2019 Rhône Vintage (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
Summary
2019 is an exceptional vintage across the Rhône Valley, with the Northern Rhône outshining 2018 decisively and the Southern Rhône delivering its best wines since 2016. JLL’s headline: at Côte-Rôtie, “be ready! Prepare your finances. You have been warned.” The success of the vintage turned on crucial August rain that prevented vineyard stress — though the rain varied by appellation, giving fluid, racy wines in the north and more solar, dense wines at Cornas. In the South, 2019 is well superior to 2018 across the board, with much greater consistency of quality. A dry and very hot summer produced wines full of packed content, robust and firm in style, with extended length.
Northern Rhône
Overview
The vintage is exceptional at Côte-Rôtie, where August rain was healthy, producing wines that are full but have flair, generous delivery, lovely length, real flow, and good structure. They are not sunstruck. Degrees have moved from the old 13.5% to around 14.5%, but balance is maintained. JLL rates 2019 as beating 2018 across the board at Côte-Rôtie.
The rain picture varied dramatically by appellation: Hermitage received 50mm in August, Mauves (Saint-Joseph) received 25mm, and Cornas was dry that day. This means Cornas carries relatively more dense packing, placing it closer to 2018 in style.
Crozes-Hermitage was complicated by a gigantic June hailstorm that swept from the Aveyron to Savoie, costing some domaines up to 80% of their harvest.
JLL calls this “a phantom vintage” — the Covid pandemic meant it was hardly tasted by the international press. His 2021 visit was the first by a non-French journalist most growers had seen all year.
By Appellation
- Côte-Rôtie — Exceptional. Fluid, racy wines with flair and flow. The northern sector excels. Jamet classic blend rated five-to-six stars (“tremendous vintage”). Rostaing Côte Blonde five stars.
- Hermitage — Very good to exceptional. August rain kept balance. Chave rouge five-to-six stars (“verging on six stars if everything clicks”), inspired by Le Méal. Sorrel Le Gréal four stars with “inner power, strength, reserved; long-range potential.” Faurie Bessards-Le Méal six stars (“spectacular truth”).
- Cornas — More solar packages due to dry August. On a par with 2018 rather than the more fluid style elsewhere. Allemand Reynard five-to-six stars. Clape five stars (“southern tone, brooding, mystery”).
- Saint-Joseph — Very good. Gonon rouge four-to-five stars (“ripe, layered black fruits, mystery, leather; a big wine”).
- Crozes-Hermitage — Complicated by June hail. Variable quality depending on hail impact.
Southern Rhône
Overview
After the mildew devastation of 2018, the healthy 2019 harvest came as a blessed relief. A dry, very hot summer produced wines full of packed content, robust and firm. The Grenache performed well but high sugar levels led to high degrees — careful blending with less “hot” varieties and a light touch in the cellar were essential. Excess extraction was a no-no given thick skins and low juice levels.
Growers are increasingly incorporating cool, low-degree varieties such as Cinsault and Counoise into blends wherever possible.
By Appellation
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape — Very good indeed, certainly ahead of 2018 and 2017. The reds have packed content and extended length.
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc — Very good vintage; many wines with stuffing, the best giving elegance as well as stylish content.
- Gigondas — Excellent. Fresher, later vineyards have done well. Good balance and bundles of freshness. More freshness and riper body than 2018. Mourvèdre also did well.
- Tavel — A top vintage, with the full body and extended length of the year.
- Cairanne, Vinsobres, Rasteau — Good reports across these appellations.
Top Wines
Northern Rhône
- Faurie Hermitage Bessards-Le Méal — six stars; “spectacular truth”
- Chave Hermitage Rouge — five-to-six stars; Méal-inspired, “verging on six stars”
- Allemand Cornas Reynard — five-to-six stars; massive potential
- Jamet Côte-Rôtie (classic) — five-to-six stars; “tremendous vintage”
- Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde — five stars; vigorous exuberance
- Clape Cornas — five stars; “southern tone, brooding, mystery”
- Gonon Saint-Joseph Rouge — four-to-five stars; “ripe, layered, a big wine”
Southern Rhône
- Vieux Télégraphe La Crau red — five-star STGT; “rich, concentrated, beautifully persistent”
- Clos des Papes red — outstanding (six-star 2016 comparison; 2019 ranked among the grandiose years)
- Château Rayas La Pialade — “buzzy, up, a real wild hedgerow nature with a saucy oiliness”
Key Themes
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The phantom vintage. Covid prevented most international critics from tasting 2019 in person. JLL was the only non-French journalist to visit many domaines in 2021, making his notes among the only comprehensive primary-source assessments of this outstanding year.
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Rain as the great differentiator. August rainfall varied dramatically — 50mm at Hermitage, 25mm at Mauves, zero at Cornas. This created a spectrum from fluid and racy (Côte-Rôtie) to dense and solar (Cornas) within the same vintage.
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Southern Rhône recovery from 2018 mildew. After the worst mildew attack since 1973 devastated 2018 yields (especially for organic estates), the healthy 2019 harvest was a blessed relief, with much greater consistency across appellations.
Sources
sources/articles/JLL/rhone_vintage_reports.json— “2019 Northern Rhône” and “2019 Southern Rhône” (JLL / drinkRhone.com)