| The Rhone is divided into two regions, Northern and Southern. During the 17th century, Rhone wines from Hermitage enjoyed great popularity and status, much in the way of the Burgundian wines. However, during the Napoleonic Wars, the French were unable to obtain the Spanish wines they used to boost the color in their Bordeaux and so turned to the Rhone for this. Because of this, the Rhone gained a bad reputation for beefing up the Bordeaux and Burgundy wines. Then, on top of this, phylloxera hit and wiped everything out; then the depression set in, and last but not least, WWII. It wasn’t until after WWII that the Rhone began its comeback and today the vineyards are finally in full production. Reading Rhone labels is much simpler then other French labels. The appellations are named after the village, the vineyard or the wider area (Cotes du Rhone). They use the basic status labeling: AOC, VDQS and vin de pays. The one difference in the labeling is the bottle itself. In southern Rhone you will find bottles with a cote of arms embossed on it. It is interesting that the growers’ bottles have the papal tiara with St. Peter’s keys crossed beneath it, and the merchants have the cote of arms with the keys above it, they are not allowed to use the same bottles. Growing condition in Rhone are favorable. The most damaging element can be the Mistral winds. These winds blow down the valley fiercely from the north and can dry out the grapes leaving desiccated fruit, which the French call “le gout du mistral”. The best vineyards in the Rhone have granite soils, and are on southern facing slopes, for example the Hermitage area.
Northern Rhone is well known for the Hermitages. However, it offers several other AOC’s as well. The Cote Rotie is one of the world’s finest wines, representing the most elegant expression of the Syrah grape. Both Syrah and Viognier may be used in these wines. Marcel Guigal produces the epitome of these wines with some of them fetching higher prices then the wines of Petrus. The Crozes-Hermitages lies in the shadow of the great rock of Hermitage. In the past these grapes were used in the local cooperatives, more recently, a few growers have bottled their wines with impressive results. Look for these wines in the future. Then of course there is Hermitage, often described as masculine. Young, these wines are tough, and best after aging in the bottle at least eight years. Again, Syrah is used, along with Marsanne and Roussanne. The whites from Hermitage (often overlooked) are also long lived, well vinted wines. Lastly there is Cornas, the monster of all Rhones. With huge tannins, it never seems to mellow in the bottle like its cousin the Hermitage. Its bold, wild nature is its greatest attribute. Many fine wines can be found in this region, most of the reds need to be held for several years before they are ready to drink, while the whites should be drunk at 18 months to four years. These wines can be expensive, but are worth it.
The southern Rhone’s wines are altogether different from the wines of the north. They are comprised mainly of Grenache grapes, along with Syrah, Mourvedre and several more varieties, often producing wines that are medium bodied with pepper, flowers and spicy scents. Gigondas is one of the main regions of the southern Rhone, and was the first to gain AOC status in this area. Here the soil is renowned for its chalky, limestone hills. Vacqueyras is also an AOC that blends Syrah and Grenache to create beautiful aromatic wines. Chateauneuf –du-Pape’s claim to fame is Joseph Ducos. In the late 1800’s he bought Chateau Lanerth, researched the area and decided to plant 13 varieties of grapes to blend for his Chateaunuf-du-Papes. Today most producers do not adhere to Duco’s method. However, there is generally a blend of about six grapes with Grenache accounting for about 80% of the blend. Although southern Rhones do not need to age as long as those from the north, they can last up to 25 years in the bottle, with proper storage, and can be drunk young, but are best at five to six years. The white wines should be drunk young, and are not good choices for cellaring. There are several other AOC’s in the southern Rhone producing Rose’ and Muscat wines. Rhone wines are complex but not overpowering, and are always a good choice at he table.
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Chateau de Beaucastel ~ Chateauneuf –du-Pape
Chateau de Beaucastel is a large estate owned by the Perrin family who are also negociants for Gigondas and Cote-du-Rhone wines. They are one of the few producers that believe in the 13-grape variety method of wine making. All of Perrin’s wines are organically produced to a certain extent. This is one of the region’s premiere producers. This particular wine is in the $50.00 range.
Paul Jaboulet Aine ~Parallele “45”
Negociant wines are a great value in the Rhone. Jaboulet is an exceptional value with a high proportion of Grenache and Syrah. They also own two important estates in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. The Parellele “45” is generous in character with lots of fruit and is an excellent buy at about $10.00 a bottle! | Producer | Varietal | Vintage | Price | Buy Now | | Paul Jaboulet | Rhone Blends | 2006 | 10.99 | Details |
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