2024 Rhône Valley Vintage

A mild winter gave way to early budbreak, and then the weather turned cool and wet in April. In the Luberon a warm end of winter had pushed budburst forward enough to expose young shoots to frost in mid-April, and in the Diois a frost episode on 24 and 25 April hit a large part of the vineyard, with early-budding Muscat a petits grains badly damaged and Clairette not spared. Spring rain was heavy and sometimes came with hail. Tavel's Francois Lafond reported as much rain in spring as in the whole of the previous year. Olivier Clape in Cornas measured 600mm from April to July against a yearly average of 820mm, and David Duclaux in Cote-Rotie recorded more than 800mm from April onwards, a record. The consequences were uneven ripening, poor fruit set through millerandage and coulure, and a wave of downy mildew and black rot. In Costieres de Nimes frequent rains from the end of May complicated flowering, particularly for Grenache. The sun finally arrived in August and dried out the vineyards; the mercury did not rise above 40C and there was enough water in the ground to sustain the vines. Some communes in the Diois were hit by hail in July before an August drought there. September turned cool and windy. In the north, Pascal Fayolle reported picking at Hermitage beginning around 10 September with low volumes, especially in white; Cote-Rotie was harvested mid-September. In the south, two storms in early September and another towards the end of the month raised the risk of rot until the Mistral arrived and dried the vines, and the harvest ran typically into mid-October. Volumes were low throughout the valley.

• Mild winter and early budbreak, then cool wet weather from April; mid-April frost caught young shoots in the Luberon and hit the Diois on 24 and 25 April
• Record spring and early-summer rainfall: 600mm April to July in Cornas against an 820mm annual average, and more than 800mm from April in Cote-Rotie
• Downy mildew, black rot, coulure and millerandage cut bunch and berry numbers; Grenache flowering was particularly affected
• August brought three weeks of sun without exceeding 40C, followed by a cool, windy September and a very cold north wind at the start of the month
• Harvest ran late: around 10 September at Hermitage, mid-September in Cote-Rotie, and typically into mid-October in the southern Rhone

Every account of 2024 in the Rhone comes back to labour. Pellaton credited the pugnacity, endurance and expertise of growers who controlled the disease risk, and Michel Chapoutier at Saint-Joseph said the year would stay in growers' memories for how trying it was and how much vineyard work it demanded. Pierre-Jean Villa at Condrieu went further, saying no vintage in the last 30 years had been so testing. Duclaux described mowing, hedging, and going through the vineyards with brushcutter and pickaxe. It was hardest for those working organically, such as Domaine Gonon, who had fewer mitigation options; Jean Gonon reported a record number of vineyard treatments in 2024, something echoed by Clape and others. Matt Walls noted that the rain often came on Thursdays and Fridays, which forced estates to spray at weekends if they could spray at all, though bright weather between the showers made it less grim than 2021.

• Michel Chapoutier at Saint-Joseph and Pierre-Jean Villa at Condrieu both described the most demanding season in decades
• Jean Gonon reported a record number of vineyard treatments, a pattern echoed by Olivier Clape and others
• Organic growers had fewer options against downy mildew and black rot and bore the heaviest workload
• Rain arriving late in the week forced weekend spraying, though bright spells between showers made it less relentless than 2021

Matt Walls rated the northern Rhone 3.5 out of 5: excellent whites, and a lighter red vintage giving many well-balanced, fresh, immediate wines for drinking young and into the medium term, with some reds short of full ripeness. Yann Chave summed up the season as English weather up until July, adding that August saved the vintage and that otherwise it would have been a catastrophe. The more southerly red appellations, Hermitage, Cornas and southern Saint-Joseph, were the most successful. Cote-Rotie saw the worst of the weather and the wines are more disappointing, with notable exceptions, and Crozes-Hermitage also struggled, with slope vineyards faring better in wet conditions. Caroline Moro in Cornas described September grapes with surprising maturity, less sweet than in recent years but with accomplished phenolic maturity, and juices that were remarkably fresh and fine. Fayolle at Hermitage reported first white juices with balance, freshness and good acidity, and reds showing red fruits, violets and peppery tones with dense, velvety tannins. Walls named M Chapoutier Le Pavillon Hermitage his northern red of the vintage and Domaine JL Chave Hermitage his northern white. Whites are excellent throughout, with a wealth of Marsanne and Roussanne wines and many good Viogniers from Condrieu, if fewer flashes of brilliance there.

