Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring the wines of the Northern Rhone Valley Thursday October 8th 6pm
Okay we poppin champagne like we won a championship game
- Popping Bottles by Lil Wayne and Birdman
The wines of the Northern Rhone are very different from the South as Syrah is the star of the show here. The wines of Cote Rotie and Hermitage are rare in that the regions are fairly small and the top wines are made in minute quantities like Guigal's La La wines made from three of the top vineyard sites of the Cote Rotie region.
The granite hills of Hermitage rise above the Rhone at Tain l'Hermitage where the river bends sharply to the east before resuming southward flow. This gives the vineyards a direct southern exposure. Vines have been grown here since Roman times, and Pliney the elder wrote favorably about the wines of the region. The locals claim that vines were first planted here by Phocaean Greeks around 500 BC. Although the evidence is not conclusive, Greek coins and amphorae dating back to 500 BC have been found in the area.
Join us as we experience over two dozen wines of the Northern Rhone including, hermitage, Cote Rotie, Crozes Hermitage and more. The fee for this tasting is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring The Wines of the Northern Rhone
Thursday, October 8, 2026
6:00 PM
2021 Les Alexandrins Maison Crozes-Hermitage Blanc
Price: $37.50 Your Price: $33.7
Pretty color with shiny reflections. Each grape variety is vinified separately in demi-muids and concrete vats allowing this wine to reveal a superb balance between the structure of Marsanne and the tension of Roussanne. On the nose, it offers a magnificent aromatic bouquet of smoky notes and toasted bread subtly mixed with aromas of white-flesh fruit and white flowers typical of these northern grape varieties. The mouth is silky, round with a perfectly balanced bitterness, a touch of acidity and minerality.
This wine is perfect as an aperitif served with a prawn platter. It also pairs well with grilled fish and works a charm with white meat, especially poultry.
Blend: 60% Marsanne, 40% Roussanne
2023 Monier Perreol Saint Joseph Rouge
Price: $61.50 Your Price: $55.35
A wine with the energy of the great outdoors! Or, as my partner said, “It has a ‘just shot a boar’ kind of vibe.” Flint, bramble, and fruit: the nose is full of supple black cherry and cured olives, with hints of smoked-meat gaminess around the edges. The palate has grip and a pleasantly surprising lick of brightness. —Allyson Noman
2024 M. Chapoutier Crozes Hermitage Blanc Les Meysonniers Rhone
Price: $58.50 Your Price: $52.65
(92 Points) A pronounced thread of green herbs brings a savory dimension to this oily- textured version, with real weight and lushness to its yellow plum and star fruit. Shows a flattering brush of toast and salted butter, while shades of chamomile and dried grass grace the focused, well-balanced finish. Wine Spectator
2021 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Rouge Les Meysonniers
Price: $58.50 Your Price: $52.65
(90 Points) As usual, this bottling shows more substance than the la Petite Ruche. The 2021 Crozes Hermitage les Meysonniers delivers peppery spice and ripe cherries and blueberries in a medium-bodied format. Silky, pure and elegant, it finishes long, with a slightly tart edge. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2021 E. Guigal Crozes Hermitage
Price: $39.00 Your Price: $35.10
(90 Points) Notes of lilac, iris and dark cherries introduce the 2021 Crozes-Hermitage from Maison E. Guigal, a medium- to full-bodied, round and sappy wine built around a juicy core of fruit and concluding with a long, charming finish. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2021 Guigal St. Joseph Lieu Dit
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $40.50
(92 Points) More somber than the Saint-Joseph bottling, the 2021 Saint-Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint-Joseph evokes aromas of spices, dark berries, gentian, pencil lead and bay leaf. Medium- to full-bodied and structured, it offers a deep core of succulent fruit, elegant tannins and a long, saline finish. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Reyes
2023 Jaboulet Croze Hermitage Les Jalets Blanc
Price : $33.75 Your $30.38
Les Jalets is the ancient term for “galets", the large, round, well-worn stones that were carried down from the Alps by glaciers during the last ice age. The Marsanne and Roussanne vines grow on low terraces in soil pebbled with galets. These rounded stones soak up heat from the sun during the day and release it at night, enabling grapes to mature at an optimal steady pace. The organic grapes are hand-harvested and whole bunches are lightly pressed. The must settles for two days before being racked and fermented in a combination of French oak barrels (50%), and concrete egg and stainless steel tanks (50%). It is then aged for 8 months on fine lees in these containers.
2021 Jaboulet Croze hermitage Domaine Roure Blanc
Price : $70.50 Your $63.45
Domaine de Roure is a vineyard purchased by Paul Jaboulet Aîné from the Roure family in 1996. It is one of the oldest estates in the appellation. Located in the commune of Gervans in the north of Tain l’Hermitage, this estate has a beautiful valley with incredible biodiversity. Jaboulet has founded its second nature preserve here.
