Rhône Wine Notes — 25/06/2008

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The Rhône river wends its way down the south-eastern flank of France, from Switzerland via Lyon, through Avignon in the south and out into the Mediteranean.

History

The Rhône was the gateway into France for the Phoenicians, the Greeks and the Romans, who introduced and popularised wine growing here. Through the upheaval of the dark ages one thing remained constant, the Church. Abbeys were founded, churches built and these controlled much of the wine trade.

In the Napoleonic era, the towns of the Rhône flourished and prospered and the reputation of the wines grew to be that of the greatest wines in France. The wines had supposed medicinal qualities that were prized, particularly Hermitage.

But the strength and power of these wines recommended them for use as another kind of medicine wine, to bolster the wines of other regions. ‘Hermitaging’ Bordeaux wines was seen as a positive thing, a bit like multi-regional blending in Australia today. The great châteaux did it quite openly. Grenache from Châteauneuf was used in Burgundy to much the same effect, though this trade was more clandestine.

It was a slippery slope for the Rhône wines. There is always a stronger and a cheaper wine which could be used for blending, and improved transportation brought these in. Châteauneuf-du-Pape was one of the earliest Appellation Controllée in France in an attempt to popularise the wine. The World Wars completed the decimation of the Rhône wine trade, to the extent that in the 1950s it was too costly to bottle all but the finest wines.

This legacy of undervalued wines remains in part today, with all but the superstar wines fetching prices that are significantly lower than their worth. Having said that, the last decade has seen a resurgence in interest, as wine lovers seek out value wines and collectors seek wines with investment potential. A change in fashion towards sunny wines, a string of exceptional vintages and big name producers finding their form again, has put the Rhône back in vogue.

*The Region *

The Rhône is divided neatly, if not quite geographically, in two, the Northern and Southern Rhône. The North commences outside of Vienne with the vineyards of Côte Rôtie, to just beyond Tournon and the vineyards of Saint-Péray. The South begins just beyond the nougat-rich little town of Montélimar and peters out on the far side of the Papal town of Avignon.

In days gone by the distinction between these two regions was simple, the North planted Syrah, the South planted Grenache and Cinsault. Today however, with a drive to quality and greater understanding of blends, the Syrah can be found in the extreme South (alongside about thirty other assorted oddities).

The Vines

There are lots of grape varieties planted in the Rhône, some of which are merely historical relics that play bit parts in the southern scene, others play a starring role throughout the area. Here are the significant ones:

Syrah: A big, dark, spicy, rich, tannic, bold grape, with backbone and acidity. It is the finest red grape of the Rhône and is the basis of northern giants such as Hermitage, Cornas, St Joseph and Côte Rôtie. It is also on the increase in the south, being found in Languedoc and Côteaux de Aix, where it is very successfully mixed with Cabernet.

Grenache: Resists dry, hot conditions, indeed it thrives in them and so is very widely planted in the South. It ripens to give very high alcohol and good flavour, but it can be too alcoholic and can lack focus, structure and acidity. Adaptable, it gives every thing from Vin Doux Naturale Port-style wines, to rosés, via dry reds. In fine red wines, it is blended with Mourvèdre or Syrah and gives amplitude to Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe.

Mouvèdre: Potentially top quality, it is the basis for some fine Châteauneuf and gives a blackcurrant flavour, with shades of leather and cherry. Likes heat, but needs good air circulation as it is horribly susceptible to rot.

Counoise: Sturdy, late budder and ripener, it is capable of large yields and giving spicy, musky green pepper.

Cinsault: An ancient and traditional Midi grape, that adds tannin and colour to blends. Not something you want too much of though.

Viognier: High class white grape, with very low capricious yields, so much so that it nearly died out. It has fine aroma of apricots or musky peaches. It prefers light or mica soil. It is used as a supporting grape in Côte Rôtie and gives fine ‘varietal’ wines in Condrieu and Château Grillet. Delicious young. It is now planted outside it’s home in Pays d’Oc, in Australia and California.

Marsanne: Used in Northern Rhône whites, giving good texture, fat, but with reasonable acidity, and has some aromas, especially when young. Can be magnificent as part of a Hermitage Blanc, Châteauneuf Blanc and finds its way into Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage red.

Rousanne: Finer and more perfumed than Marsanne, but more difficult to grow, with later ripening and higher disease susceptibility.

Muscat à Petit Grains (or Frontigan): The superior Muscat, rather than the Alexandria, that gives us wines such as Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.

Grenache Blanc: Resists dry hot conditions and is high-yielding. It can produce quality full, wines, however it oxidises easily and offers high alcohol wines that can lack focus, acidity and aroma. Grenache Blanc is used for both VDN, Vin Doux Naturel, and some rather leaden whites. (As ‘Garnacha Blanca’ it is also a minor Rioja variety).

The Northern Rhône

As with Burgundy, the villages of the Rhône form the basis of the appellation controllée system. The last twenty years has seen a big increase in the number of villages being elevated from Vin de Pays and Côtes du Rhône Villages into AC wines and a parallel increase in quality.

