, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Combes des Fous is awesome on the palate, with a silky, seamless profile that just keeps on going. Possessing ultra-fine tannin, no hard edges, and a huge finish, it’s a phenomenal bottle of wine. The fact that it was bottled just one month ago makes this showing even more impressive. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) | د.إ2,195.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)One of the greatest young wines I’ve ever tasted is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sanctus Sanctorum which is 100% old vine Grenache sourced from a single parcel in the La Crau lieu-dit. Lighter in color than both the Combes des Fous and Ex Machina, it offers a heavenly perfume of kirsch liqueur, crushed rocks, exotic spices, and graphite. This beauty hits the palate with an incredible display of opulent, decent fruit paired with an elegance and seamlessness that needs to be tasted to be believed. With building richness, no weight, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won’t quit, it’s released only in magnum, so it will take upward of a decade to hit maturity and will keep for 20+ years. Hats off to the Maurel family and their consultant Philippe Cambie! |
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Rhone | 1 | 94 (VN) | د.إ3,715.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)Inky ruby. Highly expressive, mineral-accented blackberry, cherry, potpourri and exotic spice aromas take on a licorice nuance as the wine opens up. Intense black and blue fruit, floral pastille, cola and spicecake flavors are firmed by a spine of juicy acidity. Puts on weight on an extremely persistent, sharply delineated finish that repeats the dark berry and floral notes and leaves a hint of succulent herbs and smoky minerals behind. |
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Rhone | 1 | 92-94 (VN) | د.إ4,310.00 | |||||
Vinous - Josh Raynolds (92-94)Inky ruby. Sexy red berry and floral scents, with bright graphite and cracked pepper adding complexity. Juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors are enlivened by brisk acidity and firmed by suave tannins. Finishes with tangy strawberry flavor and compelling sweetness and length. This is extremely well-balanced and graceful. |
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Rhone | 1 | 93 (VN) | د.إ1,525.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)Vivid ruby. Smoky blackberry, cherry-cola, violet pastille, licorice and mineral aromas are complemented by a spicy cracked pepper nuance. Ripe, palate-coating black and blue fruit, olive paste and spicecake flavors show sharp focus, and a sweet hint of cola builds in the glass. Supple and broad on the long, spicy finish, which is framed by smooth, slowly building tannins. |
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Rhone | 1 | 96 (TA) | د.إ3,700.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (96)All destemmed, aged for 18 months in demi-muids. Remarkable aromatic finesse already, boding well for the future; it majors on rich, ripe fruit rather than oak. Very full and rounded, but full of life and energy, this is buzzing with vitality. It has fresh, lip-smacking acidity and tannin, and a very long finish. A fantastic balance between freshness, concentration and pure, regal Hermitage fruit. Whatever style of Hermitage you like, this shouldn’t disappoint - it has depth and power as well as finesse. Very impressive, complete wine. |
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Rhone | 2 | 95-97 (JD) | د.إ1,570.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)Lastly, the 2017 Hermitage got a big “wow” in the notes and boasts a powerful, concentrated style to go with sensational Hermitage notes of crème de cassis, scorched earth, and crushed rocks. It’s a sexy, voluptuous beauty that does everything right. |
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Rhone | 2 | 95 (VN) | د.إ1,720.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)Glass-staining ruby. Pungent dark berry preserve, floral pastille, botanical herb and olive aromas are complemented by hints of woodsmoke, licorice and pipe tobacco. Round and expansive in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet, mineral- and spice-accented blackberry, cherry-cola and candied violet flavors and a bitter chocolate nuance. Closes chewy, smoky and impressively long, with lingering spiciness and youthfully firm tannins. The balance of weight and energy here is superb. |
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