Marie and Marcel run Domaine Richaud, with Marcel as winemaker and Marie as manager. Marcel makes some wonderful wines, mostly of the little known village appellation Cairanne. His estate is made up of plots inherited from his parents as well as rented parcels, so some grapes are sold to the local co-op or to négociants. His own wines are made in large capacity cement vats, each varietal is vinified seperately and blended some 8 months later.
Richaud’s wines are said to be very popular in France, selling out almost immediately after release. In the United States it does take a little bit of work to find his wines. Chambers Street Wines in New York is one of the best bets, but I was also pleasantly surprised to find a few of his bottles at Arrowine in Northern Virginia today.
I opened a bottle of the Terres de Galets 2007 last night and was nothing short of impressed. Dark purple in color. Aromatics of dark fruit, violet and some raw meat. Succulent and lush on the palate, with ripe dark cherry and currant with leather, pepper, granite and black olive. A modern style Côtes du Rhône, with great mouthfeel and purity of fruit — but not entirely fruit driven by any means. I thought this was an outstanding example of a Côtes du Rhône. Pretty serious stuff and not your father’s Côtes du Rhône. I am making way for Richaud on my short list of favorites from the Rhône valley. A little bit more expensive than most Côtes du Rhônes, but worth every penny. Recommended.
Another gem of a wine imported by Louis/Dressner Selections.
Favorites from Côtes du Rhône 2007
Domaine Gramenon Sierra du Sud
Domaine Gramenon La Sagesse Côtes du Rhône
Domaine Gramenon Les Laurentides Côtes du Rhône
Les Aphillanthes Côtes du Rhône
Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône-Villages-Cairanne
Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône Terres de Galets
Escaravailles Côtes du Rhône
[...] Montirius Vacqueyras Garrigues 2005 Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône Terres de Galets 2007 Domaine Depeyre Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2007 Breton Chinon Beaumont 2004 Edmunds St. John [...]
[...] Maxime-François Laurent Il Fait Soif 2007 Domaine Depeyre Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2007 Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône Terres de Galets 2007 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2007 Guigal Côtes du Rhône [...]
[...] Maxime-François Laurent Il Fait Soif 2007 Domaine Depeyre Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2007 Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône Terres de Galets 2007 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2007 Guigal Côtes du Rhône [...]
[...] Maxime-François Laurent Il Fait Soif 2007 Domaine Depeyre Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2007 Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône Terres de Galets 2007 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2007 Guigal Côtes du Rhône [...]
[...] Maxime-François Laurent Il Fait Soif 2007 Escaravailles Côtes du Rhônes (2007 & 2008) Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône Terres de Galets 2007 Domaine Depeyre Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2007 Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône [...]
[...] du Rhône Domaine Gramenon Les Laurentides Côtes du Rhône Les Aphillanthes Côtes du Rhône Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône Terres de Galets Escaravailles Côtes du [...]
[...] Domaine Alary Cairanne La Font d’Estevenas Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône-Villages-Cairanne Domaine Richaud Côtes du Rhône Terres de Galets Domaine Gramenon Les Laurentides Côtes du Rhône Escaravailles Côtes du [...]
[...] to dinner at Le Gorille Blanc on our first night and I was more than a little excited to see his ‘07 Galets offered by the glass. In the United States it takes a little bit of work to find his wines [...]