Reverse Wine Snob

Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good

  • About
  • Aldi® Picks
  • Costco® Picks
  • Trader Joe’s® Picks
  • FREE GUIDE
  • Insider Deals
menu icon
go to homepage
Get Our Free Guide!
search icon
Homepage link
  • FREE GUIDE!
  • Insider Deals
  • Best Of Lists
    • - Costco
    • - Trader Joe's
    • - Aldi
  • About
  • The Rating System
  • More Helpful Links
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Andezon Cotes du Rhone Red - Succulent Syrah!

    By: Jon Thorsen Published: March 19, 2014 Last Updated: October 1, 2021

    2012-Andezon-Cotes-du-Rhone-Red
    Don't be fooled by the low Costco price, this is top quality Cotes du Rhone.

    90% Syrah and 10% Grenache from Cotes du Rhone, Rhone, France.

    SRP of $16 and available for $10 at Costco. Imported by European Cellars.

    From the importer:

    "AN ERIC SOLOMON SELECTIONS CUSTOM CUVEE

    Les Vignerons D’ Estézargues is a co-operative cellar in the small town of Estézargues which is located near Avignon. Les Vignerons D’Estézargues is truly unique in the wine world. All over France the co-op still plays a very important role in the production and sale of wine. Co-ops receive grapes from members and then make wine from them, this wine is made in large batches and grapes from many different vineyards are vinified together; the focus is on producing wine in quantity.

    Les Vignerons D’ Estézargues takes a fundamentally different approach; starting in 1995 the ten different growers in this co-op began to vinify their wine separately and make single cuvées from their best plots. On the heels of the single cuvée evolution Les Vignerons D’ Estézargues began to practice natural winemaking. Possibly one of the only co-ops in the world to do so, Les Vignerons D’ Estézargues uses no external yeasts, no filtering, no fining and no enzymes are employed on the grapes during the winemaking process.

    In 1994 Eric Solomon visited the Vignerons d’Estézargues and met a young, passionate director/winemaker named Jean-François Nicq. By the end of the day, he & Jean-François had decided on a custom bottling of old vine syrah from one of their best parcels, Andezon. This opaque-black, blockbuster Syrah could have been a top Northern Rhone wine, á la Cornas. What a find! Previously sold in bulk (vinous suicide) to a very famous producer in the Rhone Valley, Eric jumped at the opportunity and over a decade later it remains one of the core items in the Eric Solomon portfolio.

    14.5% Alcohol"

    While most of the wine I purchase for this site is based on the information on the front of the label (like the producer, vintage and region) the decision to buy today's wine was made solely based on one line of the back of the label - the importer. That importer is Eric Solomon's European Cellars.

    If you're not familiar with Eric Solomon you might recognize one of his other wines which has been a staple on several editions of our Top 10 Reds list, the Evodia Garnacha. And just like the Evodia one of the key factors in the Andezon is that despite the $10 price tag, the grapes come from relatively old vines: 30 years old for the Syrah and 60 years old for the Grenache.

    The 2012 Les Vignerons d'Estezargues Andezon Cotes du Rhone Red begins with very pleasant aromas of dark fruit, black licorice, a little smoked meat (bacon!) and a bit of cedar and graphite. The wine tastes dark and juicy and I love it. You'll find plenty of black cherry, plum, more black licorice, oaky spice and a graphite like mineral streak in this medium-bodied Syrah. On the dry, long finish the oaky spice and minerals continue with just a hint of tobacco. This is one succulent Syrah!

    See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.


    Taste Rating: 8              Cost Rating: 8
    Overall Rating: 8.0

    Highly Recommended


    Filed Under: Costco, France, France - Rhone, Highly Recommended, Syrah, Thanksgiving

    << Swedish Hill Dry Riesling - World Class Riesling From New York?
    Murphy-Goode California Pinot Noir - Good Stuff! >>

    About Jon Thorsen

    Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! Read more about me...

    Reverse Wine Snob Insider Deals Header Square
    Limited Time offers with amazing discounts just for our readers.

    Don't Miss Out!

    About Reverse Wine Snob

    Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good! Jon Thorsen is an independent wine consumer who has been helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. If you're new to Reverse Wine Snob® sign up for my free guide and don't miss our exclusive Insider Deals! Read more about Reverse Wine Snob in the news and about me.

    Reverse Wine Snob Logo

    The "Perfect 10" Pack!

    Insider Deal Perfect 10 Pack!Four of our highest rated wines, all with 10 Taste Ratings (94+ points), all from different wineries, and all offered at a huge discount! Get them while you can.

    More Info

    Join over 450,000 followers on social media!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Get Our Free Guide! How To Drink Great Wine...Without Breaking The Bank

    Free Guide! How To Drink Great Wine Without Breaking The BankReady to start drinking the best wine of your life, and save money doing it? Sign up for our 5 Day Free Guide!

    Learn More

    Helpful Links

    • - Ask The Expert Series
    • - Browse by Variety, Region, etc.
    • - Buy My Book on Amazon
    • - Get Our Free Guide
    • - How To Choose A Good Bottle of Wine
    • - Insider Deals
    • - Insider Deal FAQ
    • - Printable Lists of Recommended Wines
    • - Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery
    • - The Rating System
    • - Wine Tasting Basics

    • - Advertise
    • - Contact Info
    • - Submit Samples for review

    How To Drink Great Wine...Without Breaking The Bank

    Tired of wasting money on bad wine? Sign up for our Free Guide!

    No commitments, no spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    Best Of Lists!

      • - Aldi Wine
      • - Best Pizza Wines
      • - Best Red Wines of 2022
      • - Box Wines
      • - Cabernet Sauvignon
      • - Chardonnay
      • - Chianti
      • - Costco Wine
      • - French Wines
      • - Italian Wines
      • - Malbec
      • - Merlot
      • - Oregon Wines
      • - Organic Wines
      • - Pinot Noir
      • - Red Blends
      • - Rosé
      • - Riesling
      • - Sauvignon Blanc
      • - Spanish Wines
      • - Sparkling Wine
      • - Syrah
      • - Thanksgiving Wines
      • - Trader Joe's Wine
      • - Vegan Wines
      • - Zinfandel
      • And Many More Best of Lists

    Reverse Wine Snob®: Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

    Copyright © 2011–2023 · Reverse Wine Snob, LLC. | Privacy, Editorial & Advertising Policy