Rhone Valley

Infectious dark purple florals, spiced damsons and smoky minerals overlay the meaty, juicy texture and fine shapely tannins and purr contentedly towards the finish line. (DWWA 2024)

Velvety in texture with transparent character yet not insubstantial, showing aromas of sour cherries, oranges, dried flowers and some exotic spices. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and a precise finish. 90% grenache from sandy soils and 10% mourvedre. (KD)

We began the Discovery Series as a way to introduce our clients to outstanding producers from well-defined regions, pairing great wines with the history and backstory that bring them to life. We were truly astounded by the success and reception of these wines, and deeply encouraged by the trust you placed in us to deliver what we consider best-in-class wines at best-in-class prices under a label we will continue to develop. During the search for Discovery wines, however, I encountered a number of bottles that didn’t quite fit that specific mold, yet still offered incredible quality and value. That realization led to the creation of the Rendez-Vous label — a place to showcase wines we believe will become staples in your weeknight rotation. This project was born during a visit with our friends at Dauvergne et Ranvier in the Southern Rhône. Together, we conducted a series of blind tasting trials, working through dozens of samples and experimenting with different lots to build what I hoped would become the perfect Rhône-style blend. I began by tasting individual parcels — some already blended, others single varietal expressions. Several Côtes du Rhône lots produced charming and approachable wines, but once we moved into the Côtes du Rhône Villages selections, the depth of fruit and overall expansiveness increased dramatically. After settling on my preferred blend, we presented it to our winery partners. Watching everyone’s reactions as we arrived at the final composition was incredibly rewarding — we were unanimous in our enthusiasm. Just like that, our first Côtes du Rhône Villages blend was born. The final wine leans toward Syrah (approximately 70%), supported by a generous 30% Grenache. It shows a beautiful core of raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, backed by impressive concentration and layered notes of tobacco, black pepper, and savory spice. Now that the wine has rested in bottle after its journey from France to our warehouse, it has fully settled into its character. At recent staff trainings, I shared this wine with our teams and felt that same sense of satisfaction seeing their reactions. It has quickly become a staff favorite. There is tremendous personality here and, as I like to say, it truly overdelivers for the price. Join us for a little Rendez-Vous with this exciting new release — I think you’ll find as much pleasure in drinking it as we did creating it.

Dark in colour. Soft, juicy, velvety tannins. An approachable and well-balanced vintage of Coudoulet that should age well thanks to its tannic finesse, acidity and freshness. Though it is quite a tannic vintage, so give it some time. (MW)

The domaine's top Gigondas, with crisp berry fruit, cranberry and raspberry. It's fresh, with a tiny VA note that lifts the fruit and plentiful fine, fresh, crisp tannins. It ends on a fresh, slightly saline note. Long and elegant, with great energy, if not hugely structured or concentrated. Not destemmed; fermented in concrete tanks then aged in foudres. (MW)

Made by Rudolphe Dupin, the talent behind our best-selling Montfaucon wines, this is a great value from Châteauneuf-du-Pape! Deeply fruited aromatics waft enticingly from the glass and carry straight through to a broad, generous palate full of deep, silky fruits, and touches of wild herbs. Great stuff!

My apologies to all of you who have been waiting for this wine to be replenished. But I am here to tell you, as always, it is worth the wait. The 2021 "La Côte" is everything I want in an old-school Côtes-du-Rhône. Plenty of raspberry, toasted tobacco and a touch of peppery spice, with that savory quality that keeps you coming back to the glass. This wine is not about flashy fruit—it's a classic Rhône that delivers exactly what you want it to. For those in the know, you know what you've been waiting for. For those who don't, La Côte is one of our all-time best sellers, and with good reason. Vigneron Rudi de Pins' wines have been staples here at K&L for years because they consistently deliver character, quality and tremendous value. The 2021 is another reminder of why we keep going back to them.

