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.
TheWineCellarInsider.com, 90 points: Earthy, with plush, polished, ripe tannins, fresh, sweet, ripe, red fruits and a nice, purity in the soft textured, pure, kirsch finish. Read more...
Vinous, 94 points: Bright purple. Vibrant blackberry, cola and smoky mineral aromas are complemented by an exotic spice accent. Deeply concentrated, palate-staining black and blue fruit liqueur flavors show excellent depth and clarity, and...
Wine Spectator, 96 points: Very silky in feel, with beguiling rooibos tea, bergamot and blood orange accents sitting atop the large core of cassis and raspberry pâte de fruit. Everything is in lockstep through the finish, where buried minerality...
jebdunnuck.com, 94 points: I also loved the 2015 Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Louis Belle which saw a traditional vinification followed by 20 months in French oak. Blackberry, currants, blueberries, violets and hints of black pepper give way to a rich...
jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: Lastly, the 2015 Ermitage L’Ermite offers that classic, searing granite/ozone-laced bouquet of crème de cassis, liquid rocks, graphite, and lead pencil. More tight, focused and backward than the Pavillon, it's no less...
jamessuckling.com, 96 points: This is 70% grenache with the remainder equal parts syrah and mourvèdre. Aromas of ripe raspberry, red plum and cherry, with herbs, pepper and a whole bunch of sappiness, too. The palate has radiant, regal tannins in fine...
jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: One of the gems of the vintage is the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deus Ex Machina which is as always, a 60/40 split of Grenache and Mourvèdre. It offers sensational notes of blackberries, ground herbs, white chocolate and an...
jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: The 2015 Saint Joseph Les Royes offers a similar, if not slightly darker purple color to go with additional minerality, tons of cassis, graphite and charcoal aromatics, building tannin, and a great, great finish. Like a...
jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: (94-96 points) Belle's inky colored 2015 Hermitage looks to be a stunner. This cuvée comes all from the more sandy, limestone soils of the Les Murets lieu-dit and will see 26 months in barrel. It has a gorgeous bouquet of...
jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: Inky colored, the flagship 2015 Côte Rôtie La Mordorée is an utterly incredible wine any way you look at it and is a legendary Côte Rôtie in the making. Black raspberry, blackberry jam, toasted spices, dried flowers and...
jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: The 2015 Ermitage Les Greffieux comes from vines located at the base of the hill, just under the le Méal Vineyard. Blackberries, blueberries, liquid violet, dusty minerality and hints of beef blood all flow to a ripe...
jebdunnuck.com, 97 points: The 2015 Saint Joseph Les Granits is another knockout wine, and if it wasn’t for its Le Clos counterpart, it would be the wine of the vintage. Coming all from the namesake vineyard of the appellation (the lieu-dit Saint...
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