Perhaps the Best Cornas Deal I'll Offer: Under $30 for Star Producer Remy Nodin

Two 2016s - An Incredibly Elegant Vintage That Is Drinking Incredibly
An Wonderfully Fresh Cornas with the Structure to Age
Fantastic Crozes Aged with no Wood - Great Crozes Character

Unlike athletes, who reach a peak and then have a steady decline, winemakers keep getting better and

better and better. There is no decline. The leaps they also make are much more pronounced when they are younger. In 2015 Remy Nodin made astonishing wines and the feedback has been great from many happy clients. The wines are just stupid values and as Remy gets better, the wines will go up in price.

Remy shares many of the same traits as our other young. He is obsessed with his vines and meticulous in the vineyards. What differentiates him is the absolute seriousness and complexity of his wines.  It's almost impossible to find wines this complex at these price points but because he's new and not yet famous and I buy direct, these are incredible values.

Need I mention, that 2016 is shaping up to be a brilliant vintage in the Northern Rhone.  Usually after the vintage of the century there is a some fatigue. But the 15s generally are for the cellar. So don't drink them! As I've said before, I believe 2016 is a mirror image of 1991. Don't we all wish we had more 91s. The wines are perfect and so elegant and will age wonderfully. If you like Northern Rhone wines, you should stock up on 2016 as they will drink well young while you wait on the 15s but also will age about as long as 15 if not a bit less.

Today I am thrilled to offer the greatest Cornas value ever, the 2016 Remy Nodin Cornas "Les Eygas" for as little as $29.99 bottle on a 4-pack. He only made 125 cases which is down from the 150 he made in 2015. This is only the third vintage and I have no idea how Remy made a 2016 that is almost at the level of his brilliant 2015. The color, first of all is what strikes you. It is as compelling a color for a red wine as you will see. Dark, almost black with a slight dark red at the edges. Then the aromatic display starts. Herbs, dark cocoa, meat, dark berry fruit that is ultra vivid. Stones (granite) minerals. Just the whole package. You want to keep smelling it for minutes but you don't because this is 2016 and the story is the refinement and no matter how great the nose is the palate is better as 16 has that uncanny juxtaposition between insane levels of ripe fruit allied with ridiculous freshness that 15 has but a skoche less. It is the hallmark of the vintage. The freshness and the finesse. It is just so utterly compelling that once these land there will be no reason to drink anything else.  It has all the deep black fruit you can possibly want and mouth coating ripe tannins with freshness and finesse that barely makes sense.  So much tapenade, black olive and an amazing stony minerality on the nose develop after air. The finesse is amazing as it glides across the palate but then crashes with explosive fruit on the finish.  The Eygas needs a 2-3 hour decant now (and are better on the second day). A long finish that saturates and saturates and saturates with the promise of a good 15-18 years ahead of it. This is a no brainer at this price. Cornas under $30??? What? Act quickly!


Remember when I said that young winemakers improve so quickly? It was in the beginning of this e-mail if you forget already? Hey, I know you're all pumped on $30 Cornas, who wouldn't be, but I'm about to introduce one of the best N. Rhone values I'll sell. It is the 2016 Remy Nodin Crozes-Hermitage Classique for $19.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This is the bottling below the Le Mazel and the main difference is the elevage. The wines sees no wood. Zippo. This wine is a stunner. It's naked Crozes. It is full of unadulterated pure fruit and wonderful Crozes character. Just brilliant. Olives, gravy, tapendade, smoke and leather on top of ooozing blackberry fruit. It squishes on your palate like a squeegee on a wet tennis court. It really has tons of fruit but also nice earth/mineral character as well. The wine is stunning and I'm happy to add it to the portfolio.

2016 Remy Nodin Cornas "Eygas" - $31.99 ($119.96 4-pack)

 

2016 Remy Nodin Crozes-Hermitage "Classique" - $21.99 

($79.96 4-pack)