GSM, Stéphane Ogier

Stéphane Ogier is one of the hottest 100-point winemakers in all of France, and if you want to experience his bar-setting Rhône wines, you have a few options. You can spend $300+ on one of his collector-coveted Côte-Rôties, you can shell out double that to enjoy one with a MICHELIN-starred meal in NYC in Paris, or you can partake in his 2018 Côtes-du-Rhône Le Temps Est Venu.

Grown on 30 to 50-year-old vines located in two renowned villages and crafted by an emerging legend whose wines are 'worth the search' [according to Wine Advocate], it’s a Côtes-du-Rhône for the ages.

Jeb Dunnuck called Ogier 'one of the most exciting domaines in the world of wine today,' and Stéphane Ogier’s Côtes du Rhône Le Temps Est Venu has gained a rabid following among those familiar with his work. It’s not just the name—although we’d pay twice this price for any wine with 'Ogier' on the label—it’s that he procures his grapes from Plan de Dieu and Visan, two of just 17 Côtes-du-Rhône locales honored as Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, often the last stop before full-fledged AOP status [see: Gigondas, Vacqueyras]. In other words, he tapped the best possible vineyards.

His blend is classic Southern Rhône, consisting of 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah [his specialty], and a hint of brooding Mourvèdre. Grown in clay-limestone soils on vines that average between 30 and 50 years of age, the grapes are hand-harvested, double-sorted [in the field and in the winery], and fermented in whole bunches using native yeasts. After ten months in concrete, the wine is rich, vibrant, and boasts all the red-fruit ripeness that we love from the region.