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.
jamessuckling.com, 99 points: This is a stunning Beaucastel. A classic! Has a superb array of fruit, ranging from red, through to blue, darker purple and black. Nuances of dark, stony minerals, spices, wild flowers and herbs. So fleshy. This has...
jebdunnuck.com, 97 points: (95-97) The 2016 Gigondas Cuvee Louisiana is more elegant and finesse-driven when tasted side by side with the La Souteyrade cuvee. Offering notes of blueberries, violets, lavender and flowers, it hits the palate with...
jebdunnuck.com, 99 points: Bottled end of February/early in March, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin is incredible stuff, and while I suspect it’s the best vintage to date, it’s going to be great comparing it to bottles of the 2005, 2007...
jebdunnuck.com, 97 points: (94-97) The first line on my note for the 2016 Gigondas Les Souteyrades was “Crazy good!”. This cuvee is always one of the most exuberant and exotic of the Gigondas releases and the 2016 doesn’t disappoint with its huge...
jebdunnuck.com, 99 points: Bottled at the same time, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes gives up more cassis, tapenade, underbrush, cured meats, and earth, and it’s a slightly more dense, backward wine compared to the Chaupin...
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...
Wine Spectator, 95 points: Enticing, with bright, engaging raspberry, cherry and red currant fruit infused with gently roasted sandalwood and apple wood, garrigue and licorice root notes. A swath of tobacco underscores the finish, giving this an...
jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and in the same league as the perfect 2010. Awesome notes of blackberries, crème de cassis, charred meats, licorice, and violets...
100 points: Another best to date, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Cuvée du Papet from Thierry Sabon is pure perfection in a glass. More powerful than the classic cuvée, with killer black raspberries, crushed rocks, garrigue, salty...
jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: (94-96) The 2016 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes may be the real value play here (although these all over deliver for the humble prices they go for) and comes from a mix of estate vineyards. It offers a full-bodied, thick...
Decanter, 97 points: Dark and brooding with a black fruit core and intense coffee bean notes; abundant toasty oak, spice and lovely black olives; very concentrated, powerful and generous with big, grainy tannins and a long spicy finish.
Wine Spectator, 97 points: There's a velvety, caressing mouthfeel to the waves of Linzer torte, warm cassis and raspberry pâte de fruit flavors, laced with black tea, mulled spice, singed alder and melted licorice notes. The long finish has latent...
jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: Moving to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape from bottle, the 2016 vintage was described as having the power of 2010 and similar to yet fresher than 2007. The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a great bouquet of black raspberries...
jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: A total gem in the vintage, the 2014 La Pierre Noire is an insanely good wine made from 80/20 Grenache and Syrah that spent three years in concrete tanks. Black raspberries, kirsch, pepper, garrigue and liquid flowers...
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