• Decanter rating 3.5 out of 5; Hermitage, Cornas and southern Saint-Joseph were the most successful red appellations
• Cote-Rotie saw the worst weather and is the most disappointing appellation of the year, with Crozes-Hermitage also struggling
• Yann Chave: English weather until July, and August saved the vintage
• Wines of the vintage per Matt Walls: M Chapoutier Le Pavillon Hermitage in red, Domaine JL Chave Hermitage in white

Weather conditions were similar in the south and the wines share the northern profile: good acidity, moderate alcohol, fresh and drinkable, but sometimes lacking concentration. Cesar Perrin of Chateau de Beaucastel described a nerve-wracking start, saying it was difficult from the beginning and they nearly lost the vintage, with mildew arriving before flowering, which he called the worst case. He was pleased with the result, calling it an elegant vintage, more drinkable than 2023 and 2022. Mildew was more localised than in the north: parts of Chateauneuf-du-Pape were hit hard while Vacqueyras got away relatively unscathed. Grenache was badly hit by coulure, making for a small crop, while Mourvedre performed well. Gigondas stands out for reds, with Perrin noting less rain and more wind than Chateauneuf, which let growers wait later to pick and reach better ripeness. Louis Barruol at Gigondas called them the most balanced wines since 2020. All the appellations in and around the Dentelles de Montmirail did well, including Beaumes de Venise, Cotes du Rhone Villages such as Sablet and Seguret, and parts of Ventoux. Walls named Chateau de St-Cosme Le Poste Gigondas his southern red of the vintage and Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape his southern white.

• Cesar Perrin of Beaucastel: mildew before flowering nearly cost them the vintage, but the result is elegant and more drinkable than 2023 and 2022
• Grenache was badly hit by coulure and Mourvedre performed well; mildew was more localised than in the north
• Gigondas and the appellations around the Dentelles de Montmirail were the southern bright spots, with Barruol calling them the most balanced wines since 2020
• Wines of the vintage per Matt Walls: Chateau de St-Cosme Le Poste Gigondas in red, Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape in white

The analytical signature of 2024 is moderate alcohol with good acidity. Villa reported Condrieu at around 13 to 13.5 percent, and Gassier in Costieres de Nimes compared the moderate alcohol levels to 2020. Samuel Montgermont at Ventoux described concentrated and very aromatic berries, fairly low alcohol, excellent acidity, very intense red colours and smooth tannins, and called the qualitative production record-breaking against a very low harvested volume. Rejane Pouzoulas at Rasteau noted that cool outdoor temperatures and healthy grapes kept degrees controlled and produced an interesting pH. The shortcomings are real: Walls points to some wines lacking concentration, a herbaceous streak in some reds traced to cool wet weather at the end of the season, mildew-affected vines, excessive crop loads, and occasional use of unripe stems. His verdict is that this is a respectable vintage rather than a great one, full of wines to enjoy immediately for their tension and vibrancy.

• Moderate alcohol is the analytical marker: around 13 to 13.5 percent in Condrieu, with Costieres de Nimes comparing degrees to 2020
• Ventoux reported concentrated aromatic berries, excellent acidity, intense colour and smooth tannins from a very low volume
• Shortcomings include some dilute reds and a herbaceous streak traced to the cool, wet end of season and occasional unripe stems
• Decanter's verdict: a respectable vintage rather than a great one, with tension and vibrancy to enjoy now

This is not a vintage to lay down deep. Walls is direct: most 2024s are not built for long ageing, and with relatively delicate tannic structures the majority of northern reds will be ready to drink on release or soon after. The reds are unlikely to shut down as they age, which makes the drinking window forgiving rather than narrow. Whites are reliably excellent across the valley and are the clearest buy of the year. Several appellation presidents strike a similar note. Jean-Francois Arnoux at Vacqueyras described very nice balance between freshness and structure with promising roundness, good for ageing but with tannin patina and roundness that let the impatient enjoy it without delay. Damien Gilles of the Cotes du Rhone syndicate described wines to share quickly and openly, with well-controlled alcohol, fine fruity juices and great drinkability. Fabien Lombard reported low but promising volumes for Clairette de Die, with the acidity levels that matter for balance in sparkling wines.

• Most northern reds are ready on release or soon after, with delicate tannic structures and little risk of shutting down
• Whites are excellent throughout the valley and the most reliable buy of the vintage
• Vacqueyras and Cotes du Rhone spokespeople both describe wines that can be drunk young while carrying ageing potential
• Clairette de Die came in low in volume but with the acidity levels that support balance in sparkling wines