2015 Xavier Vignon “100%” Cotes du Rhone 750 ml

The Sum of Its Parts is “100%” Alluring

If you’re looking for quality at a modest price from a 100-point winemaker, and you’re a lover of the biggest, richest reds from the Southern Rhône, Xavier Vignon’s 2015 Côtes du Rhône “100%” is one of the most alluring reds — period. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gushed over “this lush beauty’s ample charms,” writing, “The 2015 Cotes du Rhone 100% packs a metaphorical ton of super ripe fruit into its effusive aromas. Black cherries are joined by more savory notes of dark chocolate, leather and spice on the palate, which is full-bodied yet supported by softly dusty tannins.” And why is it called “100%”? As deep and opulent as this wine is, no other name would suffice.

Powerful. That’s how we would define the extraordinary 2015 vintage in the southern Rhône. From Châteauneuf-du-Pape to Vacqueyras, wines were dark, brooding, and beautiful, bursting with black fruit. Wine Spectator gave the vintage a 97-point rating, and the number of 95-100 point scores awarded by Wine Advocate was truly too many to count.

It should come as no surprise then, that super-enologist Xavier Vignon — himself the author of nearly a dozen 100-point wines — turned out an utterly profound offering.

Vignon sourced his 2015 Côtes du Rhône 100% exclusively from old-vine parcels. The Syrah was 45 years old, the Mourvèdre 60 years old, and Grenache, which performed best in 2015, was over 100 years of age. The results were, predictably, exceptional.

— Wine Access Wine Team