Introduction

Cotes du Rhone literally means 'Banks of the Rhone: The region stretches out under the hot sun from Vienne to Avignon.
At the northern end, the vines cling to steep sided granite slopes. In the south, the great river meanders towards the Mediterranean, and the vineyards are planted in alluvial soil on gentle, rolling hills.
The different soils and climates give each wine its individuality. Together with the range of grapes and techniques employed, these factors influence the enormous variety of flavour, feel and fragrance displayed by the wines of the region. So, as well as the velvety reds for which the Rhone Valley is famed, there are also distinctive roses, exquisite whites and even sparkling wines to be enjoyed.

The Northern Rhone
The vineyards of the Rhone Valley are scattered across some 200 miles, from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south. At the northern end of the valley you'll see vines clinging tenaciously to steep-sided granite slopes, some almost defying cultivation. Many of these vineyards have been hewn precariously out of the rock and are very difficult to work.

The Southern Rhone
In the south, the valley gradually spreads out, and the Rhone begins to meander as it prepares to empty itself unhurriedly into the Mediterranean. Here, there are plains, gently rolling hills, and a rich alluvial soil quite unlike that in the north. And the same sun which glares down on the whole length of the Rhone is measurably hotter here. The differences between north and south are plain even to the most casual observer But there are also less obvious local variations - even down to earth factors like the flowers and fruits which grow in an area - which can make the wine from one vineyard quite different from that of its neighbour just a mile or two down the road.
The changes - some dramatic, some subtle - make the diverse wines of the Rhone Valley so fascinating and appealing.

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Cotes du Rhone Wine

This highly drinkable but inexpensive staple wine is produced throughout the Rhone Valley and accounts for 80% of all wines from the whole region. Cotes du Rhone are predominantly red, with rose wines being more important than whites The dominant grape varieties are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, and Cotes du Rhone wines enjoy a minimum alcohol content of 11%.

Cotes du Rhone Villages
Moving up from Cotes du Rhone we come to Cotes du Rhone Villages. These higher quality wines come from just 16 villages. And while not achieving the highest status, they represent great value For money. 80% of Cotes du Rhone Villages wines are red, and Grenache is the most important grape variety.
These wines come from three distinct areas of the Rhone Valley. whose climate and soil impart distinct local characteristics to the wines.
Those from the Vaucluse are fruity and spicy, wines from the Drome tend to have a woody fragrance, while those from Gard are generally lighter.
Wherever they originate. Cotes du Rhone Villages wines have a minimum alcohol content of 12.5% for reds and 12% for whites and roses.

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Fine Wines of the Rhone Valley

The Rhone Valley Crus are produced in a limited number of specific vineyards, respected above all others for their quality. The most prominent name on the label will be that of the locale e.g. Chateauneuf-de-Pape.
There are thirtheen of these cru wines. A few are very expensive due to their rarity. But most represent tremendous value, particularly when you consider their pedigree and the expertise required to produce such characterful wine.
The crus are justly famed for their velvety reds, but you'll soon realise there's an abundant variety within the range, embracing highly distinctive roses, exquisite whites and even sparkling wines

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North Rhone Vineyards

Advice from the Sommelier
The white wines of the northern Cotes du Rhone should be served at about 12c with fish in sauce. They are ideal with goat's cheese. The red are best at 15c and accompany perfectly game and strong cheese. Finally, Saint-Peray method champenoise served very cold at say 60C is worthy of any sweet dish and is also excellent as an aperitif.

It starts in the north in Ampuis and ends in the south at Valence. The vines are planted on small steep terraces overlooking the Rhone. The soil is granite, decayed, friable with little humidity. The climate is typically that of the Lyons regions : misty summers that are warm yet humid. characteristics of the different northern appellations

Cote Rotie
Known since earliest times, this vineyard lies on two hills called the "Blonde" and the "Brunette" in memory of the two beautiful daughters of the Lord of Ampuis in the Middle Ages. Covering some 85 hectares this vineyard is planted with Syrah (minimum 80%) and Viognier and produces red wine only. This wonderful wine as a deep, warm red colour; its bouquet is pleasant and it has a lingering fragrance all of its own. In 1980 its production was of some 3,400 hectolitres.

