Having said that every once in a while I have a hankering for a wine that has a good amount of fruit. But the big wines I like today must share the characteristics that the wines I normally drink have. Acidity, freshness, finesse and aromatics but with the requisite full bodied character. For me there is one producer I will turn to for my big wines and that man is Marcel Richaud. He just knows how to attain that perfect balance between body and all the other cool things I, and most likely, many of you enjoy in wine. I have two wines from Richaud today and am excited because I am also running out of big wines in my cellar.
Up first is the 2014 Marcel Richaud "Rasteau" which can be had for as little as $29.99 on a 3-pack. It is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. He semi de-stems it, depending on vintage, and vinifies and bottles with low sulfur. Marcel is considered one of the founding fathers of the natural wine movement. I love Rasteau as it has a big body naturally and has so much tarry fruit it reminds me if they grew Grenache in the Langhe it would resemble this. It has one of my wine checkmarks right at the beginning, which is a wonderfully aromatic nose. It is deep and mineral. Also lovely floral aromas develop with air. The palate is a garrigue party with so much mineral inflected fruit and the classic Richaud depth of flavor and purity. This is a lot of wine for $29.99. There is tannin but it is fine, elegant and very chiseled. And so much freshness. As John Livinsgstone Learmouth says so aptly it is a naked wine with no pretense and no camouflage. In a word, tantalizing.
I also have a tiny bit of the 2012 Marcel Richaud Cairanne l'Ebrescade for $39.99 a bottle on a 3-pack. This is blend of 35-48% Grenache, 17-35% Syrah and 25-35% Mourvèdre. It used to age for 8-9 months but since the cellar expansion in 2010 it has been raised to 24 months. Richaud makes lovely everyday Cairanne cuvees but when you get to L'Ebrescade and the new cuvee "Estrambords" the up-tick in quality is as big at any winery I have ever experienced. The price delta does not match the up-tick in quality. When Michel Bettane worked for the RVF (Revue de Vin de France) he did a 20 year vertical for an article on Marcel Richaud's brilliant Cairanne "l'Ebrescade" VV and every wine was not only still gorgeous and youthful yet displaying secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors, but most needed even more time. The 2010 I sold many of you is maybe the best since the 2001. That 2001 is the best since 1996. This 2012 falls in the middle. I can proudly offer one of my absolute favorite wines in the world. I have sold every vintage since the 2001, that has been available to me and will continue to do so as this is an absolutely insane wine. The nose is so fresh and complex with wild flowers, garrigue, dark berry fruit, licorice, mint and menthol, but also keeps opening to reveal nuance. The 2012, has vastly improved in bottle now versus when the last batch landed in the Spring of 2015. It needed a 4-5 hour decant last time, but now it is delicious out of the gates. Incredible purity, juiciness and opulence. Rich without being heavy. So deep and hedonistic and intellectual at the same time. Just incredible wine. Even though there is minimal sulfur I have drunk bottles of the 2010 over 4-5 days and they gain in complexity and freshness. I see this wine aging 20-25 years. I know many people regretted passing on this last time but do not miss it this time.
2014 Domaine Richaud Rasteau - $32.99 ($89.97 3-pack)
2012 Domaine Richaud Cairanne "l'Ebrescade" - $42.99 ($119.97 3-pack) (LIMITED)
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