Since I started selling his wines, Laurent Habrard's quality has gone from that of a firmly 2nd tier producer to the 1st tier so quick it's not even funny. I don't think I've ever witnessed such a quick ascent over a few vintages. I always taste with him at the Salon des Vins every year, and the first year they were ok, but not good enough for me to sell. Then the 2nd year with his 12's and 13's I was starting to get impressed. Really impressed. They were right up my alley, and the big change was that he is now certified organic starting in 2013, and also in 2013 he started to use no sulfur during the vinification. The change from '12 to '13 is dramatic but the uptick in quality from '13 to '14 and then to '15 is remarkable!First, I have a puny allocation of the utterly brilliant 2014 Domaine Habrard St. Joseph "St. Epine" for as little as $37.99 on a 4-pack. I have very little of this and the white I'll be offering down below is brilliant, and balanced orders will get a longer look. Even though I have so little I wanted to be the first person to offer this utterly brilliant bottle of wine. St. Epine is a small area within St. Joseph that is very special. This is where Gonon, Domaine de la Côte Epine and also hip/culty Herve Souhaut make terrific wines . It is from a .6 hectare slice of 100 year old Syrah vines, as there are many old vines in St. Epine, from poor, steep, granitic slopes. I walked these slopes this past February and they are barren, cruel and it's amazing vines can grow here at all. But the struggle of the vine is perfectly illustrated here. I drank a whole bottle of this my first night in France. It was sublime. I've received many emails complimenting me on my selection of St. Joseph, and I am much appreciative. Today's under the radar St. Joseph, which I drank a whole bottle of this past February, is not only delicious but had a character that was unique and it was like nothing else I've ever had. It was super red fruited and I mean super with insane confectionery fruit and terrific structure with serious sap. This was one sappy, tasty, characterful wine. The fruit/granite combo is striking. It is so crackling, vibrant and fresh yet with such intense soil character that it really tows the line between fruit bomb and soil driven wine. It is remarkable. Tarry, intense long finish. Herbs resonate aromatically and on the incredibly distinctive nose. This is one of the best wines I had while I was in the Northern Rhone. I have so little and am sorry that I am pumping it up and will disappoint so many of you. I had to beg to even get the puny amount I had!
One thing that I kind of beat the drum for is not fetishizing one producer in a particular region. It has happened much more frequently in the social media age than it used to happen in pre "we are all connected all the time" times. Basically because social media is a popularity contest, certain producers can get overly fetishized. It's good for the producer, and the wine is always good, but other wines get lost when there is one producer at the "top" that everyone wants. We all know who I am talking about in St. Joseph. The wines are great but the hype is a bit out of control. One client has tasted some St. Joseph's I sell versus Gonon blind and many times mine will win out. As a result of this phenomenon, great St. Joseph can go under the radar.
BUT everyone can get some of the ONLY 2015 Rhone White I will offer before the Fall ship, the 2015 Domaine Habrard Crozes-Hermitage Blanc for as little as $29.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. Laurent Habrard knows he is the man and since his breakout in '13, he is slowly raising his prices, like many other producers are doing for the 14's and especially the 15's. But when you have a once in a generation vintage, you need to take advantage. The whites, in '15, are just as good as the reds, and I am humbled and honored to have a sick Crozes Blanc as the first appellation wine I will offer from the legendary 2015 Northern Rhone vintage. What an insane wine. The '15 whites have the most incredible textures and depth. The depth is like nothing I have encountered. I mean nothing. He is right to raise his prices as this '15 is a huge step up on the '14 which was a huge step up on the '13. The '15 is just higher level. Dazzling purity and depth and so stylish. It is 100% Marsanne planted in the 50's and 60's from loess and granite soils. So much vivid pear and lime zest on the nose. It interplays well with a lovely zesty minerality. The nose is very aromatic and keeps revealing new nuances. Lots of honeysuckle after a while. You have no idea how deep 2015 is. I sound like a frat boy but there is an epic quality to every wine I've tasted. The texture is stunning. Almost 3-D. Glides across the palate and washes it with waves of minerals, a lovely nuttiness and finished with tremendous grip and structure. This is Hermitage Blanc quality. Easy. An endless finish with top notch complexity. Stunning. This will drink well for 15 years. Easy.
2015 Domaine Habrard Crozes-Hermitage Blanc - $31.99
($119.96 4-pack)
2014 Domane Habrard St. Joseph Rouge "St. Epine" - $39.99
($151.96 4-pack)
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