2019 Northern Rhone?

Just received my first offer of a 2019 Northern Rhone. I am having trouble finding much on the quality of the vintage. I was in Italy in June and early July and will attest to it being very hot–but the usual chorus is singing the vintage’s praises. I’m not yet convinced. Any thoughts on the quality of 2019s?

I just read the other day that it will be the 5th great vintage in a row. Steady heat, then saved by rain before it was too late. Compared to 15 but with more acidity.

I have yet to even taste a 17 or 18!

i was just wondering about this and it seems in certain parts of france 2019 was hotter than 2003. unsure what the overall result will yield but i am doubtful i will trust the hype train when it inevitably rolls into town.

I love sneaker-guy personally but he definitely took some notes from Rimmerman on sales:

The 2019 Vintage in the Northern Rhone
Well, I am the bearer of good or bad news for how you decide to take it. 2019 is an utterly brilliant vintage and it is to me, after tasting extensively, a brother or sister to 2010 but the style is only a tiny bit different. It is not a “solar” year as they say up there but also I found at most estates yields were low and there was not an over concentration of fruit and the tannins are so so fine and elegant. If 2010 had 15% more fruit it would be 2019. Acid is just terrific as are the insane cut and freshness which brings ridiculous clarity to the fruit. That’s what this vintage is about in two words. Cut and Freshness. Transparency. Okay, three words. Just crackling fruit and velvety tannins that are super precise and fresh which gives you a window into the soil expression. You’ll know when you taste and feel the wines on your palate. Just amazing. To have this wealth of clean, precise fruit with these tannins makes the wines so appealing and elevates these to a great all time vintage. Combine that with the best terroir transparency since 2010 and you have a winner. They are all so great. As I look back on my 19 barrel notes I really really loved this vintage. Almost every wine had stunning aromas for being so young. Just stunning. There were various different stem inclusions at different estates. Some 33%, some 50%. That is always a great thing for complex aromas. Especially with age. One thing also is the length of the 19’s is as long as the 10’s, if not longer. So many long finishes. Next up is the density of the wines. All of them. Just dense. Dense like you wouldn’t believe. The higher up the ladder you go the more profound the textures and tannins become. Even when the tannins are bountiful they are ripe and elegant. Out of the five great vintages in a row, 2019 has a low yield but the most crunch and precision. If I had to give a sound bite on the red carpet for some awards show it would be “DOMINATED BY SOIL, MINIMAL PUPPY FAT, CAN BE JUICY, FRESH AND CONCENTRATED.”

So, in other words, mortgage the house and BUY.

Sneaker-guy being…?

LOL, that’s what I was thinking. Just contacted my usual source to see if they were getting 2017 Chave St. Jo.

He whose name cannot be mentioned unless the mods want 8000000 PMs from him to remove any text generated by him.

I had a hunch.

Josh,
My description came from Spectator, I double checked my memory accuracy which was correct. They say more acid than 15 or 18 which I can get behind if generally true. I think it would go without saying that it would be true for 16/17, I tend to be skipping many 17 because I’m reading it as a very solar year.

What’s “puppy fat”?

Or should I not really want to know the answer to that question?

It’s what fills up the sneakers.

It’s similar to baby fat, but only cuter.

I tasted a few '19s in barrel, Benetière, Cédric Parpette, and Clusel Roch, and they were remarkably succulent and tonic at the same time, with moderate alcohols, and no signs of overipeness or cooked/stewed fruit tones. Very promising.
Same deal for some early glimpses at '19 red Burgundies.
I’m glad that it seems to have worked out: first birthyear vintage to supply…
[give_heart.gif]

A brief JLL thought on '19 N Rhone: “2019, by the way, is extremely promising, with greater freshness and a more fluid style than 2018: a vintage to be extremely interested in. I will be posting notes on those I tasted during my many visits.”

17 N. Rhone is tasty from what I’ve had so far. Not solar. 15 tastes super solar. 17 just tastes like a juicy vintage

Rhône - Beaujolais - Burgundy, kind of all go together like this in both vintages.

have you found Rhône 17’s to carry enough acid for the juiciness, that has been my hesitation. I’ve yet to try any, but I’ve no doubt that they can be quite a pleasure to drink.

+2

“A more fluid style” [scratch.gif]