Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Cotes du Rhone

It’s the new vintage of this incredibly popular, incredible value French red that we’ve been asked a million times for and are seriously happy to see back on our shores! For how long is anyone’s guess though. The last vintage we had was the 2018 that made global headlines taking out a 97/100 and Platinum award at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

This latest 2020 release will not disappoint one bit. This is a classic Cotes du Rhone red in style and punching above its weight for a snip under $20. This is bang for buck with a capital B!

A traditional blend of 60% juicy Grenache and 40% spicy, dark fruited Syrah. It’s super delicious. It’s smooth, it’s silky, it’s laden with rich and juicy dark berry and cherry fruit flavours and a touch of spice.

Scoring a Best Buy Award with Wine Enthusiast who said “Reflective of the generous 2020 vintage, this wine delivers for its affordable price tag. Enjoy notes of cherry-strawberry leather roll-up with a light dusting of cinnamon, fresh plum and blackberry. Enjoy now and aerate for all notes to harmonize.”

It also received a score of 90/100 from Master of Wine Bob Campbell and was selected in his Top 10 Reds for May 2024. He said “High energy Côtes du Rhône with floral, violet, mixed spice. Adds up to a moderately complex red that is elegant rather than blockbuster and very drinkable. A blend of grenache with shiraz. Good value at this price.”

The accolades don’t stop there either! This latest vintage was listed in the iconic “Le Guide Hachette des Vins Selection 2023” (think of it as your French wine bible!) where over 40,000 submitted wines are whittled down to the best of the best and those offering great value.

Cellier des Dauphins are the largest producer of Rhone Valley wine and part of the Union of Winemakers of Côtes du Rhône. It’s a co-operative group formed back in the 1960s that now covers 3,000 winemaking families and over 18,000 hectares of vines.

Part of being in the co-operatives means they’re all driving in the same direction to make bloody good Rhone Valley wine and making sure everyone, from the grape grower to the wine drinker, gets a fair deal.