The Rhone Wines

The Rhône Valley is one of France’s most important wine regions, home to the great wines of Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, St Joseph, Cornas on the north and, of course, Châteauneuf du Pape in the south.

The Northern and Southern Rhone are joined by the synonymous river, a spot of Syrah in Chateauneuf du Pape blends and, to be honest, little else. In the north, the home of Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, St Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage, the Rhône is one of the most impressive stretches of water one will see: a truly grand river. By the time it gets to Chateauneuf du Pape it is more dual-carriageway than multi-lane highway, and both the climate, and the surrounding vista has changed.

The north is all about gradient: few pictures can do justice to the steepness of the slopes of Côte-Rôtie and much of Cornas and St Joseph. The landscape is all about the river carving its way through dramatic, almost sheer, granite drops. In the south not only is it noticeably warmer, the landscape changes to gently rolling countryside with the epic backdrop of the alps. Home to Gigondas, Rasteau, Vacqueras, the scenery is grandiose. The sort of scenery that can take one’s imagination back centuries.

The wines from the south and north are equally different. The 100% (or very close) Syrah wines from Cote-Rotie, Hermitage, Cornas and St Joseph are more delicate, more restrained and more subtle than their southern neighbours, whereas in Chateauneuf, the king of the southern Rhone, even the most gentle wines are bruisers. Ripeness, and therefore alcohol, could almost be seen as the enemy in the south: 15% of alcohol is relatively easy to achieve here and some of the more honest growers will happily admit “it says 14.5 on the label but what’s in the bottle is closer to 17%”.

The best Rhône wines can offer outstanding value. In the north or south one can find truly great wines, wines of great quality, character and individuality, for relatively little outlay. This is perhaps France’s only great region that remains – at least to some extent – uncovered.

Hermitage

Hermitage (occasionally Ermitage) is the most famous appellation of the Northern Rhone. The steep granite hill of Hermitage overlooks the town of Tain l’Hermitage and across the Rhône river, which is massive at this point.

Just 130 hectares or so (not much bigger than a single, large, Bordeaux estate) are planted and quantities produced of this iconic wine are tiny. At their best they are amongst the finest wines in the world, and amongst the longest lived.

Most of the wine here is red, and 100% Syrah, though up to 15% white grapes are allowed. The whites, which are impossibly rare, are made up of Marsanne and Roussanne, and age remarkably well.

Whilst much of the best Hermitage is blended from different vineyard sites, some exceptional single vineyard offerings are made, notably Le Meal, L’Ermite and Chante Alouette. Jaboulet’s Hermitage la Chapelle is one of the world’s most famous and iconic wines: the 1961 is a candidate for one of the finest wines ever made.

The most famous producers here are Chave, Jaboulet, Chapoutier and Guigal. Up and coming estates would be Ferraton and Delas and a tremendous value pick is Yann Chave. The Cave de Tain Hermitage is the regional cop-operative and this too produces quality wines of occasionally outstanding value.

Top vintages: 2010, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1999, 1991

Côte-Rôtie

Along with Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie is one of the northern Rhône’s most famous appellations and the source of some of the finest wines of France. Approximately 200 hectares are planted to vines, on slopes that are occasionally so steep that photographs cannot do them justice.

The wines here are Syrah, with up to 20% of Viognier allowed in the blend. They tend to be a little softer, a little more feminine than those of Hermitage.

Vines have been planted on the “roasted slope” since Roman times, though Côte-Rôtie only became truly famous in the 1970s, largely on account of one man: Etienne Guigal. Guigal pioneered the wines of Côte-Rôtie and their single vineyard “Lalas” – La Mouline, La Turque and La Landonne – are some of the most sought after wines in the world. Chapoutier’s La Mordorée also has a strong following.

The key producers here are Guigal, Chapoutier and Rostaing. Other growers worth looking out for are Ogier, Jamet and Jean-Michel Gerin.

Top vintages: 2010, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1999, 1991

Cornas

Just south of St Joseph lies Cornas, one of the most potentially exciting wine regions in the whole of France. Vines have grown here for centuries, and the region’s revival as a source for seriously fine wine began in the 1980s. Just 100 hectares are planted to vine.

