In my opinion the wines of the Rhone Valley and Languedoc are among the
most interesting coming out of France. From inexpensive everyday drinking
Cotes du Rhone to the elegant wines of Cote Rotie and Hermitage, the Rhone
offers wines of substance, power and complexity.
The Rhone Valley is in southeast France below Burgundy and flanking the
Rhone River. The Languedoc lies south of the Rhone continuing down the
Rhone to the Mediterranean Sea.
Northern Rhone red wines are predmoninantly made from Syrah grapes with
some Grenache and perhaps some white Viognier added for complexity.
These wines are typically rich, earthy wines that benefit from cellaring prior to
drinking. Many Northern Rhones will improve for 20-30 years if the owner has
enough patience. Hermitage, Cote Rotie and St. Joseph appelations all
produce world-class reds.
The Southern Rhone produces more wine than the north. While much of the
production is not particularly complex, they are typically quite enjoyable and
affordable. Grenache is usually the dominant grape with Syrah and
Mourvedre blended as well. These wines are often relatively high in alcohol
and big in body.
Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Ventoux wines are big wines that are usually
available for less than $14. The wines from the villages of Gigondas and
Vacqueyras are slightly more expensive, but they are complex and age quite
well.
Chateneuf du Pape (Castle of the Pope) wines are truly the top wines from the
Southern Rhone. These full-bodied, long-lived wines are ripe and rich with
lovely earthy nuances and hints of leather. They're a great pairing with lamb or
herb-roasted red meats.
White wines from the Rhone can be challenging to find. Viognier, Roussanne
and Marsanne are the most common white grapes in the region. The
Viognier-based wines of Condrieu are consistently excellent, but usually in
scarce supply.
Languedoc wines aspire to match the quality of Southern Rhone wines,
although the results so far are mixed. There have been significant
investments in vineyards and production technology which should lead to an
increase in the overall quality of the wines. Prices are very reasonable,
making it a low risk proposition to sample Languedoc wines.
Back to Wine Regions.
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