Famille Bréchet - Sth Rhone 2016 & 2017

"The 2016s have everything you could want in wine. You can’t go wrong with any of these."
— Jeb Dunnuck

Located just across the hill from Rayas, Chateau de Vaudieu continues to make a ripe, sexy, quasi-modern style of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They release a number of cuvées, most of which are small parcel releases intended to highlight a specific terroir. These are powerful, rich wines that never lose their sense of balance and purity. This historic estate has been run with incredible precision and passion by Laurent Bréchet since 1990. Today he’s aided by superstar Rhône consultant, Philippe Cambie.

"The last few years have witnessed a huge leap of quality for both red and white wines at this 70-hectare estate, whose vines are situated on some of the best sites of the region. Of that land, 10 hectares are planted to white varieties, mostly Grenache Blanc but with a good chunk of old-vines Roussanne, most of which winds up in a single-variety bottling that, to my mind, is one of the premier white wines of the southern Rhône. Like the red wines here, the whites are highly perfumed and polished, with plenty of upfront charm but also the depth and balance to ensure a long, graceful aging curve."
— Josh Raynolds, October 2018

Vintage 2017
"The team at Château du Vaudieu, led by Laurent Bréchet as well as consultant Philippe Cambie, is firing on all cylinders and continues to produce a bevy of truly world class wines in every vintage. The estate is located not far from Rayas and the wines are rich and powerful, yet never show any signs of rusticity or coarseness. These are elegant, seamless, singular wines. The 2017s showed brilliant with most rating at the upper end of their barrel reviews, which is always a good sign. These are incredibly Provençal, sexy, balanced wines that make the most of the vintage. I think Château De Vaudieu are fashioning some of the greatest whites of the region."
— Jeb Dunnuck

Domaine des Bosquets - Gigondas
"This superb estate covers 26 hectare and is run by the talented Julien Bréchet, who is Laurent’s brother (in charge of Chateau Vaudieu) Philippe Cambie also consults here, and the wines have beautiful polish and elegance, while not losing their Southern Rhône soul. Julien also vinifies the brilliant single vineyard Côtes du Rhône Villages - Domaine de La Jerome at his Gigondas estate."
— RobertParker.com