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Be a Rhone Ranger
By Alan McGinty
There are famous and pricey wines from the Rhone Valley: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage, Condrieu, Cote-Rotie… and the best examples are right up there with the finer wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne.
But the Rhone is also (rightly) known for producing vast amounts of well-priced wines, mainly reds. After a teenaged flirtation with Blue Nun, “Cotes du Rhone” became my go-to wine and remained so for years.
Rhone reds are made mainly from syrah and grenache, and are among the most reliably fruity of French reds. Rhone white grapes include the aromatic viognier and the commonly blended Rhone duo, marsanne and roussane. Between them, the two Rhone standard bearers provide moderate aromatics, good fruit, good acidity and decent body.
I got some great samples from southern Rhone producers and was impressed with both the quality and the price. The wines are from the Ventoux, Luberon and Costieres de Nimes appellations, which are near the Med. The southern Rhone as a whole is among the driest and sunniest in France – the Luberon boasts “more than 2,600 hours of sunshine annually” according to InterRhone, compared with Niagara’s average of around 2,000 hours.
So, plenty warm and sunny to ripen the syrah, but not so hot as South Australia or Napa to make it a dense, dark “fruit bomb”. And for the whites, expect fuller and fruitier than the austerity of a muscadet or a chablis, yet there’s usually decent acidity to keep it fresh.
Here’s a sampling of Rhones, all priced in the teens.
2008 Mas Des Bressades Rose
Terrific rose in the best French style: very dry yet fruity, pale pink colour, bracing acidity. Attractive nose with light red fruit, some spice and even a bit of floral. Fairly full on the palate, which is fresh and dry, with plenty of ripe red fruit. Good finish too on this classic syrah-based rose. (LCBO 950576 $13.95)
2008 La Vielle Ferme Cotes du Luberon
Fresh and fruity nose in this interesting and very well priced white blend - it feels a bit like a richer, fruitier chardonnay and the blend is very similar to the white wine of the legendary Chateau de Beaucastel, which is nearby. The white fruit notes include apple and some citrus too as well as a bit of spice. Medium bodied on the palate, with good acidity and ripe apple/pear fruit and some lemon too. Good finish and a great price.
2005 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone
A good example of entry level Cotes-du-Rhone from a respected producer who also delivers seriously high end wines, including Cote-Roties at hundreds of dollars a bottle. Dark red colour, full and fairly fruity nose with secondary darker notes adding depth - earthiness, pepper. Fuller bodied on palate, which has lots of ripe juicy fruit - mainly cherries and blackberries. Moderate tannins, good acidity and some white pepper notes. Just what you want in a Cotes du Rhone. (LCBO 259721 $17.95)
2007 Mas Des Bressades Cabernet Syrah
Lovely nose with secondary notes of earth and pencil shavings dominating ripe red berry/red currant fruit. A nice hint of cedar also makes an appearance in this complex bouquet. On the palate it's fresh and the acidity level is high. Tannins are evident but smooth and the fruit is red and ripe: cherries move to the fore. The secondary notes include earth and wood. Nicely balanced with some really alluring herbal notes on the finish. Here's a great example of a winery up-ending the received wisdom of France's multi-layered hierarchy of wine quality: this is a lowly Vin de Pays - pretty much the most basic level in French wine. However that non-Appellation Controlee designation means the winemaker is free to combine cabernet sauvignon and syrah - not allowed in any AOC, but sometimes blended together in the New World. I've had some of those versions (usually cheap) and this mops the floor with them. Probably the most expensive Vin de Pays I've ever had and by far the best. This wine, though it's edging towards $20, is a bargain. (LCBO 712174 $18.95)
2006 Parallele 45
Fairly rich nose with plenty of dark red berry fruit including raspberries and there's a bit of a spicy note too. Acidity is quite high and the tannins are relatively soft. Not super fruity on the palate, but the red berry fruit is fresh and ripe and there's more spiciness and just a hint of steeped tea. The overall feel is smooth and the finish is good with a muted but lingering fruitiness.
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