Most expensive Rhone wine? Bet you are wrong
Just noticed an article on Wine Searcher listing the most expensive Rhone wines on it's listings.
Without much thought I was expecting one of the La-Las* or other Cote Rotie, or something from a top producer in Hermitage with no availability but .... I was wrong!
The most expensive wine listed on Wine Searcher was a St Joseph.
Now, I don't want to be dismissive because there are great wines from Saint Joseph but it is the largest Appellation in Northern Rhone (although Crozes Hermitage has more land under vines) but as someone famous - not me - said 'Saint Joseph are meant to be consumed while waiting for Hermitage and Cote-Rotie to mature'.
Anyway, the most expensive wine was an organic Vieilles Vignes St Joseph from Pierre Gonon.
The second most expensive wine was also a Saint Joseph, this one from Domaine Raymond Trollat . However this vineyard is long gone (now controlled by the aforementioned Pierre Gonon) which may explain the price - scarcity!
Interestingly, the third most expensive is a Chateauneuf-du-pape from Domaine de Pegau - another huge Appellation. I met the proprietor Laurence Feraud many years ago and asked why she had put her prices up so much that year (thinking low crop size or something). She replied ' cos the Americans will pay it' or something like that.
So we now know who to blame for the high prices! Just saying!
You can read more here Wine Seacher (may have a paywall)
*La-Las - Single Vineyard Cote Rotie wines from Guigal -La Landonne, La Mouline & La Turque (hence La-La!)
Without much thought I was expecting one of the La-Las* or other Cote Rotie, or something from a top producer in Hermitage with no availability but .... I was wrong!
The most expensive wine listed on Wine Searcher was a St Joseph.
Now, I don't want to be dismissive because there are great wines from Saint Joseph but it is the largest Appellation in Northern Rhone (although Crozes Hermitage has more land under vines) but as someone famous - not me - said 'Saint Joseph are meant to be consumed while waiting for Hermitage and Cote-Rotie to mature'.
Anyway, the most expensive wine was an organic Vieilles Vignes St Joseph from Pierre Gonon.
The second most expensive wine was also a Saint Joseph, this one from Domaine Raymond Trollat . However this vineyard is long gone (now controlled by the aforementioned Pierre Gonon) which may explain the price - scarcity!
Interestingly, the third most expensive is a Chateauneuf-du-pape from Domaine de Pegau - another huge Appellation. I met the proprietor Laurence Feraud many years ago and asked why she had put her prices up so much that year (thinking low crop size or something). She replied ' cos the Americans will pay it' or something like that.
So we now know who to blame for the high prices! Just saying!
You can read more here Wine Seacher (may have a paywall)
*La-Las - Single Vineyard Cote Rotie wines from Guigal -La Landonne, La Mouline & La Turque (hence La-La!)