Rhône Valley Revealed: Collector Bottles, Smart Buys & New Finds

The Rhône Valley stands among France’s most exciting and diverse regions, producing wines that balance power, elegance, and a deep sense of place. From the granite slopes of the north to the sun-soaked vineyards of the south, this month’s feature—curated by our Rhône Buyer, Keith Mabry—highlights the full spectrum of the region’s greatness: from new direct-import exclusives and exceptional Gigondas values to cellar-worthy Châteauneuf-du-Pape collectibles. Whether you’re discovering the Rhône for the first time or expanding a seasoned collection, these wines capture the essence of this legendary valley.

• Get to Know Our Rhône Buyer Keith Mabry!
• Domaine Courbis Brings Classic St-Joseph and Cornas to Our Shelves
• Grit, Grace, and Grenache: Gigondas Values Under $50
• Domaine of the Green Oak Tree from Crozes-Hermitage
• Straight from the Source: Our Latest K&L-Exclusive Producers
• For the Cellar: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collectibles

You may know Keith Mabry as our Rhône, Loire, and French Regional Buyer, but he's also responsible for Greece, Eastern Europe, and Mexico! Why would one person have such an eclectic list of categories? Because he's a hardcore enthusiast for off-the-beaten-path wines. He's also a big soil geek... ask him about his favorite dirt!

Keith has been with K&L for 17 years. He was one of the original crew to open the Hollywood store in 2007, and in 2024 he was a big part of opening up in Culver City. He started as the sales floor manager in Hollywood, then took on the SoCal buying position, then became a buyer for the Rhône Valley in 2014. Keep reading On the Trail.

My recent trip through the Rhône was one of the most productive I can remember. I tasted with dozens of vintners, reconnected with many of our long-standing direct-import partners, and discovered several exciting new producers along the way.

One of my favorite “finds” from this trip was the exceptional range from Laurent and Dominique Courbis. The brothers craft some of the most compelling wines in St-Joseph and Cornas—benchmark examples of their respective appellations. The domaine farms roughly 37 hectares across these two key zones, with small parcels in St-Péray and other outlying Northern Rhône sites.

What has always drawn me to Courbis is their precision and sense of place. The wines are clean, classically styled, and transparently expressive of their terroirs. All work is done manually; the grapes are fully destemmed, and new oak, fining, and filtration are used sparingly. When I met Dominique Courbis during my visit and tasted through the full lineup, I was reminded just how complete these wines are—the depth of fruit, the polish, the balance. They’re Rhône through and through, yet utterly refined. Learn more On the Trail.

Tucked into the rugged slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail, Gigondas delivers Rhône power with mountain-bred finesse. These Grenache-based blends capture the sun-drenched warmth of the south while retaining a vibrant freshness that sets them apart. Often viewed as Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s spirited sibling, Gigondas produces wines of remarkable depth and character—brimming with dark fruit, garrigue, and spice—at prices that remain refreshingly approachable. Below, discover a lineup that embodies the appellation’s best attributes: grit, grace, and undeniable value.

On my last trip to the Rhône, the north yielded particularly fruitful new relationships. One of my favorite new additions to our Direct Import portfolio is Domaine du Chêne Vert. I first met co-owner Jordan Colin at a walkaround tasting just outside Tain-l’Hermitage, where the wines immediately caught my attention. Later that day, I visited the property and discovered that their production facility sits right next door to one of Crozes-Hermitage’s great icons—Alain Graillot.

Jordan explained that in the estate’s early years—from the 17th through the 19th centuries—the family primarily farmed in polyculture, growing fruit and grains, raising livestock, and cultivating some Syrah for their own wines. In the 20th century, Marius Rochas began focusing more on Syrah and vinifying his own wines, though by the 1950s the family had joined the local cooperative, where they remained for decades. A new chapter began in 2001 when Mickaël Rochas took over, steering the domaine toward more environmentally conscious viticulture. By 2011, they had left the cooperative, selling much of their fruit to their neighbor, Graillot. Keep reading here.

The strength of our Direct Import program is evident across France, but nowhere is its impact more profound than in the Rhône Valley. By working directly with family-run estates—from the hills of Côte-Rôtie to the plains of Châteauneuf-du-Pape—we eliminate the middleman, securing world-class wines at unmatched prices. These partnerships allow us to offer bottles that overdeliver in every sense: honest, terroir-driven expressions crafted by the same hands that farm the vineyards. Whether it’s the pure, mineral whites of Crozes-Hermitage or the soulful Syrahs of the Northern Rhône, these wines represent some of the greatest values in France—available exclusively at K&L. Shop our full list of Direct-Import producers On the Trail.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape stands as one of France’s most iconic appellations, producing Grenache-based blends that balance Mediterranean richness with remarkable depth and longevity. Born from the sun-soaked galets roulés of the southern Rhône, these wines are both powerful and refined, built to evolve gracefully over decades. From legendary names like Beaucastel and Vieux Télégraphe to modern stars such as Vaudieu and Vieille Julienne, this lineup highlights the region’s most collectible and age-worthy releases—true cornerstones for any serious cellar.