Along with Bordeaux and Burgundy, Rhône Valley wines are acknowledged to be among the best in the world. Situated in the Rhône River Valley in the south of France, the Rhône is comprised of two distinct regions—the north and south—each with its own viniculture and featuring wines of very different character.
The Northern Rhône (referred to in French as Rhône septentrional) produces powerful, aromatically complex and age worthy red wines, often in very limited numbers, from the dignified Syrah grape. Typically, most red wines in the northern zone have had an alcohol content in the common 12% to 13% range, but warmer-than-normal growing seasons (like in 1997, 1999, and 2003 in particular), have brought significantly richer, more powerful, and higher alcoholic content varieties.
The Southern Rhône (or Rhône méridional) yields more than 90% of the valley’s total production. A multitude of markedly more rustic and often richer blends coming from the high-alcohol Grenache grape can be identified by a more “southern” flavor. The wines offer a rich mouth feel, and more of a roasted and somewhat liqueur-ish fruit personality with spice and wild herb accents.
In the Northern Rhône Valley the apotheosis of Viognier, an exotically scented white wine, is also grown. Viognier is a variety that has been recently planted on several continents by growers hoping to capitalize on a strong worldwide demand. There are other white wines from the Rhône Valley (albeit less exciting than Viognier). The majority of these are blends based on Marsanne and Roussanne in the North, and Grenache Blanc and less interesting native varieties in the South.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 91 points: More serious than the Premices, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Tradition has additional structure and depth, with classic red and black fruits, leather, bouquet garni and spice aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, nicely...
jamessuckling.com, 97 points: The nose has a complex array of fine-ground eastern spices, strong cardamom, fine dark chocolate and ripe black cherries and plums. There's even some licorice. It has a neatly composed and elegant feel on the palate. It...
Wine Spectator, 97 points: This defines old school, with savory detail and notes of roasted chestnut, fresh tobacco leaf, cedar and brick dust leading off, backed by a core of currant, cherry and plum fruit flavors that is lightly dried yet...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points: The 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape (70% Grenache and 15% each of Syrah and Mourvedre) is beautiful, with medium to full-bodied richness, lots of sweet black raspberry fruit, graphite, bouquet garni and licorice aromatics, and...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: The top wine from the portfolio, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvee Anonyme offers thrilling purity and focus in its lively dark fruits, roasted meats and underbrush-scented bouquet. Full-bodied, ripe and textured, with...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: A true blockbuster, the Grenache-dominated 2012 IGP Vaucluse comes all from clay and limestone soils around Rasteau, and spent 24-36 months in a combination of foudres and demi-muids. Loaded with notions of black...
Decanter, 91 points: A large estate with a young owner, embodying a contemporary style – and excellent value. Age is just starting to give some woodsy, autumn leaf characters to the loganberry fruit. Pure, precise and medium-bodied. Drinking...
jamessuckling.com, 94 points: Bottled as a single blend in 2012, this has a fine, peppery edge to the nose with elegant dark-chocolate aromas ahead of brambly dark plums and black-cherry fruits. There's a wealth of richness and power here, and it's so...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: Coming from the upper part of Cornas and seeing 24 months in 400-500 Liter barrels (none new), the 2012 Cornas Domaine du Coulet Billes Noires is an incredible effort that’s up with the crème de la crème of the vintage...
Wine Spectator, 93 points: Rather ripe, with alluring warmed raspberry coulis, plum sauce and blackberry paste flavors, threaded with a licorice snap note and backed by warm ganache and Turkish coffee accents. Not shy in style, but has the...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: The top Crozes cuvee is the 2012 Crozes Hermitage Cuvee Gaby, with is 100% Syrah that’s aged all in a combination of new and used barrels. It’s a fantastic Syrah that offers a classic, elegant and medium to full-bodied...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: I loved the 2012 Hermitage le Meal Estate last year on release, and I loved it this year as well. Its inky color is followed by terrific notes of black raspberries (which I almost always find in wines from le Meal)...
Vinous, 92 points: Vivid purple. Fresh black and blue fruits and potpourri on the expressive, expansive nose. Highly floral and spicy, with intense dark berry and bitter cherry flavors becoming sweeter with aeration. This precise wine...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 98 points: The 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina is a blend of 60% Grenache aged in foudre (from close to 100-year-old vines) and 40% Mourvedre aged in demi-muids. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by incredible notes of...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 98 points: The awesome 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve is at the top of the heap in the vintage, and is world-class stuff. Sharing lots of similarities to the Les Trois Sources (they come from similar terroirs), it has another...
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