Holiday Countdown 2022 (DAY 4) - Hervé Souhaut La Souteronne 2021

Holiday Countdown 2022 (DAY 4) - Hervé Souhaut La Souteronne 2021
These are the top wines that stood out among the thousands of wines I tasted this year. Some are always in stock, some are rare and hard to find, but all of them are sure to fill you with joy this Holiday Season.   
DAY 4:    
Hervé Souhaut is a stylistic outlier in France's Northern Rhône Valley, and that's why I love his wines so much. From ancient, rocky parcels where anyone else would craft brooding, driving, and unapologetic Syrah, Hervé grows this Gamay.

As you can imagine, this is no ordinary Gamay as it couples the grape's inherent joyful and juicy fruit with a touch of classic, peppery Northern Rhône spice. It is a wine I've loved for many vintages, but I believe this is his best release yet. 

This wine possesses a lightness and subtlety that gives the drinker just enough quietude and headspace to understand the multidimensionality of this fascinating grape. A Northern Rhône version of a classic Beaujolais that delivers more vibrant flavor and intrigue than anything I drank from Gamay's homeland this year.
Hervé Souhaut 'La Souteronne' 2021 - $44.99

SPECIAL NEWSLETTER PRICE - $39.99

To order, reply directly to this email or call me at 843.576.4845
Hervé Souhaut works 5-hectares of old and ancient vines with two vineyards in Saint Joseph being just opposite the storied hill of Hermitage. The region is widely recognized as being one of the finest areas for wine production on the planet, thanks in part to its elevation, old vineyard sites and southeastern exposures. 

His philosophy is to extract a delicate balance, to make a wine with subtlety and finesse. This stands in contrast to many of the storied wines of the Northern Rhône, which are made with much more tannin extraction, and often are practically undrinkable in their youth. Time is always needed for them to soften and open up.

Hervé prefers to make a wine that is drinkable right away, but I must say his wines have such a fantastic level of purity and acidity that they age spectacularly.
100% Gamay from 80 to 100 year old vines grown on granite soils in the sub-region of Ardêche. The hand harvested grapes are fermented with whole bunches in large wood casks then aged for eight months in used oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered. 

A shimmering purple in the glass, with effusive aromas of black cherry, strawberry, fig, pepper and dried herbs. The energy and verve on the palate is unmatched, combining crunchy berry fruit, flinty minerals and silky tannins. A wine that just makes me so happy every time I drink it.        
Justin Coleman
Proprietor
Monarch Wine Merchants
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