Bid on this 4-bottle lot of 2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes (100RP, 99JD, 95VN, 93WS). Wine Advocate: "A monumental effort meriting a perfect score, the super-rich 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a 4, 000-bottle blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah from 55- to 105-year-old vines and was aged for 18 months in small oak. The wine offers majestic blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with kirsch, licorice and subtle Provençal herbs in the background. It is akin to chewing meat in the mouth given its viscosity and thickness. This utterly amazing wine comes close to being over the top, but it pulls back just in time. A massive Chateauneuf du Pape (even for a 2010), it needs 5-6 years of cellaring and should age effortlessly for 25-30 years. Bravo! (RP)" (10/2012)

Bid on this 5-bottle lot of 2010 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes (100RP, 99JD, 98DC, 96VN, 95WS). Wine Advocate: "The 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, which achieved 16% natural alcohol, possesses an inky/purple color. It is slightly tighter and more restrained than the 2010 Chaupin, but it has enormous volume as well as incredible glycerin, richness and fat. A huge bouquet of pure blackberry and black currant fruit intermixed with charcoal, incense, truffles and spring flowers is followed by a prodigious, full-bodied wine that is capable of 20+ years of evolution. I hope Châteauneuf du Pape enthusiasts can find some of this amazing wine! (RP)" (10/2012)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 2010 Delas Frères "La Landonne" Côte Rôtie (98RP, 96WS, 94ST). Wine Advocate: "Up with some of the greatest Cote Roties out there is Delas's 2010 Cote Rotie la Landonne. Revealing an inky purple color as well as an incredible perfume of spring flowers, violets, black raspberries, graphite and Asian spice, it has drop-dead gorgeous purity, full-bodied richness and a seamless, layered texture that fails to completely cover the wine's underlying tannic grip. (JD)" (09/2015)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 2010 Alain Voge "Les Vieilles Fontaines" Cornas (100RP, 96DC, 95VN, 95WS). Wine Advocate: "Even better than the 2012 - and one of the greatest Cornas I've ever tasted - the 2010 Cornas Vieilles Fontaines comes from a tiny plot of old vines and granite soils named after the fountain located near the vines. Sensationally concentrated, powerful, backward and tasting like the essence of these steep granite slopes, it gives up loads of cassis, freshly crushed rock, wood smoke, black raspberry and roasted meats. This full-bodied beauty is as profound as they come, yet needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for 20-30 years. Robert Parker rated this beauty 100 points on release and I can only agree with him. Hats off to Alain Voge and winemaker Albert Mazoyer. (JD)" (09/2015)

A juicy, vibrant red, with bouncy cherry and rooibos tea layered with dusty earth and charred sandalwood. Smoke wafts out on the smooth, harmonious finish, held in check with chalky tannins. Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. (KB)

The Verquière estate has been passed down from father to son for four generations and is now managed by Thibaut Chamfort. Following age-old traditions and sustainable practices, the estate was certified organic in 2014. Following their wines for many years, we were happy to add them to our Direct Import portfolio in 2015. The Côtes-du-Rhône is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, grown on chalky clay soils with loads of large pebbles in the vineyards. This has become one of our favorite everyday reds out of the South of France and we're confident you will feel the same. *Organic*

Some fresh rosemary and pine needles bring a herbal, resinous note to the wine. It has some generosity on the palate, juicy red fruits, strawberry and raspberry, with lovely bright acidity and freshness. All in all, a precise, detailed, fresh and vibrant style of Gigondas that's well balanced and authentic. (MW)

Red berry perfume with liquorice, cherries and sweet spice. An open-hearted style with chewy tannins, clean lines and lively finish. (DWWA 2025)

The killer 2023 Condrieu La Doriane boasts gorgeous orange blossom, honeyed flowers, toasted spice, and grilled peach aromatics that build incrementally with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, focused, and pure, this brilliant effort spent 9 months in 100% new French oak and represents the crème de la crème of the vintage.

This is everything I want in a weeknight wine: easygoing red fruit notes, a spicy layer underneath adding intrigue, refreshing acidity, and supple tannins that make it a great pairing with a wide array of foods – everything from a simple roast chicken to woodfired pizza. Those ripe red fruit notes of plum, currant and juicy strawberry are balanced perfectly with a slightly grippy texture on the palate. And at just $17.99 per bottle, this is an incredible value that really punches above its weight class. I’d suggest picking this one up by the case.

Montfaucon always holds this white back for a few years before release, and it is a wine built around nuance rather than sheer intensity. Made from nearly 100% Clairette, it comes from a parcel of centenarian vines that look almost like alien creatures trying to escape the confines of the earth. A handful of old heirloom varieties are co-planted among them, keeping the wine from being entirely Clairette. But what you are really tasting here is a very old parcel, handled with little intrusion. Aged primarily in large neutral barrels, the wine continues to develop in the glass. It starts with dried nectarine before moving toward persimmon, with a touch of spice and a creamy texture that gives the wine remarkable presence. This is not a wine you rush through. It commands your attention and would be right at home with a potato and leek soup or some creamy, funky cheeses. I've had bottles with even more age on them, and they only become more intriguing. I think of this wine as a poem. It may not make perfect sense upon first glance, but the more time you spend with it, the more compelling it becomes.

Lirac lies on the Rhône’s western bank, across the river from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and has held appellation status since 1947. Roger Sabon, a producer based in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, offers a perspective from the opposite bank with the 2021 “Lirac by Roger Sabon,” a red blend from this southern Rhône appellation.

The grand vin of the estate is the 2015 Cornas, and it's even more inky colored than the Renaissance, with a saturated purple/bluish color. It offers a truly profound bouquet of black cherries, melted asphalt, ground pepper, exotic flowers and graphite, as well as the classic iodine/bloodiness I always find in this cuvée. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and seamless, with sweet tannin and a stacked mid-palate, it has an almost Hermitage-like liquid rock character, shocking elegance and purity, and a huge finish. This is Cornas at its finest – hats off to the Clape family! It's relatively accessible now, yet I suspect it will close down with a few years of bottle age.

One of our most popular direct-imports, the price-to-quality ratio we've found in these wines year after year is simply unbeatable. Our customers have come to rely on this family-run winery to provide great quality, drinkability, and value. The 2014 was the first vintage of Châteauneuf-du-Pape produced by Montfaucon. A single hectare of mostly old-vine Grenache with a splash of Mourvedre, yields a deliciously balanced and refined Châteauneuf-du-Pape that shows the integrity of Rudi des Pins' winemaking and an honest representation of the region. A stellar bargain for sure.

A well-rounded, lively and almost floral Gigondas with small red berries, wildflowers and baking spices on the nose, following through to a full body with polished tannins. Seductive texture with supple fruit character to the long, fine finish.

Cool and crisp the Comtesse Madelaine shows off that lovely subtle stone fruit character I love from these wines. A touch of apple, white flowers and a hint of salinity round out the character. Just enough acid tension to keep the wine balanced and worthy of seeking another sip. Delightful!

A driven, balanced , flavorful, textural and lively Crozes-Hermitage, showing aromas of dark cherries, spiced plums, wild herbs and warm spices. It's medium-bodied with fine tannins. Superb texture and balance here with a long, succulent and vivid finish. Drink or hold.

Dense licorice and forest berry aromas mask the deep tannin structure of this Chateauneuf-du-Pape masterpiece. Full-bodied but with a lightness of touch. Then the power and stony intensity pour over you in a giant wave. The freshness is extraordinary for this hot and dry vintage. Serious tannins in the very long, compact and refined finish. From organically grown grapes. (SP)

In spite of its extreme youth, this great Châteuneuf-du-Pape leaps out at you with its depth of wet-earth, ripe red-berry and dried-flower aromas. Rich and concentrated, but so suave and refined. Incredible length! Can't wait to taste this masterpiece as a bottled wine! (SP)

Bid on this bottle of 1990 Château Rayas "Réservé" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (100JD, (99-100RP), 99VN, 98JS). Wine Advocate: "As for the 1990, I have had the good fortune to drink nearly three cases, and it has been one of the triumphs of my cellar … this is riveting stuff. A legendary Rayas made from extremely ripe Grenache, it exhibits notes of over-ripe kirsch, raspberries, cherries, game, licorice, and tobacco. This unctuously-textured, thick, juicy Chateauneuf must tip the scale at 15.5% alcohol. It is truly a Rhone Valley monument. (RP)" (01/2003)

