2019 Francoise Roumieux Rhone Selection Cotes du Rhone 750 ml

As the head of prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape house Vignobles Mayard, Françoise Roumieux has emerged as one of the most forward-thinking figures of the appellation. She’s a leader in regenerative, no-till farming, and of the winemaking community that forms the lifeblood of the Southern Rhône.

Roumieux brings every bit of her acumen to bear in her magnificent 2019 Côtes-du-Rhône, which impressed us with its balance of savory power and levity, and with its unbelievable value. The level of quality in this bottle—made from 30-year-old organically farmed vines from two villages, hand harvested, and vinified with minimum intervention—is incredible for the price.

The leading Rhône critics have been effusive about the wines Roumieux makes with her sister Beatrice at Vignobles Mayard. Most tellingly, Wine Advocate praised the estate as one “where prices haven’t yet caught up with the increasing quality.” And this unctuous mixture of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah has the same stylistic verve as that estate’s marquee bottles.

Like all great leaders, Roumieux’s attention is as much on others as on herself. That’s how she came to her role as president of the Femmes Vignes Rhône—a tight-knit consortium of the Rhône Valley’s leading female winemakers—and in 2016, she created a micro-negociant to highlight the contributions of the group, sourcing grapes exclusively from the 30 or so estates that comprise the organization. The 2019 blend features grapes from the sandy, alluvial soils in Saint Gervais and Domazan, where Roumieux sources from sites that meet her exacting organic standards.

The striking result is a savory, dark, powerful 2019 Côtes du Rhône that steps up to the very heights of a crowded category.