2011 Northern Rhône Vintage

Across the Rhône Valley as a whole, 2011 opened with a very warm and dry spring that led vineyards to shoot out at a rapid pace. In the north, growers had summer weather in spring, which helped encourage a generous flowering, and then a July that was cooler and wetter than usual; the weather was distinctly odd. In mid-August the vineyards were "correct, but nothing more", said Philippe Guigal of E. Guigal in Ampuis, before outstanding weather cleared them of disease pressure and concentrated the grapes, so that at the start of September "things looked absolutely splendid." Late August brought particularly fine weather, and its heat started to shrivel white-wine grapes. Then two heavy rains in early September damaged the potential by dilution, especially with such relatively heavy crop loads on the vines, leaving some rain-swollen grapes and even a bit of rot, especially in less well-drained sites. Many whites were picked before the rains. At Domaine Georges Vernay, picking started as usual with the Coteau de Vernon and Chaillées de l'Enfer blocks in Condrieu on 31 August, then paused until 7 September to switch to reds in St.-Joseph, continuing Condrieu in the mornings and Côte-Rôtie in the afternoons. Yields were much higher than in 2010 and 2012.

• Spring: summer weather and a generous flowering; July cooler and wetter than usual
• Late August: fine weather and heat; some white grapes began to shrivel
• Early September: two heavy rains diluted a heavy crop, with some rain-swollen grapes and a bit of rot
• Yields much higher than in 2010 and 2012

Wine Spectator found Northern Rhône whites strong, with many picked before the early September rains. White-wine grapes started to shrivel in the late August heat, so some were picked before the rains, and Jancis Robinson found some of them particularly successful, if very full-bodied. In Condrieu, Domaine Georges Vernay harvested parcels at more than 14 degrees potential alcohol on 31 August, and Paul Amsellem credited the unusually early picking with good freshness: "We are very happy with the vintage." Robinson found the best Condrieus and the top St-Joseph whites, such as Chapoutier's Granits and Guigal's Lieu Dit 2011, already looking lovely. In Côte-Rôtie, Jean-Paul Jamet described the 2011 reds as very silky and fruity, wines that should drink well in youth, "though they will age too".

• Condrieu: parcels picked on 31 August at more than 14 degrees potential alcohol, with good freshness from the early picking
• Jancis Robinson found the best Condrieus and top St-Joseph whites already looking lovely
• Jean-Paul Jamet described Côte-Rôtie reds as very silky and fruity, good young but able to age

In its November 2011 report, Wine Spectator said the northern vintage also looked excellent, though some growers sounded a note of disappointment at just missing a truly great harvest. "The yield this year was high," said Stéphane Ogier. "More than ever, green harvesting will be critical to making the top wines." Jancis Robinson tasted the vintage in the valley at about 15 months old and called the northern reds certainly "correct", even if generally lighter and softer than the 2009s and 2010s. She found them charmingly scented, relatively soft and with no shortage of fruit, but "not a banner year." Jean-Louis Chave explained that it was a year that favoured rather simple fruit, and that the winemaker's job was to give the wines as much structure as possible.

• Jancis Robinson: reds lighter and softer than 2009 and 2010, charmingly scented and fruity
• Not a banner year for Robinson; Wine Spectator heard some growers regret just missing a truly great harvest
• Jean-Louis Chave: a year that favoured rather simple fruit, so structure was the winemaker's task