So I finally got to taste the much-hyped Dard & Ribo last night - one of four bottles I bought from The Sampler. (If four sounds a bit miserly let me tell you they're not cheap in the UK. The Crozes-Hermitage - which is what we were drinking - is £27.)But it was absolutely worth it for the best Crozes I've ever tasted. Pure, live syrah, every sip was thrilling. It could have been young Côte Rôtie and absolutely vindicates the natural wine approach. A snap judgement but it struck me that Dard et Ribo are to Crozes what Lapierre was to Morgon - someone who makes you completely rethink your view of an appellation.
You can read all about them on the excellent Wine Terroirs blog here and on US importer Louis Dressner's site here.
Oh, and just for the record it was a fruit day . . .
Just a short word of comment on « not cheap ». If the wine is as good as you say – and I have a tendency to entirely believe you in this case (as well), though I didn’t taste this particular bottle – 27£ is not an extortionate price, is it? My elements to judge about this are: the pleasure I derive from a wine, in the first place; the state it leaves me in afterwards (the “aftermath”); the yield and other factors infuencing the production costs, both outdoors and at the winery; the scarcity; the age ... All the rest I care very little for.
ReplyDeleteSo, you’re absolutely right: it was quite probably “absolutely worth it”. Maybe you should contemplate buying a full case when it’ll be a “If-I-were-a-rich-man-day!”.
Oh, I contemplate it alright, Luc. Just the bank balance won't quite stretch to it at the moment . . . And very good value, for sure.
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