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 2-bottles of 1989 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "La Crau" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (91RP) and 1-bottle of 1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "La Crau" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (97JS, 95JD, 95RP, 94DC, 94WE, 94WS). Of the 1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "La Crau" Châteauneuf-du-Pape, James Suckling writes: " This amazing Chateauneuf-du-Pape squares the circle of southern richness and spring-like freshness in spite of coming from a very warm and dry vintage. The stony minerality, saltiness and dried flower character wind together to form a dynamic whole, driving this gracefully across the palate. But I must also mention the savory and licorice richness that is so deftly wrapped around them. Very long, salty and velvety finish. Drink or hold." (04/2023)

Bid on this 2-bottle lot of 1986 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 1983 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "La Crau" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (90RP) and 2-bottles of 1985 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "La Crau" Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Of the 1983 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "La Crau" Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Wine Advocate writes: "One of the top successes for this property during a period of very good rather than outstanding winemaking, the 1983 is spicy, peppery, and earthy, with a fragrant, in-your-face aromatic profile. This full-bodied, corpulent, muscular Vieux-Telegraphe is one of the few wines made during the estate's high-tech period that displays some of the old, burly, thick character of pre-1979 vintages. Some amber/orange is creeping along the edge, but the wine reveals no loss of fruit. (RP)" (01/1997)

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 1995 Domaine du Pégaü "Cuvée Réservée" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (94RP) and 2-bottles of 1998 Domaine du Pégaü "Cuvée Reservée" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (96JD, 96WS, 95RP, 95VN). Of the 1998 Domaine du Pégaü "Cuvée Reservée" Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Wine Spectator writes: "One of the riper, more exotic wines of the vintage, this gushes with black currant, fig and blackberry fruit, all of which has melded together and is starting to show a corrupt edge, while the sweet bacon, spice, mesquite and clove-studded blood orange notes fill out the background. The long, very juicy finish is multilayered and supported by fresh acidity. *Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2000* (JM)" (09/2007)

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 1 1989 Château La Nerthe "Cuvée des Cadettes" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (95JD, 91RP), 1 1998 Château La Nerthe "Cuvée des Cadettes" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (96RP, 94VN, 94WS), and 1 1998 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape (92RP, 90ST, 90WS). Of the 1998 Château La Nerthe "Cuvée des Cadettes", Wine Advocate writes: "Possibly the greatest vintage ever for this cuvee (we'll see if the 2010 tops it in another decade), the 1998 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Cadettes is up with the creme de la creme of the vintage. Still fresh, concentrated and lively, with medium to full-bodied richness and polished tannin, it reveals a vibrant ruby color to go with tons of garrigue, leather, chocolate, cured meats and spice. A blend of 37% Mourvedre, 36% Grenache and the rest Syrah that spent 12 months in small barrels followed by six months in tank, it's an incredible, modern-styled Châteauneuf du Pape that's drinking spectacularly today. (JD)" (08/2015)

Bid on this 4-bottle tasting lot; including 1 1998 Château de La Gardine "Cuvée Generations - Gaston Philippe" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (94RP, 94WS) and 3 1998 Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf-du-Pape (94WS, 92RP, 91JD). Of the 1998 Château de La Gardine "Cuvée Generations - Gaston Philippe", Wine Advocate writes: "A candidate for one of the most backward wines of the vintage, and still needing probably 8-10 more years of cellaring, the Brunel family tends to make this cuvee to age as well as a top Bordeaux. The 1998 has a dark plum/ruby/purple color, with notes of graphite, chocolate, espresso roast, black berry, and cassis. Aromatically, one doesn’t see much Chateauneuf du Pape character, but the oak has been totally absorbed, the wine is full-bodied, and I suspect more and more typicity will evolve as it hits its adolescent state. Forget it for another 3-5 years, as this is a wine capable of lasting 30+ years. (RP) 94+" (06/2010)

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (98JS, 97JD, 96RP, 95DC, 93VN), 1-bottle of 1995 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (95WS, 94DC, 93RP, 92JD), and 1-bottle of 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (97DC, 96WE, 95JD, 95WS, 93RP, 93VN). Of the 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, James Suckling writes: "This offers a super rich, earth, leather, spice and sweet-tobacco nose with a very similar texture to the 2017. It has a rich, dark, nutty core with very intense, long black fruit and seamless tannins with flavors of leather, tobacco and deep and ripe plums and blueberries. " (10/2019)

