2022 Kermit Lynch, Côtes du Rhône, Rhone Valley, France.
The delicious, deeply colored and ripe Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône again is a wildly good value and a savvy choice for everyday drinking with expressive, authentic flavors and style in the glass that is very hard to beat for the price. As mentioned, this basic Rhône red offering that is usually made up mostly older head trained and dry farmed Grenache, along with some supporting amounts of Syrah, Cinsault, and Carignan, to name a few of the grapes in the cuvée, though the 2022 is much heavier in Syrah than normal, which adds even more complexity and depth. The 2021 and 2022 vintages are some of the best versions I’ve had to date, and again though I’ve mostly ignored this one and talked about other Côtes du Rhônes here, I always knew this wine was a tasty choice, but its been elevated in quality in recent years. The 2022 has a darker fruit character, with with the classic collection of spice, grilled herbs, earth and wild flowers on the satiny full bodied palate. The 2022 is very dark purple/garnet with crushed boysenberry, plum, pomegranate and blueberry fruits, with no wood used here, along with sticky lavender, delicate florals, spicy rosemary, pepper, minty anise and a loamy/stony element. Made with native yeasts, a 25 day maceration, and all fermented and aged in cement vats, the 2022 interestingly was 46% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 9% Mourvèdre, 5% Carignan, 3% Marselan,(a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache) and 2% Cinsault. As noted, this wine may have less Grenache than per normal, it still shines through and helps plush out the mouth feel and its unique combination of varietals make it all the more impressive, especially considering the size of production here. What’s not to like? This wine goes beautifully with Fall favorites or more hearty cuisine as well as simple dishes
The Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône red, which as noted before here at grapelive.com, is now sourced from Demazet Vignobles, a cave co-op in Morières-lès-Avignon, with François Pasturel overseeing the winemaking, located just south of Avignon, in a top area for Grenache, with alluvial soils. Working a handful of growers in the nearby town of Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne, which boasts an excellent terroir of galets roulés, those large round stones, which Kermit says is not unlike the much more famous Châteauneuf (du Pape) which is actually only just a few miles away! Kermit, who loves this region and who has many collaborations with vignerons in the area works closely with winemaker Jean-François Pasturel to develop the blend for this signature value bottling of Côtes du Rhône Rouge each year. Pasturel, himself a purist says he is thrilled to have the chance to produce a Côtes du Rhône he can be proud of, especially one he does not have to filter to death. Kermit can tell there is a true commitment to quality for this one and It is François’ chance to make a tête de cuvée, and you can almost taste his pride and joy in the glass. Some of the other Kermit value Rhônes come from Domaine de Durban in the village of Beaumes-de-Venise, which are a bit riper in style, while Demazet Vignobles, who’s been bringing small independent farmers sustainable income and making wine from interesting outlying areas here since 1929, and it’s a great fit to make this bargain red for Kermit, a wine that sometimes gets overlooked in his great portfolio, but one that never disappoints. I suggest getting to know all of the Kermit Lynch southern Rhône cuvées, including this easy to love Côtes du Rhône bottling, as well as step up Côtes du Rhône Villages and the white and red Vin de Pays de Vaulcluse selections.
($15 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive