Product Line
Rhone valley
Northern Rhone
The Rhone Valley is kept in check by a sweeping Mistral wind that is tunnelled from the north of Rhone to the open and flatter southern Rhone. The Rhone river runs through the valley dividing the schist and granite soils.
The Northern Rhone is a difficult place to grow grapes, the slopes are steep to work and costly. Most of the wines grown are premium styles and its production is tiny when compared to Southern Rhone. Syrah hits new heights here in the form of spicy delights.
Red or White? Mainly red with a small amount of white made. And there is a blend where red and white is co-fermented together in Cote Rotie. Syrah with a splash of viognier - a rarity!
Grapes
White: Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne
Red: Syrah
Styles
This is spicy syrah land - black olives, smoked meats, cooking spices and heady florals are common tasting descriptors. And the tannins can be firm and fine in youth, becoming slender with age. The whites are richer and fleshy, viognier is the queen of hedonism.
Favourite Producers
Guigal, Coursodon, Pierre Gonon, JL Chave, Bernard Faurie, Balthazar, Stephane Ogier
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Southern Rhone
Grenache reigns supreme in the south, although it is commonly blended with Mourvedre and syrah. Planted throughout the region, Grenache loves the warmth and sunny exposition made available to it in southern Rhone. Look out for the galette pebbles found in Chateauneuf du Pape - these heat up during the day and the extra warmth overnight continues to ripen the grapes on the old bush vines.
From rosé to affordable weekday pizza wines (Cotes du Rhone blends) through to ageable beauties like Chateauneuf du Pape, Grenache is a chameleon of grapes centred around vibrant red fruits and slippery tannins.
Red or white? Red and a little rose. There's also a small amount of a fortified white called Muscat de Beaume de Venise
Grapes
White: Muscat a Petits Grains
Red: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah
Styles
Cotes du Rhone are the cheerful wines you want to reach for mid-week. Their fleshy and fruit nature make them deliciously enjoyable and they won't burn a hole in your pocket. The pinnacle of Grenache is reached in Chateauneuf du Pape wines. These have built-in structure and can age gracefully for many years. Look out for Village or Cru wines such as Vinsobres, Vaquerays, Gigondas as these are a happy medium between the bookend styles.
Favourite Producers
Font du Courtedune, Rayas, Beaucastel, Chateau de Fonsalette, Marcoux, Mont Redon
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Jaboulet Parallele 45 Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2021A good advertisement for the 2021 vintage in the Rhone this has stacks of red fruit and spice aromas, including a touch of pepper. Notes of licorice and sandalwood on the palate where the restrained tannins neatly fit with the generous fruit. Moderately dry finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. STUART PIGGOT, JamesSuckling.com2016GSMFrance467Special Price $28.00 Regular Price $33.00 -
Ogier Le Temps Est Venu Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2022Mostly Grenache and Syrah, the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Le Temps Est Venu is up-front and loaded with charm, offering lots of black raspberry and redcurrant-like fruit as well as peppery garrigue and spice. It's medium to full-bodied, round, layered, and beautifully balanced. JEB DUNNUCK2021GSMFrance467$37.00 As low as $33.30 -
Delas Cote du Rhone Saint Esprit 2021One of our favourite rhone reds year-in and year-out. There may be nothing quite as satisfying as a good value Rhone red and this one always delivers. Delas Freres is based in the beautiful northern Rhone with a large holding of their own vineyards supplemented by long-term relationships with quality growers all over the rhone. How they manage to put so much goodness into a bottle at this price is an astonishing feat to say the least.
While this indulgent red reflects the north’s regional dominance of Shiraz over Grenache, it reflects the darker fruits and a spicy earthiness often found in the southern Rhone, where this wine hails from. Silky rather than heavy, it still feels concentrated with bright, bubbly raspberry fruits complimented by a little dollop of wild, blackberry fruit. A waft of violets and pastille fruit just add to its appeal.
2021GSM, Mourvedre, shirazFrance467$25.00 As low as $22.50