The Marsanne vines are planted on South-facing slopes in deep soil of white earth and loess. The vines are between 25 and 80 years old. The grapes are hand-harvested and pressed as whole bunches. After settling, the juice is fermented in concrete eggs and demi-muids. The wine then ages on the lees for 3 months in the same containers.
2021 Jaboulet Cornas les grande Terrasses
Price : $64.50 Your $58.05
Les Grandes Terrasses is named for the extremely steep terraces supported by small dry stone walls that overlook the Rhône Valley. These parcels on the South-facing slopes of the hill behind the village of Cornas have soil of decomposed granite called gore and produce rich, full-bodied wines. The Syrah vines are 20 to 60 years old. The grapes are hand-harvested, sorted, destemmed (100%) and crushed. The maceration lasts for 3 to 4 weeks with daily pump overs. The wine is then aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, 20% of which are new. Potential to age up to 15 years.
2021 Jaboulet Crose Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert
Price : $47.25 Your $42.53
Domaine de Thalabert is the oldest estate in the Crozes Hermitage appellation. It has been the property of Paul Jaboulet Aîné since it was founded in 1834. The ruins of the ancient building of Clos Gounon and its surrounding meadows and forest in the middle of the vineyard form a protected nature preserve to encourage biodiversity. It is the first of its kind in the region.
The Syrah grapes for Thalabert are grown on old vines between 50 to 90 years old with deep roots in stony soil of glacial origin. The round pebbles absorb the heat of the sun during the day and release it throughout the night, enabling grapes to mature at an optimal steady pace. The grapes are hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and destemmed. The maceration lasts for three weeks with daily pump overs. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels (of which 20% are new). It has the potential to age up to 20 years.
2022 Jaboulet Saint Joseph La Grande Pompe Rouge
Price : $45.00 Your $40.50
Le Grande Pompée is a 9th century character from Victor Hugo’s The Legend of the Ages who fought alongside Charlemagne and loved a wine from the slopes of the right bank of the Rhône. Saint-Joseph is an appellation on the right bank with steep hillsides that were carved into terraces in ancient times. The 10- to 30-year-old Syrah vines for this wine are planted in granite and schist soils on a South-East facing slope. This soil type grows Syrah that brings density and texture to the wine. The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented. The maceration lasts three weeks with daily pump overs. The wine is then aged for 12 months in tronconic (truncated cone-shaped) French oak vats. These truncated vats allow for more reductive ageing which preserves the fruity aromas of the wine. Potential to age up to 10 years.
2020 Jaboulet Cote Rotie Domaine les Pierrelles
Price : $187.50 Your $168.75
Côte Rôtie is one of the oldest vineyard regions of France and was developed by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, it is said that Seigneur de Maugiron divided his land between his two daughters, one blonde and one brunette. The two slopes of Côte Rôtie – Côte Blonde and Côte Brune – were named after these sisters.
Les Pierrelles is a vineyard located in the heart of Côte Blonde, which is known for producing smooth, well-rounded wines. It was named for the dry stone wall surrounding the vineyard, with “pierres” meaning stones in French. The 30- to 50-year-old goblet trained Syrah vines grow on a steep 56-degree South-facing slope in soils of decomposing michaschists and exposed bedrock. The organic Syrah grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, 20% of which are new, and demi-muids. Potential to age up to 15 years.
2021 Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage Rouge
Price : $390.00 Your $351.00
In 1224, a knight named Henri-Gaspard de Sterimberg returned from the Crusades and sought solace on the hill now known as Hermitage, where he built the Saint Christophe chapel and began cultivating vines. He was deemed a hermit and was the inspiration behind the name of the Hermitage appellation, a single hill with a diversity of soil types.
La Chapelle Hermitage Rouge is made from 40- to 100-year-old Syrah vines grown in the western Hermitage on steep slopes using goblet on stakes training. The Les Bessards and Varogne parcels have granite soil, and bedrock is exposed in several places due to erosion over the past 400 million years. Syrah grown in this soil is dense and graphite-like with tight tannins and silky texture. The highest terraces of the Méal and Rocoules parcels are pebbled with limestone, and Syrah grown there has fleshy and sensual texture with aromas of ink and black fruit. The organic grapes are hand-harvested, placed in small crates, and then hand sorted on sorting tables. Fermentation takes place over ten days using yeasts indigenous to the Northern Rhône. Phenolic compounds are gently extracted by punching down and pumping over, followed by a post-fermentation maceration that lasts around two weeks to allow the components of the wine to meld gradually. The wine is then aged for 12 months in French oak barrels – of which 15% are new - and cement concrete eggs.
