2018 Domaine Alain Voge Les Peyrouses Côtes-du-Rhône 750 ml

Alain Voge represents not just Rhône royalty, but is a name that belongs among the pantheon of the all-time greatest 100-point French producers. The domaine’s Northern Rhône reds are considered such classic standard-bearers they consistently appear on the prestigious Master of Wine examination—the idea being that one can’t truly “master” the Rhône without knowing Voge.

While most Côtes-du-Rhônes hail from the low-lying outskirts of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and its southerly neighbors, Voge’s 2018 Les Peyrouses is among the rare few that come from the steep hillside fringes of Cornas, one of the Northern Rhône’s most vaunted appellations, where bottlings regularly command $100+. In Voge’s hands, the result is a 100% Syrah of such freshness and precision, it begs to be paired with special occasion fare like slow-cooked lamb osso bucco.

Les Peyrouses’ youthful magenta hue comes from a combination of young vines in Cornas and a small neighboring parcel just a stone’s throw away. At just $20 on cases, this overachiever manages to evoke the layers of black pepper and dried herbs that define its profound, full-bodied big brothers. Sharing the same rare, granitic soils accounts for the wine’s pulsating energy and attractive cranberry character, though its velvety tannins maintain an impressive depth for the money. 

Voge’s 2018 Les Peyrouses—a rare northern Côtes-du-Rhône—is a must-have for savvy red wine connoisseurs. With all the mineral-driven precision that has elevated Voge’s $150+ bottles to perennial relevance, this Côtes-du-Rhône’s saturated violet and peppery aromas offer similar complexity and age-worthiness for $25.

Described by Parker as “one of the superstars of Cornas,” Domaine Alain Voge has been beloved by critics since 1965, when fourth-generation farmer Alain took over his family’s estate and dedicated all his efforts to viticulture. Through dogged hard work and meticulous care in the vineyard, he built up his family property to become one of the strongest and most respected in the Northern Rhône, putting Cornas on the map of every serious collector.

Voge’s shrewd 2004 hiring of former Michel Chapoutier winemaker Albéric Mazoyer further upped the ante when organic and biodynamic certification became paramount to the estate’s skyrocketing quality. 2018 was Mazoyer’s final Voge vintage, making this Les Peyrouses a collector’s bottle in its own right. 

Domaine Alain Voge remains one of the last authentic values of the Northern Rhône at every tier. But if you’re looking for a wine to enjoy while his 100-point bottles rest in your cellar, or simply seek a more affordable expression of traditional Northern Rhône Syrah, look no further than the 2018 Les Peyrouses.