Condrieu
On some 18 hectares of granity terraces, this small vineyard produces from the Viognier grape an average of 300 hectolitres of beautifully balanced white wine, light, dry and yet smooth. This wine can age but it is better to enjoy it whilst it is young so as to appreciate its perfume of violets.

Chateau Grillet
Owned by the same family for the last 300 years, this 3,5 hectares vineyard produces from the Viognier grapes and exquisite white wine which makes one regret very much its rarity. The 1980 crop amounted to some 120 hectolitres only. This is a golden white wine, dry and yet smooth and well rounded; its bouquet is reminiscent of musk and violets.

Saint Joseph
The red, white and rose wines of Saint-Joseph are produced on some 200 hectares. The red wine is produced from the Syrah grape alone. Very dark in colour it is a tannic wine, when it is young but becomes smoother with age and then attains a taste of raspberries. The white wines are fruity, crisp and full. They are produced from the Roussanne and Marsanne grapes. In 1980 this vineyard produced some 600 hectolitres of white wine and some 8.400 hectolitres of red and rose wines.

Cornas
This vineyard covers some 50 hectares and produced in 1980 from the Syrah grape grown on granity terraces about 1,900 hectolitres of a dark red wine. This wine was already appreciated in the days of Charlemagne and later under the reign of Louis XV. It is a powerful wine with much body and very round, which will age elegantly for more than 20 years.

Saint-Peray
Praised by Plutarch. beloved by good king Henri IV, the wine of Saint-Peray is issued from a small 50 hectares vineyard planted with Roussanne and Marsanne grapes. It produces an average of 1.900 hectolitres of a still white wine, which has a tendency to sparkle. Since 1929 the major part of the crop is treated in the Charlemagne method, which results in a delicious sparkling wine with a taste of violets.

Hermitage
This is a very ancient vineyard overlooking the Rhone. Nowadays it cover some 150 hectares and produced in 1980 about 4,600 hectolitres of wine, both white and red. For the red wines the grape variety is the Syrah alone, whilst for the whites they are Roussanne and Marsanne. The white wines are to be enjoyed very young but they can age elegantly. They are full bodied. dry and yet smooth. The red wines are powerful, full bodied and well rounded they have a deep red colour. They can age with elegance and attain a wonderful spicy bouquet.

Crozes-Hermitage
A perfect example of good fellowship between vine growers. White the agreement of the vine growers of Hermitage those of Crozes were able to add to their own name the glorious one of Hermitage. Their vineyards cover some 1,000 hectares and produced in 1980 about 36.000 hectolitres of red wine and about 4.800 hectolitres of white wine, from the same grape varieties as Hermitage. The wines of Crozes-Hermitage are ready earlier than those of Hermitage but age more quickly also. The white wines are light and have a bouquet reminiscent of hazelnut. The red wines have an aroma of hawthorn and raspberries. Their colour is not as deep as that of the Hermitage.

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Shelf life Rhone Wines

All the wines of the Northern Cotes du Rhone are wines to be laid down. The red can reach 10 to 15 years of age, sometimes more. The whites reach their peak between 2 and 5 years of age.

