NV Cotes du Rhone S.M. (Second Edition)
Buying options
Tasting notes
A blend of 50% Syrah from the Northern Rhône with 50% Grenache from the Southern Rhône, the NV Vin de France SM Second Edition is a fascinating wine, combining smoky, peppery, herbal notes with ripe black cherries. Full-bodied, plush and velvety, Vignon allows that it's "more 2016 than 2015" in style, but no matter how you characterize it, it's a lovely, complex wine for drinking over the next 6-7 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The NV Côtes du Rhône S.M. is thrilling stuff. Made from equal parts Grenache and Syrah and aged half in concrete and half in barrel, it offers a full-bodied, voluptuous and decadent style to go with overflowing notes of plum and darker fruits, licorice and violets. Gorgeous on all counts, it’s a shockingly good Côtes du Rhône to drink over the coming 4-6 years, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see it last even longer.
About the producer

Xavier Vignon has become one of the Rhône Valley’s most accomplished winemakers. Despite not owning his own vineyards, Vignon’s experience consulting for over 500 different vignerons in the region has given him incredible access to some of the Rhône’s finest terroirs.