Stephane Ogier Cotes du Rhone 2018

The seventh generation of Ogier winemakers in Cote Rotie, Stephane has a distinct advantage over virtually all competition with access to his family’s land throughout Cote Rotie’s most cherished vineyards in Lancement, Côte-Rozier, and La Viallière. But just because he was given a leg up doesn’t make him a good winemaker… but making a few 100-point wines certainly does!

Stephane has become a force in the Rhone and one of France’s brightest young stars. His Côte-Rôties are some of the wine world’s most celebrated collectibles with the single-vineyard bottlings starting at $300/bottle and going up from there. In the short time since taking over, production at the winery has doubled in size a few times, with his collection of wines earning lavish praise from Jeb Dunnuck who called it “one of the most exciting domaines in the world of wine today.”

If you can get your hands on any of his wines, I recommend you do. Parker’s Wine Advocate has called his wines “worth the search” and I’m telling you– allocations of any of his wines are gone before you can blink.

Sourced from 30 to 50-year-old vines in two renowned villages, Ogier’s new Cotes du Rhone release, his 2018 Le Temps Est Venu is the best value in a lineup of 18 outstanding Reds with his bottles being fought over constantly by serious wine collectors and Michelin-starred joints from Paris to New York City.

This one is bristling with energy and combines signature Chateaneuf du Pape earthy, bramble notes with the white pepper spice of Côte-Rôtie. It’s elegantly made with juicy crushed red and black berries, great weight and a lengthy finish.