2006 Rhône Vintage (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
Summary
2006 is a vintage of delightful fruit, free-wheeling and fresh from its first days, with style in the tannins. A vintage unfairly overshadowed by 2005 (before it) and 2007 (after it), 2006 has been drinking very well in recent years. In the North, the wines are complex and reserved to start with, needing time, but hold good structure for the long haul. In the South, intrinsically accessible and easy to drink, with an ingrained harmony in the best wines. JLL rates the vintage NR 8, SR 8, Whites 8.
A real counterpoint to the locked-up, broody 2005s — JLL’s analogy: “The Mods on their Vespa Scooters come whizzing along after the Rockers have noisily trashed the town.”
Northern Rhône
Overview
A slow-gain vintage with many classic qualities. The picture, now that most wines have been bottled and settled, is of wines that reward patience — complex, reserved to begin with, but holding good structure for the long haul. The Northern Rhône 2006 is more of a sleeper than the flashier 2005.
Key Details
JLL describes the 2006 Northern Rhône as a vintage that needed time to reveal itself. The wines tightened up after their initial approachability, then blossomed. This is characteristic of a well-structured vintage with genuine terroir expression rather than flashy fruit.
Southern Rhône
Overview
2006 Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds are intrinsically accessible and easy to drink. Two decades ago this would have been a more irregular vintage, but improved vineyard care, harvesting, and cellar practices have raised the floor. The word that appears most in JLL’s notes is “balance” — an ingrained harmony in the best wines.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition Reds
The wines do not all possess the frame for an intriguing, varied evolution, but the best make good wines for the table. Within weeks of fermentation ending, they tasted brightly. During 2008, evolution became less even — more brooding wines on show than before, a natural post-bottling phase.
Grower perspectives:
- Domaine de la Solitude (Jean Lançon): “For us, 2006 is better than 2005. Not everyone will tell you the same story. 2006 is a bit richer in tannin and more profound, and expresses very much black fruits.”
- Domaine Durieu (Vincent Durieu): “We had very whole berry fruit, in a very Grenache style rather than a terroir style in 2006. 2005 is more a terroir year.”
- Domaine de la Mordorée (Christophe Delorme): “I found our Châteauneuf not bad — no more than that — at the start, but now in June 2008 I find it gaining as it matures.”
Top Tradition reds (JLL ratings):
| Rating | Producer | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★★★★★★ | Château Rayas | 2026-31 | |
| ★★★★★ | Domaine Chante-Perdrix | 2021-24 | |
| ★★★★★ | Domaine Charvin | 2027-29 | 12/12 up from ★★★(★), STGT |
| ★★★★(★) | Château de Beaucastel | 2026-28 | |
| ★★★★(★) | Château Fortia | 2023-25 | |
| ★★★★(★) | Château de la Gardine Tradition | 2022-24 | 12/12 singing, interesting |
| ★★★★(★) | Clos du Mont-Olivet Papet | 2041-43 | 02/24 bright, free running, terroir |
| ★★★★(★) | Domaine du Pegau Réservée | 2030-32 | 11/15 enjoyable, local, true 2006 |
| ★★★★ | Henri Bonneau | 2029-31 | 11/15 sparky, naked, unadorned |
| ★★★★ | Clos des Papes | 2031-33 | 11/15 big, stationary |
| ★★★★ | Les Cailloux | 2024-27 | |
| ★★★★ | Vieux Télégraphe La Crau | 2024-26 |
Top Prestige reds (JLL ratings):
| Rating | Producer | Drinking Window |
|---|---|---|
| ★★★★★ | Les Cailloux Centenaire | — |
| ★★★★★ | Domaine de la Charbonnière Mourre de Perdrix | 2024-26 |
| ★★★★★ | Domaine Font de Michelle Étienne Gonnet | 2023-25 |
| ★★★★★ | Domaine Giraud Les Grenaches de Pierre | 2025-27 |
| ★★★★★ | Mas de Boislauzon Cuvée du Quet | 2025-27 |
| ★★★★(★) | Domaine de la Janasse Vieilles Vignes | 2024-26 |
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Whites
After the potent 2005s, the 2006 whites present greater ease of drinking and softer textures. Sound acidity gives both immediate clarity and potential for second-stage evolution. JLL senses a rustling in the undergrowth that white Rhônes may finally be achieving recognition after 30+ years of his advocacy.
Top 2006 whites: Château de Beaucastel VV (★★★★(★)), Château Rayas (★★★★(★)), Vieux Télégraphe La Crau (★★★(★)).
Key Themes
- The underrated vintage — Sandwiched between the mighty 2005 and the hyped 2007, 2006 has been unfairly overlooked. Recent tastings show it drinking very well.
- Balance over power — The signature of 2006 is harmony rather than concentration. These are wines for the table, for eating out.
- Grenache style over terroir style — As Vincent Durieu noted, 2006 expressed grape variety more than soil, in contrast to the terroir-driven 2005.
- Long-distance runners at the top — Rayas, Clos du Mont-Olivet Papet, and Clos des Papes all have drinking windows extending into the 2030s-2040s.
Sources
sources/articles/JLL/rhone_vintage_reports.json— 2006 Northern Rhône, 2006 Southern Rhône (JLL / drinkRhone.com)