The Southern Rhone—Grenache is the King, but Others Help

We now head south past the city of Montelimar into the Southern Rhone. This region is more spread out than the Northern Rhone, with many small towns nestled in the hills on both sides of the river.  Many of these towns are tiny and beautifully picturesque, with narrow cobblestone streets and quaint names like Segurat and Sablet.

The climate here is more Mediterranean, and the differing terroir combines with the rugged terrain partially protecting the valleys from the mistral to produce varying microclimates. As a result, a diversity of wines are produced. Grenache is the most widely grown grape here. Also found are Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Carignan, among others. In fact, the most famous A.O.C. here, Chateauneuf du Pape, allows up to ten different varietals in the red wines and nine in the whites. Gigondas, on the other hand, another well known appellation, only allows Grenache and a few others. The white varietals are primarily Ugni Blanc, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Viognire and Clairette.

Most of the red wines are pleasant, fruit-driven (primarily dark fruit) earthy wines. Those from Chateauneuf du Pape have power and structure and can rank with Bordeaux and Burgundy as the country’s most respected wines. They are all excellent food wines, are great with pork, game, poultry, sausage, and are as good as it gets with lamb. They are also priced much lower than the Northern Rhones, with very good examples in the $12.00 to $20.00 range. Only the great Chateauneuf du Papes are really expensive.

While the majority of the wines are red, some very nice whites are produced here as well. They are usually blends with a combination of fruit, acidity, and minerality that make them interesting and food friendly. The A.O.C. of Tavel is one of the world’s most famous areas of rosé production. Finally, the appellation of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise produces fortified white wines.

Labels indicate the quality of the wine according to the following classification:

Cotes du Rhone—denotes wines from the entire southern Rhone.

Cotes du Rhone Villages—higher minimum requirements for wine maturation and production.

Cotes du Rhone + village name—Usually the highest standards before Cru status.

Cru—the name of the actual A.O.C. is on the label, best quality of all. These are wonderful wines for the price. They are Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Lirac, Rasteau, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Tavel, and Vacqueyras.

The shelves in our store contain dozens of these great wines, but here are a few of my favorites.

Cotes du Rhone: Chave’s Mon Coeur 2010 (Grenache, Syrah) shows kirsch and black currant fruit intermixed with earth and spice. Luscious but has good structure. All this for $19.99. Chapoutier’s Belleruche 2010 (80% Grenache, 20% Syrah), an excellent bargain at $12.99, has wonderful red fruit aromas with dark red fruit and spice flavors. There is surprising structure at this price. At the same price point, Oraison 2009 shows the lush fruit typical of that vintage.

Cotes du Rhone Villages: Domaine Boisson Cairanne 2010 (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan). Prepare yourself for awesome red and dark fruit, great earthy structure. I love this wine at $19.99, and the L’Exigence 2009, its big brother, is ready to knock your socks off after getting an extra year in the bottle.

Cru: Cuvee Prestige Gigondas 2011 (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) is an amazing bargain at  $19.99. The  typical price from this appellation is $30.00-40.00, but this is classic Gigondas with a fleshy and velvety mouth feel. There are lush blackberries, plums, cherries, licorice and spice on the palate, held together by soft but structured tannins with a long spicy finish. This is a lot of wine for $19.99.

My vote for best Chateauneuf du Pape for the money is Bois de Boursan 2009. Classic, old school, full throttle Chateauneuf with rich layers of fresh and stewed fruit, wet earth, spice, juicy tannin… OMG this is good! It’s not cheap at $47.99, but great Chateauneuf is never cheap. Get this for that special occasion or meal. You will not soon forget it.

The Rhone Valley is definitely a wine region to be explored. There are great bargains from the south and great wines from both sub regions, so do yourself a big favor and check them out.

The Northern Rhone Valley—Where Syrah is King

The Rhone region of southern France produces marvelous wines and is one of the most beautiful yet least visited areas of that country. The region is divided into two sub regions—the Northern Rhone and the Southern Rhone. The wines from the two regions are different in composition and in style (and as a rule, in price.)

