The "Una Furtiva Lagrima" of the Rhone: The Single Best Value in Côtie-Rôtie, The Most Beautiful Wines in the Rhone for Me

2016 Christophe Billon Côte-Rotie "Les Elotins"
 - All from Côte Brune
 - A Top 10 Cote-Rotie Producer for Under $45
 - Top Notch Complexity
 - Lovely Floral Elegance
 - No Regrets: Stock up and Drink When You Want

2016 Christoph Billon IGP "Corendies"
 - Our Best Value Entry Level Rhone
 - Gorgeous, Delicious, Juicy Syrah
 - Floral Aromatics and Complexity of a Much More Expensive Wine
 - Best "Tuesday Night" Syrah Value Around at Under $25

I listen to a good amount of opera. I love it when I work. And there are a large number of beautiful

arias.  "Che Gelida Manina" from Puccinis La Boheme, "Celeste Aida" from Verdi's Aida and the incomparable "Queen of the Night: from Mozart's Magic Flute spring to mind as a few favorites. But for me, the most hauntingly beautiful is "Una Furtiva Lagrima" from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore.  It is sung by the tenor, Nemorino who realizes that the love of his life has fallen in love with him.  I'm not a sappy romantic but the almost sorrowful joy in his voice always makes me a bit weepy.

I sort of feel the same way about Cote-Rotie.  There is something special about Côte-Rotie that sets it apart from the other two "Grand Cru" appellations in the Northern Rhone, Cornas and Hermitage. Every time I open a Côte-Rotie I get the shivers. The butterflies in my stomach. It's like certain Grand Crus in Burgundy also make me feel that way. Corton Charlemagne Romanee St. Vivant make the hair stand up all over my body. But every Côte-Rotie does. I had one Saturday night that was all anyone at the table could talk about. There is an emotional aspect to Côte Rotie that I think can be attributed to the idea that Côte-Rotie is above all a wine of finesse. And as I get older and taste more younger and older examples, the floral aspect of Côte-Rotie just gets me every time, especially as I get older. The aromas force me to stop and smell the flowers. I'm getting butterflies now just by writing this offer. Côte Rotie is so good and I think is the most underpriced great red wine in the world.

The Wines
Today's wine is the single best value in Côtie-Rôtie today. Côte-Rotie as good as the 2016 Christophe Billon Côte-Rotie "Les Elotins" for as little as $45.99 a bottle on a 4-Pack and $43.99 on 8 bottles or more is just absurd. The 2016 Elotins has a huge expressive nose that is full of big berry fruit. Blueberry and blackberries abound with lovely floral top notes. So refined, nuanced and complex. Has a $75 nose. Stunning depth to the aromas. Stunning fruit purity to the beautiful palate. Such well integrated wood with such deep fruit. Just pumps and saturates your palate with all this fruit. Sweet but not too sweet as it's awash in minerality. Incredibly silky tannins that spread out on the exceptionally long finish. So complex already and so so pure. Insane freshness keeps the fruit and minerality pumping on the long finish. This wine is just incredible and ideally will be at primetime drinking in 3-5 years. It's likely much better now than when I tasted in late January. Will be bottled in September.

I've been back and forth to the Northern Rhône now every year since 2012 and have tasted most of the wines in multiple vintages. Well the wines worth a hoot anyway, and there is no single better value in Cote-Rotie than than Maryline & Chiristophe Billon's Côte Rotie. It's all from Côte Brune and is always a great ager. But what I love about this cuvee is that after 3-4 years it starts to drink really really well. Like you get the full blown 3D Côte Rotie experience.

I opened a 2013 last night to prepare for this email and the wine knocked me on my butt. I could not believe how great it was. Beguilingly fresh with brilliant aromas and depth. 5 year in and right on schedule. The 2011 is also in a terrific place as is the wonderful 2010.

The 2016 Vintage
The sweet spot in 2016 is Côte Rotie, as it was in 2015. 2 brilliant albeit different vintages than remind me of the 90/91 legendary duo. Christophe is at the top of his game in 2016 as he is just coming off his high scoring 2015s and soaking up all the acclaim. Not really. The guy is as humble as they come. His 2016s are killer from top to bottom. Incredible expressions of Côte-Rotie and so refined and beautiful. Incredibly aromatic and so deep. There is a density to them as well as sleek squeegee type blackberry and dark red berry fruit. Incredible freshness and refinement.


Today I've got one of, if not the best 2016 Northern Rhone value I will offer. The 2016 Christoph Billon IGP "Corendies" for $24.99 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 as soon as it arrives. Here is a video of me enjoying the 15 recently. I will admit while I did enjoy it, it could use a few more years and I'd rather drink the 2016 now. Any vintage of this wine scratches the itch for a ready to drink, unabashed, joyful, authentic Northern Rhone goodness that bats way above its average. Add some 2016 (I swear it's like 91/14 cross) 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 but can and will engage your brain while also being delicious. Beautiful, juicy Syrah from the granitic soils of Vienne. Stunning floral red berry fruit that verges towards blackberry with sweet, ripe and wonderful quality tannins. It's intensely sweet but balanced by such freshness and seems more refined than 15 if maybe a bit less fruit. You'd only notice it if you had them side by side and not just a solo bottle as it's just absurdly fruity on its own in any vintage. It's already terrifically complex and so juicy with all that fruit. It's absurd how good this wine is. The fruit is dark and the structure here is epic, velvety and ultra refined 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 finesse and classicism from 2016 makes this by far one of the best ones 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 of Billon 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 as quantity was way down compared to 2015.

2016 Maryline & Christophe Billon Cote-Rotie "Les Elotins" - $47.99 ($183.96 4-pack, $351.92 8-pack) (LIMITED)

2016 Maryline & Christophe Billon IGP "Les Corendies" - $26.99 ($99.96 4-pack0 (VERY LIMITED)