Bid on this 2-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 1998 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reservé (96WS, 93RP) and 1-bottle of 1998 Domaine De La Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes (95WS, 92RP, 91ST). Of the 1998 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reservé, Wine Spectator writes: "This shows the power and finesse of Grenache in all its glory, with layers of ripe, seductive blackberry and fig compote, cocoa, hoisin sauce and spice cake backed by muscular grip and a long, tangy, mineral-driven finish that shows great cut. This is bigger and longer than the Vieilles Vignes right now, but also more accessible.--1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Drink now through 2027. (JM)" (09/2007)

Bid on this bottle of 1985 Château Rayas "Réservé" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (96VN, 94JG, 93RP). Vinous: "I was blown away by the 1985 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A wine that continued to improve in the glass, it was richly-textured and opulent, with expansive fruit that lingered on the palate for an eternity. It came across as incredibly youthful, in fact I would have never pegged it for a 22-year-old wine had I tasted it blind. (AG)" (08/2007)

Bid on this 2-bottle lot of 1998 Domaine de la Janasse "Cuvée Chaupin" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (95JD, 95WS, 93RP, 92VN). Wine Spectator: "Much denser than the normal cuvée, with pain d'épice, date, fig, mint and sweet tobacco notes. The long finish is very plush, with a bacony note. Still has some grip to shed. A beauty. (JM)" (09/2007)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 1989 Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf-du-Pape (95WS, 90JD, 90JG, 90RP). Wine Spectator: "The Latour of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A giant, with great reserve and restraint. Black-ink colored, with a red rim. Overflowing with plum and pepper aromas and flavors, and has a super-firm structure and masses of fruit and tannins. A wine for the patient; but will improve for decades." (10/1991)

Bid on this 2-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 1983 Delas Frères "Marquise de la Tourette" Hermitage and 1-bottle of 1989 Domaine de Chante Perdrix Châteauneuf-du-Pape (94RP). Of the 1989 Domaine de Chante Perdrix Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Wine Advocate writes: "Chante-Perdrix's 1989 is one of the vintage's most decadently rich and exotic wines. I bought several cases because it was such a super value. The wine still reveals a healthy dark ruby/purple color, followed by a splendidly intense bouquet of dried flowers, jammy black fruits, Asian spices, smoke, and Provencal herbs. Full-bodied and lavishly rich, with a voluptuous texture, layers of fruit that ooze over the palate, this viscous, super concentrated, luscious Chateauneuf du Pape has been delicious since birth. It shows no signs of decline. Given its size it should continue to drink well for another decade. A thrilling glass of Chateauneuf du Pape! (RP)" (12/1996)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 2010 Alain Voge Cornas Vieilles Vignes (98RP, 93ST, 93WS). Wine Advocate: "The 2010 Cornas Vieilles Vignes is jaw-dropping stuff. Inky colored and incredibly concentrated, with sensational notes of bouquet garni, iron (blind I might have guessed 2010 Clape), violets, crushed rock and decent black and blue fruits all soaring from the glass. Full-bodied, layered and pure, with awesome freshness despite it massive size and concentration, it's a profound Cornas that needs another 3-4 years of bottle age yet will have three decades of overall longevity. (JD)" (09/2015)

Bid on this bottle of 1998 Château Rayas "Reserve" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (93WS, 92VN). Wine Spectator: "This continues to evolve, and always benefits from a lot of air time in the glass (or decanter), which allows its lilting, perfumy aromas and light color to become more concentrated and darker. Cherry, rose petal, pine forest, spice and mineral notes hang on the supple frame with deceptive grip on the finish. (JM)" (09/2007)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 1990 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc (93JD, 93VN, 92RP). Vinous: "Chave’s 1990 Hermitage Blanc showed intricate layers of smoke and ash that added complexity to the textured fruit. (AG)" (06/2010)

