Our annual allocation of Bernard Levet’s Les Journaries and La Chavaroche has landed—and while the wines remain as epic as ever, quantities continue to shrink due to their cult-like status among collectors and sommeliers. If you're seeking traditional, terroir-driven Northern Rhône Syrah, this tandem delivers in spades.
Rhône expert Jeb Dunnuck calls the 2022 vintage “Outstanding,” with Côte-Rôtie Syrahs showing tremendous depth and aging potential. Levet’s cuvées consistently earn top marks—Dunnuck awarded Les Journaries 97 points and La Chavaroche a staggering 98. These wines are benchmarks of authenticity, and we strongly recommend securing both to experience their stylistic contrast and shared devotion to tradition.
Les Journaries, sourced from Côte Rozier and the western edge of La Landonne, offers a seamless, polished expression of Syrah—full-bodied and velvety, with notes of cassis, rose, and pepper. La Chavaroche, from the steep, iron-rich slopes above Ampuis, is more primal and ferrous, with a wild, savory edge and lower alcohol that underscores its rustic charm. Together, they paint a vivid portrait of Côte-Rôtie’s dual personality: one refined and racy, the other raw and elemental. Journaries is more approachable in its youth, making it the safer bet for near-term enjoyment.
The Levet family farms 3.5 hectares above Ampuis, with parcels passed down since the 1930s. Their methods remain unchanged: no tractors, no chemicals, no shortcuts—just hand-farming and whole-cluster fermentation in epoxy-lined tanks. Fermentations are slow, often stretching into the new year, yielding wines of remarkable nuance, aromatic depth, and cellar-worthy structure.
Press Accolades:
97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck:
"Aged for a year in foudre then moved to demi-muids, the 2022 Côte Rôtie Les Journaries (known by the Maestria name in Europe) comes from the Landonne and Côte Rozier lieux-dits and was not destemmed. It has a similar perfume to the Amethyste with its red, blue, and black fruits as well as rose, potpourri, and peppery notes, yet it's more seamless, full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and has a great finish. Drink 2025-2047."
