Much of my wine writing during 2010 focused on France’s northern Rhône valley, first while writing that chapter for DK Publishing’s mammoth Opus Vino, and more recently while writing the region’s wine reviews for DK’s forthcoming 1,000 Great Wines for Every Day. I adore the wines from the northern Rhône, and yet I’m conflicted about contributing even a little to their renown by writing about them. The fact is that the appellations are so small and make so little wine (less than one tenth of the production of the southern Rhône) that once the world wakes up fully to their rarity and greatness, the party is going to be over. For good.
To place the scarcity issue into perspective, a single vineyard like the famous To Kalon in Napa Valley is much larger than the whole appellation of Hermitage and almost identical to the entirely of Côte-Rôtie. Once the word gets out about that, mere mortals will no longer
be able to afford the wines.
Depressing as this prospect is for me, I persevere in writing about the northern Rhône for two reasons: First, I’m aware that any renown that my writing might lend to the wines is dwarfed by that contributed by the house of E. Guigal in every single vintage. And second, Guigal’s amazing mastery in every Rhône appellation–right down to the least glorious ones–proves that delicious wines will still be available even after Hermitage and Côte Rôtie are beyond my reach.
Headed by Marcel Guigal, this house is the most important domaine 
and négociant in the northern Rhône and also a principal source for southern Rhône wines such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc and Rouge, making Guigal the pivotal producer for the entire Rhône valley. Guigal’s significance is indicated by the fact that the house vinifies more than 40% of all the wine produced in the appellations of Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie, but even more impressive is Marcel Guigal’s ability to make the very best (and most expensive) wines from appellations such as these.
In recent years Guigal’s white wines have become nearly as impressive
as the amazing reds, and the bottlings from formerly second-string areas like St.-Joseph have elevated the entire appellation’s reputation to unprecedented heights. I’ve been writing about wine for long enough that I’m no longer easily over-awed, but I don’t mind admitting that I stand in awe of what is being accomplished by Marcel and Philippe Guigal, about whom I’ll be writing more here on WRO early in 2011.Wine of the Year
Wine of the Year
W. Blake Gray stole my initial choice for Wine of the Year when he cast his WRO vote for Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling 2009. There’s no doubt in my mind that that wine stands as the single most impressive winemaking achievement in the USA during the past year when quality, quantity and value are all taken into account.
Nevertheless, Blake’s thievery caused me only a moment of hesitation, because the best wine I tasted all year was another bottling from 
Washington state, namely, Leonetti Cellar Walla Walla Valley Reserve 2007.
A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Franc, the wine is a marvel of harmonious complexity even at this early stage in its development. It is impressively concentrated, yet not heavy in the showboat style of “statement wines,” with very deep and persistent flavors that show both red and black fruit notes. Intricate aromas include notes of cedar, woodsmoke and spices, and in structural terms, the symmetry of fruit, wood, acidity and tannin is, well, perfect. I scored the wine at 98 points when tasting it in July, and if I had had sufficient time to let the wine
open before completing my evaluation, it might well have earned those last two points.
Chris Figgins has taken the helm at Leonetti, but the entire family remains involved in this remarkable enterprise, which has been built from scratch since 1977 in a do-it-yourself, pay-as-you-go manner that recalls a nearly forgotten but enduringly admirable mode of American entrepreneurship. If there’s a better wine or a better winery in the USA than this, I am unaware of it.
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