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Martin Clerc, Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah

Rhône Valley, France 2018 (750mL)
$28.00
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Martin Clerc, Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah

It’s a mouthful, but the ‘Collines Rhodaniennes’ designation is another one well-worth committing to memory: If you see it on a label, there’s a very good chance you’re drinking something shockingly affordable from one of the great appellations (and producers) of the northern Rhône—especially Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, and Hermitage.
Today’s Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah from Martin Clerc is a prime example, hailing from vineyards at the southern end of Côte-Rôtie but carrying the “catchall” IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) designation instead. Clerc also produces top-flight Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu; today’s wine is like a ship’s tender, transporting you to Côte-Rôtie in an agile, less elaborate vessel. What floored me when I tasted Clerc’s ’18 is how tantalizingly close it comes to “actual” Côte-Rôtie at this exceptionally low price. It exemplifies one of the Cardinal Rules of value hunting: Look for the ‘lower-tier’ bottlings from upper-tier producers/places. When they go low, it’s still pretty darn high—I can’t think of a better example than this!
My colleague described this Syrah as “Côte-Rôtie gone acoustic,” which sums it up nicely (and musically): It really captures all the things I love about Northern Rhône Syrah, especially its aromatic components and its savory, meaty qualities on the palate. Only about 6,000 bottles are produced in any given vintage, which makes the price even more surprising—it’s a true “farm-to-table” wine priced like something mass-produced, which is always exciting to find.

The Clerc family domaine is headquartered just outside Condrieu and consists of 8.5 hectares of vineyards in an assortment of municipalities in the Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu appellations. Martin Clerc’s father, Louis, established the estate in 1991 and released the first wines under the family label in 2000; Martin eventually joined the family business and eventually took over after Louis’ untimely death in 2007. Since 2013, Martin, who studied in Burgundy, has been fully in charge of winemaking.

Today’s wine is sourced from a 1.5-hectare vineyard in Clerc’s home village of Tupin-et-Semons, at the southern end of the Côte-Rôtie AOC. Crafted from 100% Syrah and aged in a combination of barrels and stainless steel tanks, it’s a transparent, high-energy expression of Syrah as grown in the sandy, granitic soils of the Northern Rhône. In the glass, it’s a deep, reflective ruby with flashes of garnet and magenta, with pitch-perfect Syrah aromas of brambly black raspberry, plums, currants, lavender, black olive, bay leaf, cured meat, and cracked black pepper. It is medium-bodied, bright, and surprisingly powerful at just 12.5% a.b.v., finishing with violet-scented florals and mouthwatering freshness. Decant it 30 minutes before serving it at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems to highlight its perfumed aromas, or lay it down for a few years—it’s got the structure for 3-5 years in the cellar if kept well, and is sure to keep getting better and better. I can’t overstate what a killer value this is, but what will really bring it home is a delicious meal with a bottle (or two) on center stage: Pair it with the aromatic braise in the attached recipe, and let the magic happen. Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Rhône Valley
Sub-Region
FranceCollines Rhodaniennes
Soil
Granitic Sand
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Syrah 100%
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
Partial Used French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2028
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Greek-Style Braised Lamb Shanks

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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