Xavier CDR 100% 2016

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate- 90 pts

“A bit richer and more concentrated than the straight Cotes du Rhone, Vignon’s 2016 Cotes du Rhone 100% is medium to full-bodied and dark in color, with silky tannins, purple fruit flavors and hints of dried spices and garrigue. It should drink well for the next 5-6 years.”

I visited Xavier Vignon at his aging-bottling cellar in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, just beside Château des Fines Roches. He does most of the vinifications at another facility in Beaumes de Venise. Vignon, who started out as a winemaking consultant, sources grapes from many clients and former clients throughout the Southern Rhône for his own various labels. Fascinated by blending and tinkering, tasting with him is something like meeting with a benevolent mad scientist—there are so many different experiments to try, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with what is what. Many of his wines are released quite late onto the market, as he prefers to age wines up to three winters before bottling and two winters after bottling. On the other hand, many of his 2016s are already in bottle. “2016 was just like a dream,” he said. “The best autumn I’ve ever seen.” In 2017, Vignon cut way back on extraction, basically relying on infusion once past the midpoint of fermentation, to avoid extracting any hard tannins.”

The ‘16s are big wines, loaded with complex fruit but remain fresh, with low ph, making them great at any dinner table this week and every week for the next decade

A roasted leg of lamb is a perfect match!