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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Ogier Le Temps Est Venu Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2022Always a lovely wine and the 2022 has an extra level of freshness and crunchy snap. A blend of grenache blanc, roussanne and a good dollop of viognier. Stone fruits, some quartz mineral notes that thread through the mid palate and sprinkle white pepper to finish. Some slippery textural elements provide length and its cut nicely by a streak crunch acid.2022Marsanne, RoussaneFrance467$34.00 As low as $30.60 -
Coursodon St Joseph Blanc 'Le Paradis Saint Pierre' 202290% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne from 50-80 year old vines from Paradis and Saint-Joseph granite sites raised in 10% new oak.
The 2022 Saint Joseph Le Paradis Saint Pierre Blanc is even better, and it's up with the finest Saint Joseph Blancs I've ever had. Quince, honeyed minerality, toasted spice, and green almond-like nuances all define the nose, and its more Hermitage Blanc than Saint Joseph Blanc with its medium to full-bodied richness, gorgeous overall balance, and incredible length. It has some background oak and will benefit from a year or two of bottle age, but I suspect it will have over a decade of prime drinking. Don't miss this beauty. (97) JEB DUNNUCK
2022MarsanneFrance467$160.00 As low as $144.00 -
Coursodon St Joseph Silice Blanc 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2019MarsanneFrance467$95.00 As low as $85.50 -
Ogier Le Temps Est Venu Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2023Ripe peach, apricot, honeyed white flowers, and some mineral notes all define the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Temps Est Venu Blanc, a medium-bodied, round, fleshy, nicely textured, balanced white that will have lots of flexibility on the dinner table.2023Marsanne, RoussaneFrance467$37.00 As low as $33.30