Stunning Syrah from the "East Village of the Northern Rhone"& Gamay grown on Granite from St. Joseph?

About 25 years ago the streets of the East Village of New York were littered with needles and no o ne in their right mind would go there.  Then the artists and some brave restaurant owners moved in, made it safe and now it's a hot, hip neighborhood. So it goes.  It's the same with wine.

St. Joseph was demeaned as "rustic" and now it's the hottest new region and getting pricey so I've found the new St. Joseph.  This wine is one of my favorite 2013's from my recent trip up this past Februrary in the Northern Rhone. The 2013 Domaine les Alexandrins Crozes-Hermitage "Attirance" for as little as $24.99 on a 4-pack is on offer today. That is a terrific mouthful of wine for a ridiculously low tariff. I asked Jeb Dunnuck to taste their wines and he gave this a 90-92 and said "it is another serious wine from this estate." This is something that can age for 10 years, easy. But it will be in prime time in 5-6 years. You know this wine is special as soon as it is poured and one sticks their nose in the glass, as it has a big, pure, perfumed nose. Just beautiful and grapey, and floral, while also exhibiting terrific depth. A lot to smell here. Vivid almost 4-D aromas. Peppery of course as this is Syrah from Crozes, but the purity of fruit on the nose is something special. The palate has terrific perky acidity and lovely deep, dark and saturating fruit along with wonderful, top notch finesse and purity. Again with that word (purity) but it really rings true here. That is the calling card of the estate. Classy, elegant and amazingly pure wines. This is only the second time I have offered this wine as it sells out in France and this is very limited. By now everyone knows how terrific 2013 was in the Northern Rhone. The wines have a baby 2010 epic quality to them as they come into their own. They are significantly better than the 2012's, which was the opposite a year ago. I'm really liking this vintage as it has gained body and depth since February. I think as it ages the comparison to 2010 will become more pronounced. Like an 85 to 83 thing, with 2010 being 83 and 2013 being 1985. You'll be happy to have any of these vintages in your cellar.

The second wine is from the last Northern Rhone region made famous on the backs of some hard working winemakers.  It's a St. Joseph, but it's made from Gamay, the grape of Beaujolais.  Purity is a word we all see tossed around a lot when it comes to wine. Today, we might have the purest of the pure. At least for the value it presents.  I just opened a bottle of the 2013 Domaine Les Alexandrins IGP "Intution" for $19.99 on a 4 pack.  which is Gamay grown in a small plot in St. Joseph on granitic soils. Guillhaume Sorrel is at the helm and if that name rings a bell, it should as Marc Sorrel is his son.  Most people can't make sense of Gamay in the Rhone but indeed Beaujolais is in the Valle du Rhone so Gamay on granite a few hours away is totally feasible. This is one of the most original wines in the Northern Rhone as it takes Gamay and Syrahthinizes it. It is just so much like a St. Joseph from a noble terroir that you forget you are drinking IGP Gamay. It just shows, almost more than any other wine I've had, that if you have a great place, the grape can be far secondary. Just a vehicle. It makes me wonder if plant some Gamay in Cornas what would happen. Or some Syrah from the Cote de Py. These areas are not as dissimilar as one  would think. It's very reminiscent of a great St. Joseph much more than it is reminiscent of a Gamay grown in St. Joseph. Would have a 98% stump rate in blind tastings. But beyond that it is so staggeringly pure. It has an amazing delicacy and breed of something much finer, more distinct. 2014 Intuition brings to it ample minerality, beautiful pure fruit and solid structure that gives this wine 2-4 years of prime drinking but can last a bit longer, and amazing length. I love this wine for its extravagant fruit, mineral cut, amazing purity, and wonderful silken texture. Totally unique and every time I open a bottle it surprises me. As this wine goes it needs one year to really start to show well. Now that I have 2 vintages of experience I am just starting to understand the wine. It needs that time to settle down. For both vintages I've offered the '12 and '13 the boat ride set this wine back six or so months. But patience is rewarded. It really blew me away last week.

2014 Domaine Les Alexandrins IGP "Intuition" - $21.99 ($79.96 4-pack)

2013 Domaine Les Alexandrins Crozes-Hermitage "Attirance" - 

$26.99 ($99.96 4-pack) (VERY LIMITED)