"If you want the truest of Côte-Rôties... " - 2013 Levet Côte Rôtie La Chavaroche

Posted by Joe Salamone

Levet's La Chavaroche has become one of the essential facets of our Northern Rhône selections. Every time that we offer the wine, orders pour in.

The explanation is easy. Levet's Chavaroche is unapologetically raw, stunningly pure and beautiful. You'd be hard pressed to find an expression of Syrah as honest.

Amazingly, while pricing on many traditional Northern Rhône producers has gone vertical in recent years, pricing on Levet hasn't budged.

Our fondness for Levet's Chavaroche is well documented, but the 2013 is an amazing vintage for the wine. I plan to buy more of the 2013 for my personal cellar than I ever have before.

2013 in the Northern Rhône produced mineral, structured wines with a vibrant core of acidity. In 2013, the aromatics on the Chavaroche really pop, and the wine has a finesse and energy that deeply impresses. Everything is presented with a beautiful, seamless harmony.

There's simply no one in Côte Rôtie making wine like Levet. There's a directness to them, a truthfulness. They combine wildness with a breeding that's incredible.

Neal Rosenthal, Levet's importer, isn't shy about singling Chavaroche out: "There is no more consistently great wine in our portfolio than Levet's La Chavaroche...If you want the truest of Côte-Rôties...if you admire both the intellectual and the savage, then this is a must-buy wine." The famed importer breaks it down here - amidst his strong portfolio of producers like Fourrier and Barthod, Levet's Côte-Rôtie Chavaroche is one of the best.

Chavaroche is a brutally rocky and steeply-terraced southwest facing vineyard. They pamper their vines and let the grapes simply do their thing in the cellar - vinification is thoughtful, but there's no artifice at work.

Levet's Chavaroche is one of the most soulful and mysterious wines of the Northern Rhône. To fully understand what Chavaroche can deliver, you have to experience it with age. There's no effort to make anything showy or to wow out of the gate. We created 4-packs to encourage you to bury some in the cellar and witness how amazingly it develops.

The 2013 Chavaroche is easily one of the best 2013 Northern Rhônes that I've tasted. Everything is in place for it to be an absolutely majestic bottle with a decade or more of age.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone


Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits

2013 Levet Côte Rôtie La Chavaroche

Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate: "While no 2012 was presented, I was blown away by Levet’s 2013 Côte Rôtie La Chavarouche Cuvee Speciale (released as La Peroline in France). Gorgeous on all accounts, with a deep, mineral-laced slant to its black raspberry fruit, cracked pepper, and violet/floral nuances, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, bright acidity and impressive density. It shows more and more tannin with time in the glass, so short-term cellaring is advised here. It should have 15+ years of overall longevity."