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, 100 points: Aged entirely in barriques (25% new), the 2016 Ermitage le Pavillon shows only a hint of warm pencil shavings on the nose, beautifully setting up notes of fresh blackcurrants. Full-bodied, concentrated and plush across...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: On another level, the 2014 Côte Rôtie La Mordorée is a perfumed, incredibly layered and even sexy 2014 that has lots of black raspberry fruits, flowers, potpourri, and spice aromas and flavors. It’s a deeper, richer wine...
jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: From the deeper soils at the bottom of the Le Méal lieu-dit, the 2016 Ermitage Les Gréffieux was all destemmed and saw its normal 18 months in a mix of Burgundy barrels and demi-muids, with just 25% being new. This is a...
jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: The top cuvée from Delas is the 2015 Hermitage Les Bessards, and it's always 100% Syrah from the steep, broken granite soils of the Bessards lieu-dit. Aged 18 months in 30% new barrels, its purple/plum color is followed...
jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: Readers wanting to understand pure granite soils need to taste the inky blue/black-colored 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite, as just sticking your nose in the glass is enough to instantly transport you to this magical hillside...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 98 points: 98+ As expected, the 2011 Ermitage l’Ermite, which comes from the lieu-dit of the same name, is more backward and focused, with a slightly closed, tight profile. Slowly giving up ample cassis and black raspberry fruit...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points: Looking even better than it did last year, now that it's in the bottle, Chapoutier's 2016 Saint-Joseph Le Clos is impressive indeed. Classy notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings are joined by floral hints of violets...
Vinous, 94 points: Dark purple. A powerful, highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, candied licorice, olive paste, exotic spices and incense and shows a vibrant mineral overtone. Stains the palate with intense blackberry...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 98 points: Now that it's in bottle, the 2014 Cote Rotie La Turque has exceeded all of my earlier expectations. It's got those classic Côte Rôtie elements on the nose of smoked bacon, olives and violets, seamlessly entwined with...
jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: On another level, the inky colored 2016 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers comes from the granite hillside just beside Hermitage hill and is more Hermitage than Crozes. It has a huge nose of currants, smoked earth, graphite...
Vinous, 92 points: Brilliant ruby. Bright and focused on the nose, displaying spice- and mineral-tinged red berry, cherry and floral scents that pick up smoke and cracked pepper nuances as the wine opens up. Juicy and light on its feet...
Wine Spectator, 98 points: A stunning, modern-styled version, with scintillating raspberry purée, plum confiture and blackberry reduction flavors gliding over velvety but copious tannins. Alluring warm ganache and fruitcake accents gild the...
Wine Spectator, 95 points: Offers a solid, dark profile, with baker's chocolate, loam and warm gravel notes providing the bass line, while a core of plum and blackberry compote waits in reserve. Solidly rendered, showing ample grip, this just needs...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: One of the top efforts, the 2011 Cornas (aged 15 months in one- to two-year-old barrels) is a big, voluptuous and textured effort that offers up peppery cassis and dark fruits, underbrush and earth to go with medium to...
Wine Spectator, 95 points: Offers a mouthfilling, brambly feel, with dark plum, steeped blackberry and mulled boysenberry fruit at the core, backed by anise, singed mesquite and black tea notes that give the finish a perfumy caste. Has depth and...
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