Rhone

World's most reliable drinker perhaps? Well, you certainly seem to get a guarantee of ripe fruit and decent complexity with well made Cotes du Rhone, and this wine is no exception.

Ogier is located in Ch?teauneuf-du-Pape, and this little number offers glimpses of its bigger sister appellation with superb body and real depth of fruit flavour.

Full bodied, complex, dry and utterly deliciously spicy Syrah from Crozes-Hermitage, one of the special appellations in France's Northern Rhone Valley and home solely to the great, dark, spicy Syrah grape. 

This is a blend of predominantly Viognier and Marsanne made by highly regarded Rhone producer, E. Guigal. Bright golden in the glass, with aromas of white flowers, ripe apricot and peach. On the palate, the wine is rich and full bodied, with intense yet balanced fruitiness. This wine punches above its weight in elegance and richness.

Burgundy-trained St?phane Ogier is a northern Rh?ne wunderkind, says Master of Wine Jancis Robinson. He makes this full bodied, fresh southern Rh?ne blend of about 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah from vines substantially grown in Viol?s on Le Plan de Dieu supplemented by some from Visan. Soils are a mixture of limestone and blue clay. Average vine density is 7,000 vines per hectare with the average age a very heartening 30 to 50 years. Vines are hand-harvested ? yields averaging 40 hl/ha ? before being sorted in both vineyard and cellar.

 Ogier joined his father Michel in 1997 to work the family vineyards and built a glamorous new winery just south of Ampuis overlooked by the steep C?te R?tie terraces. And he has now built a second winery in the southern Rh?ne to make wines like Le Temps est Venu without having to ship the grapes too far.

Ch?teau Maucoil?s vineyards are located in the northwest of the Ch?teauneuf du Pape area, on the left bank of the River Rh?ne. This wine consists of Grenache blanc (90%) Bourboulenc (8%) Clairette (2%). This wine is clean and bright. Rich and fine on the nose with pear and citrus aromas. The palate is mineral with notes of green apple and lemon.

Wine growers in the northern Rhone since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

'Vinified from grapes that were harvested as late as the 26th of September, the 2021 L'Hermitage Blanc was cropped at 38 hL/ha, above the levels of 2022. It dazzles with vivid spring blossom, honeysuckle, lemon peel, white peach, quince, apricot and discrete cedar aromas. Medium-bodied and immaculately balanced by bright acidity, this is an athletic L'Hermitage Blanc with marked freshness and energy. A saline aftertaste wraps up the sapid finish. Outstanding.' 96 pts Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous

Wine growers in the northern Rhone since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

Jean-Louis Chave Selections, his negociant line which sources grapes from various areas in the northern Rhone, represents a more accessible way for the consumer to experience the wines of the Chave family.

Wine growers in the northern Rhone since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

Jean-Louis Chave Selections, his negociant line which sources grapes from various areas in the northern Rhone, represents a more accessible way for the consumer to experience the wines of the Chave family.

'Saturated violet colour. Smoky, mineral-accented black and blue fruit scents are complicated by olive paste, licorice and floral nuances that build in the glass. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, offering vibrant blackberry, boysenberry, candied violet and smoky bacon flavours that become sweeter with air. The floral and mineral notes come back strong on the penetrating finish, which shows outstanding persistence and fine-grained, harmonious tannins.' 95pts Josh Reynolds - Vinous

Wine growers in the northern Rhone since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

'The refined 2021 L'Hermitage was cropped at 37 hL/ha and bottled in early September 2023. It is laced with finely delineated orange rind, raspberry, red cherry, red plum, dried herbs, pencil shavings, black cherry, crushed violet and cedar. Showing excellent tension on the medium-bodied palate, the 2021 brings it home with clarity and freshness. That being said, it won?t be as long lived as either the 2020 or 2022.' 94 pts Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous

Wine growers in the northern Rh?ne since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

The wine has lovely almond and acacia flower scents and wonderfully-textured white stone fruit palate with a long, elegant finish.

Wine growers in the northern Rh?ne since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

Jean-Louis Chave Selections, his n?gociant line which sources grapes from various areas in the northern Rh?ne, represents a more accessible way for the consumer to experience the wines of the Chave family. ?Mon Coeur? C?tes-du-Rh?ne is a blend of excellent plots in Vinsobres, Visan, Buisson, and Estargues while ?Sil?ne? Crozes-Hermitage is 50% estate Syrah and 50% purchased. As with all things Chave, quality is eminent even at the entry level.

Move aside, cheeky little anything red  fora bottle of this gorgeous French rouge from the Southern Rhone Valley. Its pretty purple colour gives way to a red fruited, lightly spicy tasting wine with smooth tannins, a medium body and a fresh finish. This wine is made by the Perrin Family, owners of Ch?teau de Beaucastel, which makes some of the greatest reds in the Rhone Valley. 

* This wine is made from a blend of grapes grown in the Southern Rhone Valley and it was formerly a Cotes du Ventoux but is now a blended rouge from a wider area. 

Classic smooth and fruity Cotes du Rhone from a family estate in the heart of Chateauneuf du Pape. Organic, sustainable, though not certified.

Grenache dominant blended with Syrah and a touch of Carignan. Vibrant purple - ruby coloured, perfumed baked plum pie and raspberry fruits and bouquet-garni on the nose. Medium body, good fruit dominance, more berries mixing with red currants and milk chocolate, with fine tannins and savoury spices rounded out the finish.

If Cotes du Rhone reds haven't made their way onto your wine drinking radar yet, then now's the perfect time because many of the 2016 wines are still available on the market and it's a vintage that rocks. This wine is made by the Sabon family, who have carved a name for themselves as high quality producers of great Ch?teauneuf-du-Pape. This red is made from the hills of the surrounding southern Rhone Valley from a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourv?dre and 10% Syrah.
This crowd pleaser drinks beautifully now but undoubtedly has eight to nine years of aging and evolution up its vinous sleeve.

How is it possible to roll all these flavours into one affordable wine? Ask the Famille Perrin, one of the great winemaking families in southern France, who create this complex, fruity, earthy and fresh Cotes du Rhone from a blend of Grenache (mainly from their Pr?bois vineyard in Orange), Syrah from further north in Vinsobres and Mourv?dre. While many less interesting Cotes du Rhone are made from a straightforward blend of Grenache and Syrah, the addition of the dark, mocha-like flavours of Mourv?dre add depth, richness and smooth soft velvet mouthfeel. 

The grapes in this wine were destemmed and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks between 150hl and 190hl. Extraction is done by pumping over and the frequency is determined by tasting. The separate component wines are transferred partly to oak barrels and partly to stainless steel vats for a year's maturation, prior to blending. 

The result is outstanding dry red wine flavours with rich soft fruit appeal and a long finish; all to be hoped for from the family who own Chateau de Beaucastel.

This is a great young red with medium term ageing ability and especially fresh and consistent thanks to being sealed with a screw cap.