2015 Xavier Vignon Ventoux 750 ml

Xavier Comes to Ventoux

The winemaker in today’s offer needs little introduction to WineAccess regulars, but the appellation might. Today we’ve got another stellar Rhône wine from superstar winemaker Xavier Vignon. For those of you who have been lucky enough to taste his wines from better-known appellations, you know he’s capable of absolute magic. Xavier’s winegrowing consultancy has guided numerous bottles to the 100-point summit, and the chemist’s enology lab conducts the chemical analysis Châteauneuf-du-Pape winegrowers depend on to make the most of their soil.

You’ve heard us marvel at his ruthless, rigorous experimentation, pouring bottles of expensive bottled water onto his poor wife Isabelle’s backyard tomato plants just to study the role of water in the resulting crops.

You’ve heard us recount Vignon’s passionate arguments about the downside of organic farming in the Southern Rhône, explaining how the excessive use of copper sulfite in the vines is now showing up in the soils of some organically farmed vineyards. With complete candor, he’s spoken of the increasingly high levels of residual sugar found in many Châteauneuf-du-Papes and how over-concentration is beginning to denude many wines of terroir — or a sense of place. That loss of a sense of place will never be a problem with a Xavier wine. We knew it as soon as we tasted this 2015; all the majesty he summons in his Châteauneuf and Gigondas is present in a more compact package in his Ventoux.

Ventoux is one of the great unsung appellations of the Southern Rhône — essentially a satellite of the more-storied Châteauneuf-du-Pape, using the same trifecta of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvédre. Believing in Ventoux’s promise, great producers like the Perrin Family (Beaucastel) and Saint Cosme have set up shop in the appellation. Moreover, the slightly higher elevation in Ventoux allowed the appellation to avoid some of the minor moisture-related problems of the 2015 vintage.

The 2015 vintage in the Southern Rhône is being trumpeted as among the greatest, perhaps even better than superlative Rhône vintages such as 1978, ‘89, ‘95, ‘01, ‘05, ‘07, ‘09 and ‘10. Jancis Robinson calls it “extremely promising,” while Wine Spectator gives it an early score of 94-97 points, making it the best Southern Rhône vintage since the already legendary 2010.

A producer whose family has weathered a century of vintages — Philippe Guigal of the famous Guigal negociant house — told Wine Spectator: “My father keeps on saying (that 2015) is the most exceptional vintage he has seen in the past 55 years, and 55 years ago was the legendary 1961. It’s a ‘wow’ vintage.” The 2015s combine great levels of ripeness and power, with the firm tannins, structure, and palate-presence necessary for long-term aging.

Add all these factors together, and you have a no-brainer for going deep on today’s offer. With that $13.99 price, this won’t last long, so buy early, buy often. If you can find another gem from the Southern Rhône like this at ANYWHERE near today’s price, please send it our way!