Wine Buying Trips
Rules specialises in wines from the Rhône Valley. The North is mostly single cepage wines and small domaines, many of which still farm cherries, apples & apricots as well as making very good wines. In the South the feeling is Mediterranean, the landscape enchanting & dramatic, the lifestyle relaxed. We regularly visit our suppliers, tasting their wines over lunch with the family.
Bentley Corniche perfect for wine trips to France
Paul Morin. De Vigne en Vigne
Paul Morin, Managing Director of DE VIGNE EN VIGNE, spent the greater part of his career in the restaurant business and for the last 20 years has been running his wine business where he has gained an extensive knowledge of wines from southern Burgundy and the Rhone Valley both north and south. He is based at Vincelles (Yonne), a small hamlet in the north of Burgundy near Chablis with a bonded warehouse near Paris from where he supplies wines from Burgundy and the Rhone Valley to Rules Restaurant. Trips to France to buy wine are regularly undertaken between Paul Morin and John Mayhew the proprietor of Rules Restaurant. Paul Morin can be contacted as follows:
– e-mail : devigneenvigne@orange.fr
– fax : 00 (0)3 86 42 52 44
– téléphone : 00 (0)3 86 42 27 62
Domaine Rene Rostaing
My favourite Cote Rotie producer, Monsieur Rostaing produces wines with dark fruit and real depth. The paradox is that they also show lovely, delicate aromatics. The oak, acidity and tannins are very well judged, this is aristocratic Cote Rotie!
Domaine Yann Chave
Yann Chave is hot property in Hermitage. His wines are listed by all top Michelin starred French chefs, Bocuse, Ducasse and Troisgros among them. You will definitely not find his wines in supermarkets!
Lunch at Le Relais Bernard L’Oiseau at Saulieu
Legendary 3 Star Michelin Restaurant
Overnight stop at Le Beau Rivage on the banks of the Rhone
Le Vieux Donjon
The domaine’s name was inspired by the view of the palace from the family’s house on the southern side of the village (donjon = keep). Marie-José and Lucien Michel have been managing the domaine since 1979. Wines from the Domaine Le Vieux Donjon are amongst the finest, most elegant and reliable of all the wines in Chateauneuf du Pape. These wines serve as a benchmark for young up and coming winemakers who aspire to produce this level of refinement in a wine. The Michel family only ever produce one wine, no special or super cuvee, for each year one lovely wine.
Domaine Les Goubert
Gigondas is quite a spectacular region to visit, with vineyards set against the backdrop of the ‘Dentelles de Montmirail’ – a small chain of jagged ‘Jurassic limestone’ formed mountains in Provence. Jean-Pierre Cartier, his wife Mireille and daughter Florence make lovely full-bodied and energetic wines in Gigondas, packed with vibrant red and black fruit flavours and refreshing acidity that is quite unique.
Domaine La Soumade “Les Violettes”
Andre Romero along with his wife Chantal and son Andre are the most renowned producers in Rasteau. “The superstar of Rasteau producing five Cuvées of drop-dead delicious red wine.” Robert Parker
The View from Domaine La Soumade across to the Dentelles de Montmirail.
Domaine Rossignol-Février
Frédéric Rossignol, from the Domaine Rossignol-Février, bears a name he thinks arrived in Volnay as soon as 1510, 18 years after the discovery of America.The concentration of Rossignols in Volnay is stunning: Domaines Nicolas Rossignol, Rossignol-Changarnier, Rossignol Cornu, Régis Rossignol, Roger-Rossignol, Sainson-Rossignol, and of course, Rossignol-Février. Frédéric makes serious Volnays with controlled yields, giving intensity and a lot of minerality to the wines, one of the fundamental characteristics of the Volnay vineyard. It is widely accepted that Volnay is the Côte-de-Beaune’s answer to Chambolle-Musigny in the Côte-de-Nuits—elegance, class and femininity.
Domaine Laurent Roumier
All of the wines in the Roumier repertoire are beautifully aromatic, with exceptional intensity and made in his quintessentially elegant style. Bonnes Mares Grand Cru bears a strong family likeness to the lovely Chambolle Musigny, in the Côte de Nuits, which is still without question the symbol of Burgundy’s most elegant red wine. Clos Vougeot (from vines at the top of this large Grand Cru) is something else altogether – much more black-fruit dominated, more ‘masculine’, with quite a punch of intensity.
Domaine Harmand-Geoffroy
Gerard Harmand Geoffroy is one of Gevrey’s stars, producing a splendid range of wines. The touch is clearly masterly. Befitting a small crop of intensely flavored, well-balanced fruit from old vines, the wines offer clarity, pure-fruited focus and energetic drive.
Domaine Coudert “Clos de La Roilette”
Alain Courdert is considered to have Fleurie’s greatest vineyard making Beaujolais of some weight, texture and a glorious elegance. His wine has the hint of summer pudding with a squeeze of ripe cherry and subtle smoky notes.
Domaine Michelot
Jean-Francois Mestre has headed the winemaking at Domaine Michelot, the famous 22 hectare Meursault estate, since 1993, re-instating the Domaine as one of the finest in Meursault. Les Grands Charrons is a classic Meursault, the varied soil types and microclimates give it its unique blend of richness, elegance and minerality.