SGWS
2021 Louis Barruol Cote Rotie Les Roses, Rhone
Price: $92.25 Your Price: $83.03
Restrained in comparison with the more flamboyant Crozes, but on another level of refinement. It speaks softly, yet it has so much to say: lilies, bacon fat, spices...it could only be Côte Rôtie. Delicate and perfumed, it is ready now. Simple preparations of quality ingredients will highlight all the detailed nuances of this fine Syrah. —Anthony Lynch
2022 Louis Barruol Cote Rotie La Boisselee
Price: $102.75 Your Price: $92.48
Hard to believe, but by the 1960s most of the Côte-Rôtie was abandoned to wild brush. One could earn far more money growing apricots along the Rhône than one could growing grapes on the slopes above. What was once celebratedthe world over had quietly slid into oblivion. Thankfully, a few growers weren’t fazed and carried on, earning neither fame nor fortune in return. Even the French had forgotten about Côte-Rôtie, the only remaining clients being local industrial workers who paid pennies for the privilege. Kermit and a fortunate few found their way here in the 1970s, tasted what was then largely a floral, earthy, complex, and sometimes gamey style, and had the foresightto bring it back to market. Slowly the jewel was rediscovered. Soon, though, everyone wanted to make Côte-Rôtie “great” again, which many interpreted as powerful, strong, sucker-punch wines. The old, rustic style began to fade away. Along came Louis Barruol, with a near-fanatical obsession for the Côte, its terroirs, and its lore. Louis channels the Côte-Rôtie of yore in his vinifications, with a few seemingly simple yet essential guidelines: select grapes from the greatest terroirs (there is indeed a hierarchy, much like in Burgundy, although not codified here), use only Petite Serine (an older, heirloom type of Syrah), whole cluster bunches (the stems are essential), short macerations, and indigenous yeasts. The result here has some meaty “roast” and concentration (which its name implies) and a rustic side (the stems?), all within a soft velvet glove. —Chris Santini
2022 Barruol Lynch Crozes Hermitage Tiercerolles
Price: $42.75 Your Price: $38.48
Great Syrah nose that leaps from the glass: blackberry, juicy blueberries, a hint of pepper. Inky and mouth-filling, with a chewy tannin you can really sink your teeth into. The perfect burger wine to drink over the next five years. —Anthony Lynch
“Les Tiercerolles” is a medieval unit of measurement for parcels of land, and this single-vineyard has been around at least that long! It’s aromatically intoxicating with deep notes of violets.
2023 Lionel Faury Cote Rotie 'Les 3 Brunes' Rhone
Price: $108.00 Your Price: $97.20
(93 Points) A perfumy red, with violet and a pronounced mineral streak alongside sanguine notes of smoked meat. Offers density and a supple feel, with juicy acidity and finely polished tannins edged in graphite holding everything together. The finish stays firm, showing a chewy hint of tobacco. Syrah and Viognier. Drink now through 2038. 180 cases imported. Wine Spectator:
To be honest, before opening this wine, I planned to tell you to tuck away Lionel’s deep, old-school Côte-Rôtie for the next decade or so. Then I dipped my nose into a glass and let out a great big sigh of Syrah-induced satisfaction, reveling in the exuberant, juicy dark fruit aromatics melding with earthy undertones of bitter cacao. Don’t get me wrong. In ten years you’ll be over the moon if you manage to keep your hands off. But I can’t in good faith recommend that you miss out on the freshness and purity of fruit awaiting you today. Importer (Kermit Lynch)
2023 Lionel Faury Saint-Joseph 'Les Ribaudes' Rhone
Price: $51.00 Your Price: $45.90
(92 Points) Pretty lavender perfume introduces this firm, restrained version, with sanguine energy -- salty umami, smoked bacon, camphor -- infusing a base of brambly black currant and herbs. Smoky alder wafts on the finish, where tannins keep a very firm hold. Wine Spectator
2020 Jean Luc Colombo Cornas Terres Brulees
Price: $49.50 Your Price: $44.55
(96 Points) An energetic nose of red plum, raspberry, wild strawberry, olives, violets and peppercorn creates an exciting tone. The palate is undeniably refreshing, with briny acidity that accentuates its ripe fruit profile. It is delicious now, so stock up on a few bottles for the cellar. — Anna-Christina Cabrales Wine Enthusiast
2020 Jean Luc Colombo Cornas Le Ruchets
Price: $121.50 Your Price: $109.35
(94 Points) Sleek and polished, with a bold cascade of blackberry confit, singed garrigue and warm fig, this is delicious and opulent yet powered by a savory undercurrent. Offers charred cedar that adds depth and roundness to the palate, while the pull of salt and crushed iron offsets the silky, dense character. This has staying power. Best from 2025 through 2032. Wine Spectator
