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.
jebdunnuck.com, 93 points: Moving to the reds and 85% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Mourvèdre, the base 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a beauty and boasts appealing notes of spiced red and black fruits, cedar, and garrigue. Full-bodied, ripe and...
Decanter, 94 points: From the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel. This has really vibrant blackberry and blackcurrant aromas with sage and thyme beneath, very fresh and well-defined. The full-bodied wine has concentrated fruits, with...
Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: While voluptuous in body, this rich, densely fruity red offers luscious black-plum and dried strawberry flavors offset by a mineral freshness and subtle notes of porcini mushroom and crushed earth. An enveloping wine...
jamessuckling.com, 98 points: (JS 97-98 points) Very spicy and peppery with blue-granite aromas plus hints of grilled and smoked meat. Cloves and nutmeg. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a super spicy finish that almost burns with so much...
jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: The best of the lineup in 2016 is unquestionably the 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which is all Marsanne from the granite soils at the top of Hermitage hill that was brought up in 25% new demi-muids. Boasting a crazy...
jebdunnuck.com, 97 points: Similarly colored, the 2016 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc comes from a warmer terroir of pebbly and more loess soils and was brought up in 10% new demi-muids. It's a bigger, richer wine than the de l’Orée and boasts rocking...
Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: Exuberant blackberry and blueberry notes extend from nose to palate of this powerfully ripe, luscious wine. It's decadent and forward yet full of mineral tension and taut, firm-footed tannins. Fresh fruit flavors are...
jamessuckling.com, 95 points: (JS 94-95 points) This is a small two-and-a-half hectare vineyard near Hermitage. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and plenty of blackberry and granite character. Long and flavorful.
Wine Enthusiast, 90 points: Guigal's Côtes du Rhône rosé is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 10% Syrah. It's a dark pink shade, rather full bodied and rich. Some earthy, savory notes help balance out the intense cherry-berry fruit...
jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: The base 2016 Cornas from Robert is a killer wine that shows the style of the vintage as well as the quality of the estate brilliantly. Crème de cassis, blackberries, smoked earth, spice, and hints of meatiness all flow...
jebdunnuck.com, 94 points: The 2016 Crozes Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert offers a rocking (and classic) bouquet of ripe black fruits intermixed with notions new saddle leather, pepper, garrigue, and hints of bacon fat. This ripe, medium to...
TheWineCellarInsider.com, 100 points: The spicy cherries might be the first thing you notice, but it only gets better from there with all the flowers, pepper, herbs and kirsch that kicks in from there. Full bodied, rich, concentrated and luxurious in texture...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: (94-96) The 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Alexis Establet is pure Grenache raised in a combination of foudres, demi-muids and new barriques. It's a richer, more powerful wine than the regular bottling, weighing in at 16%...
TheWineCellarInsider.com, 97 points: Rich, dense and intense, the ripe, spicy red berries, olives and garrigue get your attention quickly. Long, fresh, clean, refined and concentrated, the wine gets going quickly and stays with you. Purity, elegance, length...
jebdunnuck.com, 97 points: 97+ The flagship is the Grenache-dominated 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Imperiale, which comes from vines planted in 1902 and was destemmed and aged in concrete tanks. Awesome notes of blackberries, blueberries...
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