Lionel Faury farms granite in the Northern Rhône, the same decomposed rock that gives the region's great hillside appellations their nerve, and this Syrah comes off vines planted between 1995 and 2007, worked under lutte raisonnée. It's built on that granite spine: dark-fruited but lifted, with fine tannin and real minerality running through the mid-palate rather than weight for weight's sake. Some of the best value in France hides in the everyday reds of its greatest growers, and this is the proof.
Tasting Notes
One of the best sources of value in all of France is in the everyday reds of the greatest northern Rhône growers. Lionel Faury certainly ranks among these growers, and as exquisite as his Saint-Josephs and Côte-Rôties are, if you are looking for an abundance of character on a weeknight budget, you can’t do better than his Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “Les Hautes Ribaudes.” In fact, of all his bottlings, this one may best align with Lionel’s own temperament: unpretentious, charming, and full of pleasant surprises. I can just picture him popping the cork after winning one of his countless national titles of joute nautique (i.e. water jousting, look it up!), and passing the bottle joyously among his teammates along with a casse-croûte . For this cuvée, Lionel sources his Syrah from vines that stretch across the plateau above Saint-Joseph’s steep slopes. The high-altitude granite terroir gives this lithe red freshness in spades as well as a mouthwateringly mineral finish. Evoking black pepper, brambly fruit, and a leafy earthiness, this is a KLWM staff favorite every vintage—and a perfect French country red!
