Marcoux’s silky, deep and perfumed Côtes du Rhône is drawn from two small parcels of old vines on the edge of the Châteauneuf vineyards in the northern sector near Orange (one hectare at Maucoil, planted in the 1930s and another hectare at Boislauzon planted in 1965). These biodynamically farmed old vines are on the edge of Châteauneuf—not all Côtes du Rhône is created equal. The blend of the 2019 is 80% Grenache with a balance of Syrah, Mourvèdre and a little Cinsault. The harvesting was done by hand, and fermentation was in cement tanks with wild yeast (the wine rested on skins for a total of two weeks).
We haven’t been offered an allocation of this cuvée for some time—even in healthy years, supply does not come close to meeting demand, says Armenier—and this is a great example of what we have been missing. It’s packed with the lucid, unoaked vivacity of fresh-picked raspberry with a strawberry sherbet suppleness flecked with bay leaf and garrigue. Marked by signature Marcoux finesse, the palate is textured like velvet and finishes long and fine with tapering chalky tannins adding to a tenderly structured finish. Both seductive and balanced, and far, far better than you would normally expect of this AOC, it’s a cracking baby Marcoux born to go with a plate of charcuterie, grilled lamb cutlets or a cheese course.