Etienne Winery elevates and celebrates Lirac to uncover gems in the Rhone Valley.

2024 ETIENNE ESSEN LIRAC

Crafted from a blend of 80% Grenache, 16% Syrah, and 4% Carignan/ Mourvèdre, this wine hails from 55- to 65-year-old vines planted in the galets roulés of the Lirac plateau.

Grenache shines through in this Rhone blend. Purity, freshness, and grace.

93 Points, The Somm Journal

“From winemakers Adam Lee, Morét-Brealynn Chavez, and Sasha Verhage, this is a blend of 80% Grenache, 16% Syrah, and 4% co-fermented Carignan/Mourvèdre from 60-year-old vines. Clove and white pepper, along with dusted cherry-cocoa, offer a slight astringency. Acidity is fresh, with baking spices surrounding earth and herbal tones. All in all, a fascinating red that possesses superb food-pairing abilities. Fittingly, the word Essen translates from German as ‘to eat’ or ‘food.’”

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2024 ETIENNE CORONATI LIRAC

Our “reserve blend” is crafted only in exceptional vintages. It is named after the Four Holy Crowned Ones (The Coronati) and represents the pinnacle of Lirac winemaking.

A substantial wine with soul and energy that first defined our Coronati. It is deeper, more layered expression with denser fruit, more savory nuance, and a sense of quiet authority beneath the exuberance.

97 points, The Somm Journal

“Produced only in the best vintages from 60-year-old vines, this blend of 65% Syrah, 23% Grenache with percentages of Carignan and Mourvèdre shows exceptionally well. Its color is an invitation of brick and garnet leading to a profile of powdered cocoa that coats the teeth. Silk and suede tannins caress violets and juicy purple plum with a dousing of generous black cherries. There’s a savory seam beneath the sun-warmed blackberry center – leather and cured meats – both rustic and refined.”

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2023 ETIENNE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE

Made from a sandy, north-facing, old vine plot, this Grenache based blend has lift and perfume.

Red fruits, violets, and spice, and graceful elegance.

Made only once; 125 cases.

94 points, The Somm Journal

“The Grenache-based red blends in 9% Mourvèdre from sandy soils, aged in used French oak barrels for 19 months. Bold dark plum and garrigue align with earthy spices, layered with undertones of leather, truffle, and linear minerality. Toasted mocha smooths out its velvety frame from mid-palate to finish.” Somm Journal

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Previous Vintages

2023 ETIENNE ESSEN LIRAC

Crafted from a blend of 74% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and 2% Mourvèdre, this wine hails from 55- to 65-year-old vines planted in the galets roulés of the Lirac plateau.

Careful selection during multiple vineyard passes yielded exceptional, albeit limited, fruit. With four weeks on the skins, the grapes revealed their full expression.

The Essen blend was aged for 12 months in a mix of vessels—39% in new French oak, the rest in 2- and 3-year-old barrels and stainless steel. Our goal was to create a wine that balances freshness with the depth and concentration of a truly exceptional vintage.

91-93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

The 2023 Lirac Essen comes from pebbly soils and is based on 74% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and a splash of Mourvèdre. It’s a ripe, sexy, seamless effort offering terrific red, blue, and black fruits as well as classic Provençal notes of peppery garrigue, spice, and herbes de Provence. Medium to full-bodied, balanced and elegant, it has sweet tannins and a great finish.

92+ points- Vinous, Billy Norris

The 2023 Essen is a blend of 74% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and 2% Mourvèdre from old vines in Lirac. Deeply mineral and structural, it unfurls a beautiful array of blue/purple berry fruit, pomegranate, sagebrush, crushed rocks and violet, leaping across the palate with tons of energy but clamping down tight on the tense finish. The flavors echo quite long here. Give this some time to soften its edges. This is a compelling effort. (Drink between 2026-2033)

92- 94 points; #17 Wine of the Year by MJ Towler (Black Wine Guy/ Totally Biased Wine Reviews)
This expressive Lirac showcases the distinctive character that makes southern Rhône wines so compelling. The wine displays a captivating deep purple hue in the glass—that distinctive “blurple” quality where red and blue fruit notes converge into something uniquely violet-toned, a hallmark of well-crafted Rhône reds.

On the palate, the wine delivers impressive weight and structure. The body is substantial and engaging, with excellent texture that coats the mouth beautifully. This is a wine with real presence—one that demonstrates both power and refinement in equal measure.

The fruit profile leans into the blue and purple hues, with the red and blue fruit elements melding seamlessly rather than standing out as distinct components. It’s this harmonious integration that gives the wine its singular, almost indescribable purple character.

The 2023 Etienne ‘Essen’ Lirac is highly approachable and drinking wonderfully now, showing the kind of immediate appeal that makes it perfect for current enjoyment. A compelling expression of terroir and winemaking skill that Rhône enthusiasts will appreciate.

Drink now through 2028

2023 ETIENNE CORONATI LIRAC

Our “reserve blend” is crafted only in exceptional vintages. It is named after the Four Holy Crowned Ones (The Coronati) and represents the pinnacle of Lirac winemaking.

For this blend, we selected the most concentrated and complex lots, aging them primarily in a new Taransaud puncheon, with 20% maturing in 2-year-old oak. We elevate the blend with Mourvèdre for added depth and complexity, while increasing the Syrah, which thrives in the region’s rocky soils, without overpowering the Grenache.

This vintage, made from 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre, is designed to showcase a harmonious balance of power, concentration, and finesse. With only around 100 cases produced, the Coronati is a wine of true distinction, crafted to offer weight, complexity, and exceptional balance.

93-95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

A slightly smaller production cuvée, the 2023 Lirac Coronati brings a touch more richness and depth, offering a rocking nose of black raspberries, toasted spice, Provençal herbs, and a touch of smoke. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully textured, it has a great mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a hell of a finish.

94 points- Vinous, Billy Norris

The 2023 Coronati is darker in character, plusher and considerably more open-knit than the Essen tasted alongside. Rich veins of minerality run through both wines but are especially focused here, bracing the pure, precise black raspberry fruit with a tactile grip and a spine of tingly acids. Mouth-coating yet weightless, the Coronati is a very sophisticated wine for this less-familiar appellation. The 2023 echoes intentional, careful winemaking. I’m excited to taste this in future vintages.

Drink between 2025-2035.