I had a wonderful visit with Christoph Billon this past March and tasted through his otherworldly 2015s. And I mean just otherworldly. The levels of pure and vivid fruit are like nothing I've tasted in 2015. They reminded me of some of the young 2002 Cote de Nuits reds in their intensity, vividness, purity and freshness. I'm not saying 2002 Cote de Nuits (Rousseau, DRC, Roumier) wines tasted like Syrah but what I am saying is in their respective categories, 2015 Billon reds and many of the higher 2002 Cote de Nuits, had a fruit intensity/energy/purity that I've really only encountered in those two limited sets of wines. I know it's kind of an odd cognitively dissonant comparison to make but I actually find it very clear and completely makes sense to me. Having said that the fruit intensity on all of Billon's reds is not something to overlook in 2015 and starts from the ground up.
Today I've got one of, if not the best 2015 Northern Rhone value I will offer. The 2015 Christoph Billon IGP "Corendies" for $19.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. I love this wine and have happily sold '12, '13 '14 and '15. The wine is just pure joy. It is on my list of Top 10 IGP wines and is the best value on that list. This is a wine that you can drink with aplomb as soon as it arrives. Any vintage this wine scratches the itch for ready to drink, unabashed, joyful, authentic Northern Rhone goodness. Add some 2015 Magic Dust and you've got a wine to go deep on. Every bottle I've opened has been better than I thought it would be. It does that every time. This is the throw it back Billon bottle. Beautiful, juicy Syrah from the granitic soils of Vienne. Stunning floral fruit that verges towards blackberry with sweet, ripe and wonderful quality tannins. In 2015 the fruit is almost sugar covered but in the best way. It's intensely sweet. It's already terrifically complex and so juicy with all that fruit. It's absurd how good this is. The fruit is dark and the structure here is epic but it's all balanced and so pure. There is also a hint of smoke to add complexity. Corendies is so juicy and refreshing with wonderful knock it back acidity. The extra layer of depth from 2015 makes this by far the best one I've sold and I've loved every vintage. It is 100% destemmed and aged in 3-4 year old 228 L oak casks for 18-21 months and then bottled. Tasting this wine was a revelation as this gives you the style but you don't have to wait. Obviously not as complex or deep as the Cote-Rotie but you don't have to wait. I love finding wines like this. A wine of distinction and character for an affordable price. This might have to be allocated.
Up next I have the 2015 Maryline & Christophe Billon Terres de Vienne VDP "Le Batie" for $32.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This wine is not some knock back IGP wine. Not at all. This is essentially a wine that is from an ancient appellation across the river from Cote Rotie. It's basically Cote Rotie's brother from another mother. The Vienne area has a river and on one side are the Cote Rotie vineyards and the other side is Vinene and vineyards there. These wines have their own character that is unique and different than Cote Rotie. More sauvage and animal but just as floral. A lot of people call a lot of things "baby Cote-Rotie" and this is not that either but some might call it that. I think of it as "another Cote-Rotie" as it is similar to Cote-Rotie but just from another place across the river, which is Vienne. This is from a site in Vienne that has very hard granite. Also 100% destemmed which adds to the early allure of these two Billon cuvees. It is aged the exact same way as the Corendies except it is from a better site in Vienne that used to be as good as Cote-Rotie 100+ years ago. This wine is ridiculous. It is full blown "other" Cote-Rotie. Floral, ripe, gamey, and just plain beautiful aromas that again jump out of the glass. The better 2015s are just perfect examples of glorious Northern Rhone Syrah. So many cherries with an emphasis on black cherry. Sappy and dense with terrific volume and amplitude and some ripe high-quality tannins but all perfectly balanced. Tangy and complex the Batie really shows amazing palate presence for a wine of this price point. Completely and utterly thought- provoking Syrah.
2015 Maryline & Christophe Billon VDP "La Corendies" - $21.99
($87.96 4-pack)
2015 Maryline & Christophe Billon Terres de Vienne VDP "Le Batiem" - $34.99 ($131.96 4-pack)
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