Domaine du Tunnel, Saint Peray “Cuvee Prestige” 2019

Alcohol : 14%

Grape(s) : Marsanne, Roussanne

Localisation : Rhone Valley, France

Tasting Notes : Very nice wine, stone fruit, peach, pear, honey, beeswax, some citrus, more oranges than anything else.

94-95pts Vinous : Glistening straw-yellow. Ripe pear, melon, tangerine and honey on the nose, along with a dusty mineral flourish that lends vivacity. Sappy orchard and citrus fruit flavors are complemented by spicy ginger and honeysuckle nuance and a hint of tarragon. Silky and focused in style, delivering solid mineral thrust and repeating florality on the long, incisive finish.

With his original cellar and cozy tasting room located smack in the middle of the village of Saint-Péray, Stéphane Robert, interestingly, probably gets more attention for his lineup of outstanding Cornas. He told me that “there was a bit more acidity in 2019 than 2018 and definitely more than in 2017,” adding that “2016 and 2015 are more of a classic style, with lower sugar levels and higher acidity.” Robert’s Saint-Pérays have long been among the top performers of the appellation, with the Cuvée Prestige and Pur Blanc bottlings at a quality level comparable to many top-drawer examples of Hermitage.