The slopes here are vertiginous, facing south or south east, and the vineyards are generally at an altitude of 100 to 400 metres above sea level. Temperatures here are noticeably warmer than in Hermitage, and the soil is granite-rich. As with Hermitage, St Joseph and Côte-Rôtie, Syrah is the key variety (only red wine is made here, though).

The wines are rich and powerful, and often need considerable time to soften in the bottle. At their best, they make serious rivals for even the very best of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, often at a fraction of the price. This is a region worth following.

The best growers here include Auguste Clape, Thierry Allemand, Vincent Paris. The wines from up and coming Franck Balthazar are worth seeking out, and the wines from the excellent domaine Courbis offer extraordinary value.

Top vintages: 2010, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1999, 1991

St Joseph

Compared with Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas, St Joseph is a huge appellation with more than 1,000 hectares planted to vine. 100% Syrah, St Joseph can offer value and approachability for fans of the northern Rhône, not to mention a handful of wines that are genuinely fine.

The heart of the appellation lies across the river from Hermitage around this is where the best wines are found. Almost invariably lighter and faster maturing than Hermitage, they can make for exceptional drinking and a very pure expression of Northern Rhône Syrah. For the most part these are wines to be drunk relatively young.

A small amount of white St Joseph is made from Marsanne and Roussanne. These, like the reds, are best consumed relatively young.

Jean-Louis Chave makes an excellent St Joseph through his negociant arm, and the wines of Domaine Courbis are both delicious and well-priced. Chapoutier’s Les Granits can be exceptional in both red and white.

Crozes Hermitage

The largest appellation in the Northern Rhône, Crozes Hermitage surrounds the vineyards of Hermitage itself. Usually red and always Syrah, it is a wine associated with everyday drinking of some quality when bought from the best producers.

A few very fine Crozes-Hermitages are made. Jaboulet’s Crozes-Hermitage Thalabert can be outstanding (and keep for decades).

Condrieu

Condrieu is the home of the very finest Viognier in the World. Just 40 or so growers have vines planted on 100 hectares of very steep granite slopes, making wines of incredible perfume. Not only is the vineyard area small, yields are tiny and, as such, this is a very rare and frequently expensive wine.

The best vineyards of Condrieu are south or south-east facing and sheltered from the winds, and the appellation also encompasses Ch. Grillet, one of France’s smallest appellations and one of the only appellations with a single owner (along with La Romanée and Romanée-Conti). The quality here has been resurgent since its purchase by Francois Pinault, owner of Ch. Latour and Domaine d’Eugenie.

The most famous producers here are Domaines Georges Vernay and Guigal and a new wave of growers have joined them, notably Yves Cuilleron, André Perret, Francois Villard, Michel Ogier and Gangloff.

Best vintages: 2011, 2006, 2004

Châteauneuf du Pape

Châteauneuf du Pape is the southern Rhône’s most famous wine and one of France’s most complex regions. It was the very first appellation controlee, and the top wines of Châteauneuf du Pape can compete with France’s best.

There are over 3,000 hectares of vineyards in Châteauneuf du Pape, with close to 100 growers. The wines are generally rich, robust and ripe, with the famous “galets” – small rocks that cover many of the vineyards – absorbing the daytime heat and releasing it back to the vines at night.

The style of wines throughout Châteauneuf are as varied as any other. Much of this is down to winemaking style, though the variation of soil type and vineyard aspect throughout the appellation is considerable. Moreover, up to thirteen different grape varieties are permitted to be used and whilst Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah are the dominant varieties, blends vary from producer to producer.

The top Châteauneuf producers include Ch. de Beaucastel, Domaine de Pegau, Clos des Papes, Ch. Rayas, Domaine de la Janasse and Clos St Jean. FINE+RARE favourites include Mas de Boislauzon – excellent value – and Bosquet des Papes.

Top vintages for Châteauneuf are 2012, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2001, 1998 and 1990.