2013 Rhône Vintage
Summary
JLL rates 2013 as 8/10 North, 7/10 South, 7/10 whites. A difficult year that rewards cognoscenti: high tannic incidence from dry conditions, with complex, stimulating, well-filled wines. JLL loves them: “Moi: je les aime!” The Northern Syrahs are the stars — structured, not yet ready, demanding patience. In the South, large Grenache losses from coulure (flowers failing to set fruit) forced atypical blends. An excellent year for Marsanne-based whites, which beat the Viognier. A “pesky sort of year that the cognoscenti would enjoy discussing over a BYO luncheon.”
Northern Rhône
Côte-Rôtie
A tricky, much-delayed year that “actually worked out well in the end.” Wines are often very good, with a little more body than the streamlined 2012s. Excellent terroir expression — STGT (Soil to Glass Transfer) wines. Older growers compared it to the 1980s. Jamet Côte Brune earned the vintage’s only six-star rating in the North. Five-star wines from Clusel-Roch Les Grandes Places, Rostaing Côte Blonde and Côte Brune, Guigal La Landonne, Stéphane Ogier Lancement, and Domaine de Rosiers Besset.
Hermitage
Very good — perhaps shading 2012 at the top end. 2013 starts from a richer, deeper base while retaining freshness. Six-star wines from Chapoutier L’Ermite and Chante Alouette, plus Marc Sorrel Le Gréal. Chave earned five stars, along with Delas Domaine des Tourettes and Guigal Ex-Voto.
Cornas
A very good vintage. Wines suit lovers of traditional robust Cornas and also those favoring easier drinking. Modern in character, with elegant fruit and mild tannins — balance is often good. Five-star wines from Allemand Reynard, Domaine Courbis La Sabarotte, and Alain Voge Vieilles Vignes.
Saint-Joseph
An excellent year. Gonon Les Oliviers earned five stars. The granite terroir shone through in the cool conditions.
Whites
An excellent year for Marsanne-based whites — rich and prolonged, ideal for la table. Whites from Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, and Saint-Péray are all worth buying. Chapoutier Chante Alouette and Marc Sorrel Les Rocoules both earned top ratings. More variable at Condrieu.
Southern Rhône
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
A fair-to-middling vintage for reds, rated below 2012 and probably 2011. Light structure, relatively early drinking. The salient features: late vegetative cycle, poor fruit set (coldest, wettest spring in recent years). Lower Grenache levels shifted wine composition, with fewer Prestige cuvees. However, five-star wines from Beaucastel Hommage J Perrin and Raymond Usseglio Imperiale demonstrate that careful producers made excellent wine.
The whites are another proposition entirely — fresh, aromatic, appealing now, with enough fat and glycerol for aging potential. Five-star whites from Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes and Font de Michelle Etienne Gonnet.
Gigondas
A tricky vintage. Many wines need time to fuse their stretched tannins. Dry, over-chewy tannins were common, though JLL believes time can help.
Top Wines (5-6 stars)
Northern Rhône:
- ★★★★★★ Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune
- ★★★★★★ Chapoutier Hermitage L’Ermite
- ★★★★★★ Chapoutier Hermitage Chante Alouette (white)
- ★★★★★★ Marc Sorrel Hermitage Le Gréal
- ★★★★★ Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
- ★★★★★ Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places
- ★★★★★ René Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde and Côte Brune
- ★★★★★ E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
- ★★★★★ Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie Lancement
- ★★★★★ Ben & David Duclaux Côte-Rôtie Maison Rouge
- ★★★★★ Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard
- ★★★★★ Domaine Courbis Cornas La Sabarotte
- ★★★★★ Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes
- ★★★★★ Domaine Gonon Saint-Joseph Les Oliviers
- ★★★★★ Bernard Faurie Hermitage Bessards-Méal
- ★★★★★ Marc Sorrel Hermitage Les Rocoules (white)
- ★★★★★ Domaine Georges Vernay Condrieu Coteau de Vernon
Southern Rhône:
- ★★★★★ Château de Beaucastel CdP Hommage Jacques Perrin
- ★★★★★ Domaine Raymond Usseglio CdP Imperiale
- ★★★★★ Château de Beaucastel CdP Roussanne Vieilles Vignes (white)
- ★★★★★ Domaine Font de Michelle CdP Etienne Gonnet (white)
- ★★★★★ Perrin Domaine du Clos des Tourelles (white)
Key Themes
- A connoisseur’s vintage: Not crowd-pleasing in youth — high tannins, firm acidity, and structural demands require patience and understanding. But the wines are complex and stimulating, with genuine depth.
- Coulure devastated Southern Grenache: The largest consequence of the cold, wet spring. Wines from CdP have atypical blends, with lower Grenache proportions than normal. Fewer Prestige cuvees were made.
- Northern Syrah triumphs: JLL places a clear preference for the Northern reds over the South this year. The Syrahs are “not yet ready at all” as of his writing — demanding years of cellaring.
- White wine excellence: The Marsanne-based whites are the sleeper hit — rich, prolonged, outstanding at Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, and Saint-Péray. JLL: “freshness, not acidity.”
Sources
sources/articles/JLL/rhone_vintage_reports.json— JLL vintage reports (2013 Northern Rhône, 2013 Southern Rhône, The 2000s and 2010s Overview)