2023 Delas Freres Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes Rhone
Price: $33.00 Your Price: $29.70
(91 Points) The 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes is composed of around 80% fruit from the alluvial plains, complemented by grapes from Gervans and Larnage on granitic soils, and was matured partly in used barrels (around 20%). It opens with a bright bouquet of dark fruits and violet, offering a fresh and floral aromatic profile with notes of mulberry. Medium-bodied, juicy and elegant, it’s gourmand and immediately appealing, though not especially deep. More tense and structured on the palate than the nose suggests, it remains straight and well-defined, concluding with an ethereal finish. The Wine Advocate, May 2026, Yohan Castaing
Maverick Johnson Brothers
2023 Stephane Ogier Viognier de Rosine
Price : $51.00 Your $45.90
(91 Points) A vivid, fresh and comforting viognier. It shows notes of pears, bergamot, dried lemons and quince peel with some white peaches. It’s medium-bodied with fresh acidity and a supple texture. White fruit and white flowers mingle nicely in the caressing finish. James Suckling
2023 Stephane Ogier Condrieu La Combe de Malleval
Price : $82.50 Your $74.25
On the palate, the wine is silky and generous, showing ripe stone fruit, pear and floral honey balanced by crystalline acidity and a distinct mineral thread. There is richness and depth, yet the 2023 retains impressive tension and precision, avoiding the heavy tropical character sometimes associated with Condrieu. The finish is long, refined and lightly saline, with lingering peach skin, citrus zest and spice.
2021 Domaine Bott St. Joseph
Price : $79.50 Your $71.55
(93 Points) Glass-staining violet color. Spice-tinged aromas of fresh black and blue fruits, olive and pungent flowers show sharp detail and a touch of smokiness. Sappy and focused on the palate, offering gently sweet, mineral-laced cherry, boysenberry and exotic spice flavors that deepen slowly with aeration. The blue fruit note drives a long, spicy finish that's given grip by youthfully firm but even tannins. One-third whole clusters. Vinous
2022 Stephane Ogier Saint Joseph le Passage
Price : $66.00 Your $59.40
(92 points) "Matured for one year in barrels, the 2022 Saint-Joseph Le Passage soars from the glass with aromas of mulberries, violets, dark berries and spices intertwined with a delicate, lovely reduction. Moderately weighted, supple and elegant, it has a juicy core of fruit, velvety tannins and an enrobing texture, typical of Ogier's style, concluding with a long, fine-grained and ethereal finish. Entirely destemmed, it should age gracefully over the next 8 to 10 years." The Wine Advocate
2022 Stephane Ogier Syrah La Rosine
Price : $44.25 Your $39.83
(91 Points) Another superb value from Stephane Ogier, crafted from vines planted on the commune of Turpin on granite soils, the 2022 La Rosine Syrah offers up aromas of Timut pepper, violets, mulberries and dark berries mingled with lovely floral hints. Moderately weighted and delicately juicy, it's round and perfectly balanced with a sweet mid-palate and a fresh core of fruit that leads to a long, fresh and delicate finish. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2022 Domaine des Combat Crozes Hermitage
Price : $51.00 Your $45.90
The 2022 Domaine des Combat Crozes-Hermitage Rouge is a 100% Syrah red wine from the Northern Rhône region of France, managed sustainably by Sandra Combat.
2023 Pierre Jean Villa Saint Joseph Rouge Preface
Price : $55.50 Your $49.95
(93 Points) A plump, generous style, with perfumed violet, licorice and bitter plum alongside juicy blackberry, herbs and salt. Fresh, showing beautiful fruit purity, with a plume of apple wood smoke and iron shavings. The talc-fine tannins make for early drinkability. Drink now through 2032. 833 cases imported. Wine Spectator
2023 Stephane Ogier Cote Rotie Mon Village
Price : $108.00 Your $97.20
(94 Points) I must confess that I approached the 2023 Côte-Rôtie Mon Village without particular expectation, yet it proved one of the more arresting surprises of the tasting. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of mocha, freshly ground coffee, dark berries and spices, subtly framed by oak, it is medium- to full-bodied, layered and finely textured. A fleshy core of fruit is supported by velvety tannins, leading into a perfumed, lively finish redolent of licorice, violets and dark berries. Introverted at first, it gains amplitude and definition with air, concluding on a note that is both flamboyant and precise. Kudos! Wine Advocate
Menu
Peach and Prosciutto Pizza
Sonoma Chicken Salad Slider with Walnuts and Cranberries
Moroccan Lamb Meat balls
French Onion Soup Shots
Cheese and Charcuterie
The fee for this Happy Hour Wine Tasting is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com
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