Cotes Du Rhone And Beyond

Rive Droite Rive Gauche simply means right bank, left bank and the name derives from fruit for the wine being sourced from both sides of the river - the grenache coming mainly from the left (gauche) and the Syrah from the village of Daumazan (on the rive droite), near Tavel. It is also a French film starring the rotund wine-nut actor Gerard Depardieu - fun fact!

This is a lovely fresh and crunchy styled Rhone from our friends at Rive Droite. There is touch of thyme and bay over red spiced fruits, layered with a little bit of red liquorice. This is a medium bodied rendition with a pure core of raspberry, wild strawberry and splash of black berry fruit in the mix. Its lithe with a lovely fresh cut to the sweet fruits that makes this look wonderfully elegant and damn easy to like.

Grape varieties: 30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, 20% Viognier, 10% Marsanne, 5% Bourboulenc, 5% Clairette
Terroir: White clay and sand
Exposure of the South-West vineyard, at an altitude
of 320m Manual harvesting with respect for the environment and sustainable agriculture certified HVE (High Environmental Value)
Traditional vinification in temperature-controlled concrete vats, with indigenous
yeasts Ageing for 6 months in concrete vats before bottling at the estate

An aromatic, fresh and well-balanced white with plenty of stone fruits, honeysuckle and cooked lemons. Medium body with fresh acidity and plenty of fruity character all along. Juicy and flavorful finish. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLING

70% Grenache - 15% Mourvèdre - 15% Syrah
Red and blue fruits, violet and lavender lift, some tapenade elements. Beautiful lilting aromatics. The palate is supple, plush and slippery couching raspberry and black cherry alongside some licorice and mineral. Open and charming across the palate but also cinched in by a thread of acidity and balancing quite fine (for the region) tannins. Pure and built for joy. MICHAEL MCNAMARA

A touch of fresh crushed raspberry, some black cherry, and a wild earthen note pocked with meadow herbs. It's all turned up a notch with an extra level of concentration and broad, sweeping fruit and flavour that envelopes the palate then slowly melts away leaving earthy, charred herbs and a little wild note on the close. A bit of rustic charm dare we use the phrase here but in all the right ways and a lovely layering of savoury and sweet throughout. JAMES SUCKLING

From 90% Grenache and 10 % Mourvedre. The pure ripe Grenache really speaks with the dark ripe plum and Provençale spice. Ripe plum and dark cherry savory with appropriate tannins and plush length.

Grenache: 80% Syrah: 20%. AVERAGE VINE AGE: Grenache 53 years, Syrah 35 years. VINIFICATION: manual harvest and sorting (September 20), grapes destemmed at 30% for young vines and 53% for old vines, lightly crushed. Fermentation for 30 days with daily pumping over and punching down. No fining, no filtration. AGING: 45% in old barrels, 55% in concrete tanks. Of all their vineyards, the plots in Beaumes de Venise receive the most sun. Grenache grown here is the perfect base for a wine that is ripe and delicious, equally charming in its aromas and its perfumes. This charm is expressed above all through the wine’s pure expression of fruit, while avoiding any overripe or cooked flavors that these sun-kissed vineyards could easily inspire.