This is a super-star of a deal that combines two of our favorite tricks for finding hidden gems and super steals. One: find a star producer's baby bottle. Two: look for a wine just a little outside of the most famous (and expensive) terroirs.

George Vernay's Saint-Agathe Syrah does all that and more. Vernay is legit star of the Northern Rhone who makes delicious and collectible Cote Rotie and (and here's the real key to the deal!) Condrieu. See, Condrieu is a tiny little appellation just south of Cote Rotie where you're only allowed to make white wines from Viognier. So what happens if you have 40-year-old syrah vines planted in Condrieu's decaying granite soils? You get a crazy deal, that's what!

Vernay's Saint-Agathe is that deal. If these vines were just a little bit to the north the wine they would make Cote Rotie and they'd cost in the $100s. Or the Vernay family could grow Viognier here instead and charge a ton per bottle. But the family loves what these old syrah vines do, so they keep making this beautiful, fresh wine, even though they can only label it lowly Vins de Pays. But the family doesn't care. They put all their super-star farming and winemaking know-how into making this "entry-level" bottling a thing of beauty. There are no cutting corners here. The vineyard is so steep everything has to be done by hand, from pruning to harvesting. To keep the focus on the fruit and terroir, they ferment in stainless steel and age only in older barrels (no new wood).

The incredible terroir and the labor of love come together in something bright, transparent, lively, with the kind of friendly complexity only the very best young wines can offer. You could age this for a few more years if you wanted to. But if you're like us, you won't be able to keep your hands off it.

Domaine Georges Vernay Sainte-Agathe Syrah 2019 $39.99
Red berries, pepper, fresh with graphite mineral notes. As JancisRobinson.com says: "it offers lots of pleasure." Yes it does!