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Southern Rhone Vineyards

Whilst the vineyards of the northern Cotes du Rhone are planted in terraces, those of the Southern part are laid out on the hill sides. They are more extended and the soil in clayish chalk often with large amounts of stones. In the south the climate is warmer, with long summers bathed in sun but without rain. This results in grapes that are full of sugar and therefore in more powerful wines. The southern Cotes du Rhone begin at Bourg-Saint-Andreol and finish just south of Avignon. Characteristics of the different southern appellations

Lirac
This vineyard covers some 2,900 hectares divided among four villages : Lirac, Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres. Saint-Ginies-de-Comolas, Roquemaure. In the XVlth century the latter was an important port on the river Rhone from which were shipped wines towards Paris, England and Holland. Already in those days the wines produced were of excellent quality. Nowadays the Lirac appellation is given to red, white and rose wines produced from vine planted in the red and stony soil coming from the hillocks made of silicate on the right bank of the river. The varieties used are: Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Syrah for the red wines and Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Bourboulene for the whites. In 1980 the red and rose wines produced amounted to 20,000 hectolitres whilst the whites accounted for 330 hectolitres only. The white wines are very rare and have a pronounced bouquet and are very fine. The roses are crisp. The reds are powerful, well balanced and have a remarkable bouquet.

Tavel
Has always been considered as France's greatest rose wine. Already famous in the Xlllth century it was a great favourite of the King of France Louis XIV and later Balzac and the poet Mistral. The vineyard covers some 800 hectares of poor soil made up of sand and chalky sandstone with some clay. The grape varieties used are the Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Picpoul and Bourboulenc. The yield per acre is limited strictly to 42 hectolitres.
In 1980 the production amounted to some 35.000 hectolitres. In its youth the wine of Tavel has a brilliant pink colour, which takes on a topaz tinge with age. This is an elegant, crisp, dry, powerful and yet fruity wine; it has a slight peppery taste which is brought out when the wine is served very cold.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape
The history of the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is linked not only to the history of France but also to that of the papacy. When Jacques Duet. born in Cahors, was elected pope in Avignon, he remembered the small village of Chateauneuf which he had known whilst he was bishop of Avignon. He caused a castle to be built there and we can now see its ruins, he also caused vine and other plants to be planted. Of course the vine had always flourished in that region but it was Pope John XXII who gave it its fame. Faithful to this glorious past, the vine growers of Chateauneuf-du-Pape tend with great care the 3,000 hectares of vine growing among very large pebbles results of the erosion of lower AIps by the river Rhone. The wines produced are red for the at night thus ensuring that these grapes always reach a high degree of maturity. In 1980 the vineyard of Chateauneuf-du-Pape produced 98,350 hectolitres of red wine and only 2.700 hectolitres of white.
Each grape variety used brings something particular to the wine. They are Grenache, Clairette, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvedre, Picpoul, Terret Noir, Counoise, Muscadin, Vaccarese, Picardan, Roussanne et Bourboulenc.
The white wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape have an incomparable bouquet and fruit. The reds are powerful, heady, warm and full-bodied. They have a dark ruby red colour and their bouquet is a magnificent blend of spices, raspberries, truffles and all the herbs of the moors around the vineyards.

Gigondas
A very ancient vineyard, once part of the domain of the Princes of Orange. Nowadays it covers some 800 hectares, which produced in 1980 some 37,120 hectolitres of red and rose wines from the following varieties : Grenache noir, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre. These wines must have a minimum alcoholic content of 12.5%. The rose wines are dry and fruity with a herbal bouquet. The reds are powerful, perfectly balanced with much body. Like the Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines. they must be produced from a crop which has had all the bad or damaged grapes removed.

Shelf Life
The white and rose wines are very pleasant consumed young but the Tavel can easily age up to 5 yea rs. The reds are at their best after five years generally, although Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas can reach ten years or more.

Advice from the Sommelier
The white wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape served well chilled, say at 7 or 80C, make a wonderful aperitif and are excellent with fish and sea food. The roses, whether they be Lirac. Tavel or Gigondas, must also be served chilled at between 8 and 10c: they accompany perfectly hors-d'oeuvre, delicatessen meats or can be enjoyed throughout the meal. The red wines, particularly those of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. which have a pronounced bouquet, can accompany wonderfully game, venison or strong cheese.

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