Grapes have been grown in this area since about 600 B.C.E. Various theories give credit to the Greeks, Persians, and Romans for initiating viniculture here, but all agree that genetic studies prove the Syrah grape indeed originated in the Rhone.

The Northern Rhone, where the vineyards are often on incredibly steep hillsides overlooking the river, has a continental climate influenced by mistral winds which bring in cool air. Winters are harsh and summers are warm. Syrah is the only red grape allowed in A.O.C. wines here. For Cornas A.O.C. designation, the wine must be one hundred percent Syrah. The other appellations allow addition of white varietals such as Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne, although only Cote Rotie widely does this. Some white wines are produced. Viognier is produced in the northernmost part, and blends are made from Marsanne and Roussanne in some other areas.

The Syrahs from this region are earthy, meaty, and structured on a tannic backbone. They are very different from the much more fruit-forward versions from California and Australia (where the grape is known as Shiraz.) Aromatics of smoky bacon and green olives are classic. Northern Rhone and lamb are a match made in heaven.

The appellations are as follows, as you drive north to south:

Cote Rotie—Syrah with up to twenty percent Viognier. Wines are elegant and layered. They tend to be very expensive and are produced in small amounts. Guigal’s single vineyard Cote Roties cost almost $300.00 per bottle at release

Condrieu—Produces white wines only of Viognier. The varietal reaches its greatest heights—incredibly aromatic and floral—in this region. The climate in Condrieu is difficult. Fierce cold winds during winter sometimes cause havoc during budding and flowering. The clone of Viognier grown in Condrieu produces lower yields and smaller berries than other clones grown in France or elsewhere. As a result, Condrieus are very pricey and are difficult to find under $50.00.

Chateau Grillet—This appellation consists of only one estate (called a monopole) comprising a little over three hectares and producing whites from Viognier. The Viognier from this estate is unusual in that it is meant to age up to ten years before reaching its full maturity. The wine is hard to find and expensive, but is a rare experience.

St Joseph—Red wines of Syrah and up to ten percent Marsanne and Rossanne. These wines are earthy, structured, and a beautiful expression of the Syrah grape. They are also a relatively good value for the Northern Rhone. Offerus, from Chave, one of the Rhone’s great producers, is a wonderful wine for $29.99. It shows meaty black cherry and black currant notes intermixed with damp earth and forest floor. It is an excellent introduction to the northern Rhone.

Croze-Hermitage—Red wines of Syrah with up to fifteen percent Marsanne and Roussanne. This is the other appellation to shop for in looking for affordable northern Rhone wines. Chave also has a great offering here at 27.99. The wine is stuffed with dark raspberry, plum, and licorice, with graphite and smoke on the finish. Jean-Luc Colombo does a nice one too. Finally, Chapoutier, another of the Rhone’s great sources, makes a nice white Croze-Hermitage, Meysonniers, that is delicious.

Hermitage—Red wines of Syrah and up to fifteen percent Roussanne and Marsanne. According to legend, a knight named Gaspard de Sterimberg returned wounded from the Crusades. The Queen of France permitted him to build a small refuge on a hilltop in which to recover, and he lived there as a hermit. The hill is now owned by one of the great negociants of the region, Paul Jaboulet Aine. These wines were favored by royalty, and in the nineteenth century, some Bordeaux wines were “hermitaged” by blending in wine from this appellation to fetch higher prices. These are huge, powerful, age-worthy wines that are very expensive. They have aromas and flavors of leather, red berries, earth, and coffee. Many are over $100.00 at release.

Cornas—Red wines from one hundred percent Syrah. This is one of the smallest appellations. It is on lower hillsides and is partially protected from the mistral winds, hence its climate is a bit warmer. The fruit ripens well and harvest tends to occur the earliest of the northern appellations These are dark, inky, very powerful renditions of the Syrah grape. Domaine Courbis Cornas Champlerose is insanely good at $47.99. Robert Parker, giving this wine 94+ points, says, “This wine shows terrific full-bodied texture with gorgeous ripeness, purity, and expansiveness.” It will drink beautifully for decades.

The wines from the Northern Rhone are very special. Viognier and Syrah reach heights here to which all other examples of these varietals are compared. To try them is to truly experience what these two grapes are meant to be.