Here is a selection of the significant ones, from north-south.

Côte Rôtie: Just south of Vienne on the west bank of the Rhône, with south-east facing vineyards, this red only appellation has amazing exposure. The best sites are on one of two hillsides, the Côtes Brune et Blonde. There are further slopes and an inferior plateau. The wine is made from Syrah with a touch of Viognier and can age wonderfully over decades.

Condrieu: A tiny appellation for white wines from the Viognier grape that produces mainly dry and a few sweet wines. The main soils are one of decomposed granite and schist, (giving classic Condrieu with power and aroma), and another of clay and rock soil, (which gives a more highly aromatic, early-drinking style).

Condrieu had very nearly disappeared due to difficulties of production and low prices but is now firmly in fashion.

Château Grillet: One of the smallest ACs in France, and a single estate, it has a magnificent amphitheatre of vines on mica soils. It is supposed to be a super-Condrieu but these days its status is in question.

Hermitage: The hill of Hermitage has some of the mightiest reds any where in the world and whites that can be divine. The hill has wonderful exposure to the sun, facing due south and is protected from the Mistral winds. It is split into many plots, such as Les Bessards and Le Méal, which all offer variations on a titanic theme.

Crozes-Hermitage: From around the Hermitage hill, Crozes has improved hugely in the last few years. The wines are lighter and more forward in style. Only the very best repaying keeping.

Saint-Joseph: Across the river from Hermitage, this is an area whose size has increased dramatically in recent times, not all of which is as good as it might be. The wines from Tournon and near Cornas can be superb. The mixture of sand and granite soils gives Syrah wines of lighter style, which are approachable younger.

Cornas: South of Tain l’Hermitage, and St Joseph, these vineyard terraces cling to the steep slopes of the valley and it has only been since the 1980’s that they have seen a revival in fortunes. Made from 100% Syrah they can be monster wines.

The Southern Rhône

Châteauneuf-du-Pape: This famous Rhône wine is named after a small castle, scarcely more than a watch tower which dates back to the time of the Papal exile in Avignon. Various Popes are said to have stayed there, but nothing is certain.

Châteauneuf can be a blend of up to 13 different varieties (though in reality far fewer are used). The main grape is usually Grenache, which enjoys the heat of the area.

The vineyards, particularly the vineyard on the plateau north of the village are famously covered in large stones that are supposed to act as storage heaters which leach heat out through the night. In truth these are not actually the best Châteauneuf vineyards, - these are on slopes to the east of village.

The wines vary in style, the best being rich, smooth, heady wines with ageing potential. Whites are made too. The best are reasonably aromatic, and though full, manage to maintain focus and some crispness. Unfortunately many fall short of this.

Gigondas: A resurgent village that now ranks with the South’s best wines. The clay on limestone soils give sumptuous wines that always have a fineness to them. They meld the best of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre together and give a great wallop of spice to the finish.

Vacqueyras: It is sometimes said that you need a knife and fork to drink this. Vacqueyras should be dark and brooding. It is generally bigger and less subtle than neighbouring Gigondas.

Beaumes-de-Venise: For reds, this is a Côte de Rhône Villages Appellation. They are soft and can lack focus (unless from high vineyards, in which case they are more like Vacqueyras).

Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise is an AOC in its own right. It is fragrant, sweet and delicious if you like that sort of thing, which we do.

Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes-de-Venise are all on the slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail, a series of strangely beautiful limestone ridges. The area is covered by our Rhône Vineyard Walk.

Tavel: Arguably the greatest rosé of the Rhône is produced here. The soils of clay gives rise to seriously dry, pale and often quite severe wines that are at their peak at two to four years of age.

Côtes du Rhône Villages: A collection of villages with a reputation for creating finer wines than your average Côtes du Rhône. They can adopt the name of their village for their label and over the last few years certain wines have been elevated into full ACs in their own right, such as Séguret, Sablet and Rasteau. Real efforts are being made in this area and over the next few years we will see many new star wineries and domaines emerge.

Cuisine of the Rhone

Lyon is something of a gastronomic capital with many great restaurants. It is a a cross roads with influences from Burgundy, Provence, Savoy and the Auverne. Charcuterie is famous and any dish titled ‘à la Lyonnaise’ means with onions.

Cervelas: Fat, fine-fleshed, pork & garlic sausage sometimes studded with truffles and pistachios.
Jésus de Lyon: Air-dried salami from Lyon.
Saucisses de Lyon: Fresh sausage boiled and served with hot potato salad or in brioche.
Boeuf à la moelle: Grilled steak with marrow.
Gâteau de Foie de Volaille: Chicken liver torte.
Poulet Demi-Deuil: Chicken with truffles.
Matelote: Fish stew. (Freshwater fish is abundant).
Cheeses: Bleu de Bresse: A creamy blue cheese.
Picodon: Local goat’s cheese from Montélimar.
Arômes de Lyon: Cow’s cheese cured in white wine.
Petit Bresson: Small goat’s milk cheese.