NV Xavier Vignon SM2 (750ml)

From Côtes du Rhône, Rhône, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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“Easily one of the best winemakers in the Southern Rhone”

Jeb Dunnuck

B-21 Rhone lovers and collectors know to expect a powerful, deeply complex red that’s incredibly delicious as well as insanely underpriced from genius winemaker Xavier Vignon, and the thrilling 94 pt. NV Xavier Vignon SM2 does not disappoint, a 50/50 blend of Northern Rhone Syrah and Southern Rhone Grenache from two exceptional vintages offering pure, elegant fruit with seamless balance and stunning longevity unbeatably priced to savor again and again over the next decade.

Arriving the Rhone Valley after honing his blending skills in Champagne and working in top wine regions around the world, winemaker Xavier Vignon quickly became an expert in coaxing the best qualities from the region’s varied terroirs, establishing an unmatched reputation consulting for such luminaries as Marcoux, Raymond Usseglio and La Nerthe and cultivating a network of growers of some of the region’s oldest vines to craft his visionary blends. Preferring to age wines up to three winters before bottling and two winters after bottling, Xavier’s unique winemaking style of extended vinification and bottle aging can lead to wines being held back five or six years before reaching the market, but with minimal overhead because he doesn’t own an estate, Xavier has maintained his exceptional value pricing since his first release nearly two decades ago, his portfolio representing “a treasure trove for the savvy buyer” according to Jeb Dunnuck. Blended from grapes harvested in 2015 and 2016, both exceptional vintages in the Rhone, “SM” stands for “Septentrional” (of the North) and “Meridional” (of the South) referring to the Northern Rhone Syrah and Southern Rhone Grenache that makeup the NV Xavier Vignon SM2. Selecting specific low yielding parcels with high minerality that produce outstanding concentration, the Syrah comes from 50 year old vines in 15 different plots located on sandy, granite and loess soils while the Grenache come from vines over 80 years of age grown on 21 different plots of varied terroirs consisting of sand, gravel and limestone pebble soils. Hand harvesting, destemming and sorting on the plot, Xaiver aged the Grenache in concrete tanks and the Syrah in a mix of mostly truncated wooden vats and single use barrels for 20 months, blending the two varietals with flawless instinct to yield a rich and powerful NV Xavier Vignon SM2 that’s “going to drink nicely for a decade” according to Jeb Dunnuck.

Only the second time Xavier has crafted his unique multi-vintage North South blend, it's impossible to overstate the exceptional depth, complexity and sheer drinkability of the 94 pt. NV Xavier Vignon SM, standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the top CDPs at a mere fraction of the price and crafted by a singularly brilliant winemaker who never fails to deliver the goods.

94JD

93WA

A blend of the 2015 and 2016 vintages, the NV Côtes du Rhône S M checks in as the same equal parts Grenache and Syrah raised in tank and barrel. A huge nose of cassis, ground black pepper, garrigue, and olive tapenade gives way to a ripe, rounded, medium to full-bodied effort that has good acidity, building tannin, a seamless, light texture, and a great finish. It's a singular wine that has a big kiss of Northern Rhône Syrah with a touch of the rounded, sexy, opulent style of the south. It's going to drink nicely for a decade.

94 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Aug 2018)

A blend of 50% Syrah from the Northern Rhône with 50% Grenache from the Southern Rhône, the NV Vin de France SM Second Edition is a fascinating wine, combining smoky, peppery, herbal notes with ripe black cherries. Full-bodied, plush and velvety, Vignon allows that it's "more 2016 than 2015" in style, but no matter how you characterize it, it's a lovely, complex wine for drinking over the next 6-7 years.

93 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Issue # 239 - Oct 2018)

Alcohol By Volume: 14.5%

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$24.99

60+ bottles in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.

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