Bid on this 4-bottle lot of 1990 M. Chapoutier "Monier de la Sizeranne" Hermitage (93JG, 92JD, 91RP, 91WS). John Gilman: ".... I had liked his 1990 la Sizeranne Hermitage quite well in its youth, but it had been at least twenty years since I had last drunk a bottle. The wine is still quite dazzling on the nose, offering up a beautiful blend of black raspberries, pepper, duck prosciutto, lavender, dark soil tones, plenty of smokiness and a quite generous serving of cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and still rock solid at the core, with melting tannins, fine focus and balance and a long, complex and very tasty finish. The new oak here is just a touch intrusive on the backend of the wine, but it is really only a very minor demerit for a lovely bottle." (09/2023)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 1989 Domaine Henri Sorrel "Le Gréal" Hermitage (95RP). Wine Advocate: "This wine needs at least three more years of cellaring. I suspect this is one of those nearly immortal examples of the vintage that will last for 40-50 years. How often can one say that about modem-day Bordeaux or Burgundies? The color is black/purple, the nose reluctantly offers up smells of tar and spices (including soy), smoke, coffee, and cassis. In the mouth, there is a heady, chewy ripeness, extraordinary presence, and an almost massive amount of weight and fruit, all crammed into a well-delineated, rich, backward, tannic, sublime wine that is a benchmark example of red Hermitage. (RP)" (12/1996)

Bid on this bottle of 1985 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage (97DC, 95JG). Decanter: "The 1985 vintage brought a lot of people back to the region', says Jean-Louis Chave, and this wine demonstrates why. It has a strong sense of sweet decay to the aromatics, with earthy raspberry and kirsch. It's full-bodied with intense acidity just poking out a little now, but helping to hold it up where the tannins have started to fray. It's still bright and juicy with intense raspberry on the palate along with autumn leaves. (MW)" (06/2019)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (98JS, 97DC, 97JD, 97RP, 97VN, 97WS, 93JG). James Suckling: "This is a floral and elegantly complex edition of this wine with dried meat and leather, iron and graphite, tobacco and dry spices. More elegant palate than the 1990, it has a very fine stream of red fruit and spiced cherries and a central, linear focus. The flavors hold so very long, deeply concentrated and focused. The fruit livens up at the finish and opens very impressively." (10/2019)

Bid on this 6-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 1998 Clos du Mont-Olivet "Cuvée Unique Reserve" Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 1-bottle of 1998 Cuvée du Vatican "Réserve Sixtine" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (93RP, 92VN), 2-bottles of 1998 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape (91ST, 90RP), and 2-bottles of 1998 Domaine Grand Veneur "Les Origines" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (93RP, 90ST). Of the 1998 Cuvée du Vatican "Réserve Sixtine" Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Wine Advocate writes: "Cuvee du Vatican’s 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Sixtine is impressive! Still fresh and lively, with full-bodied richness and depth, it’s loaded with notions of wood spice, barbecue smoke, licorice and cassis-like fruit. One of the more youthful and lively wines in the vintage, it will have 25 years of overall longevity. Bravo! (JD)" (08/2015)

The genesis of this wine has been great to watch. Originally, it was created as an homage to Tavel, the neighboring appellation famous for its rosé wines. It even came in the long, skinny bottle emblematic of the region. The wine was bright and crisp, with a lighter hue and a more traditional rosé profile. Over the last few years, vigneron Rudi de Pins has taken it in a very different direction, making it denser, richer and more vinous. It is now an almost brooding rosé that feels closer to historical Tavel, when the wines were more akin to light reds. Rudi even changed the bottle to reflect what he believes is a more serious style of rosé. It is now opaque, concealing that deeper color from prying eyes. Once poured, though, there is no hiding it. The color is more like freshly squeezed raspberries, with an almost purple rim. And the wine is exceptional. I have tasted every vintage since Rudi began making it and have even tried a few with several years of bottle age. They only get more compelling. This is winter rosé—or light red, depending on how you want to look at it. Just don't serve it too cold. You don't want to mask all that depth of flavor hiding behind the smoky glass. It is terrific now with roasted fowl—think braised turkey legs or grilled duck—but this is also a rosé worth putting a few bottles away for a couple of years. I think it's only going to get better.