{"id":446,"date":"2007-02-09T10:04:14","date_gmt":"2007-02-09T10:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frenchduck.com\/latest\/uncategorized\/cotes-du-rhone-villages"},"modified":"2014-08-09T15:57:29","modified_gmt":"2014-08-09T14:57:29","slug":"cotes-du-rhone-villages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frenchduck.com\/latest\/cotes-du-rhone-villages\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne Villages"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cotes
\nC\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne AC<\/strong> is an appellation which covers a wide range of wines in terms of quality and style. The bulk production is in the southern Rh\u00f4ne valley, although some is also made in the northern Rhone along with the likes of Hermitage<\/strong> and St Joseph<\/strong>. The appellation covers 6 departements – Ard\u00e8che, Dr\u00f4me, Gard, Loire, Rh\u00f4ne and Vaucluse. As the valley broadens and flattens vast areas are under vine producing wines which vary from the rustic to the almost sublime. So unless you know the producer or are lucky you may end up with rough and ready rather than superb.
\nHence the named villages of the C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne tend to offer rather more of a guarantee of better quality. These villages are on the higher slopes along the valley sides – and hence the wines tend to have more mineral character and lower yield – the slopes offer better drainage and exposure to the sun, whilst the roots have to go deeper to reach mositure – all of which tends to produce better wines.
\nCairanne, Chusclan, Laudun,Rasteau, Sablet, Seguret, Valreas<\/strong> and Visan<\/strong> are probably the best known – with both Rasteau and Cairanne having successful co-operative cellars. Most of these villages lie on the left bank of the Rh\u00f4ne, stretching northwest of Avignon (except for Chusclan and Laudun which are further west). This is an area which also include Vacqueyras<\/strong>, Gigondas<\/strong> and Beaumes-de-Venise<\/strong>, which were formerly named villages which have been elevated to appellations in their own right.
\nThe main red grape varieties used are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre – although it must be noted that C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne is also made in white and rose styles – but in relatively small quantities.
\nAs you may imagine there are many producers making good wines, so any recommendations are personal rather than objective.
\nFor C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne Villages – Cairanne<\/strong>, try the wines of Domaine Rabasse-Charavin, where Corinne Couturier makes some stunning unfiltered wines. She also produces C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne Villages – Rasteau equally good, but more powerful than the more elegant Cairanne – available form Berry Bros & Rudd<\/a>
\nOddbins<\/a> stocks the C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne Villages – Sablet from Chateau du Trignon – “The nose has spicy notes of liquorice and white pepper combined with ripe blackberries. The palate has more flavours of black fruits wrapped in spicy Proven\u00e7al herbs and crunchy tannins.”<\/em>
\nMeanwhile Gauntleys of Nottingham<\/a> have a good selection including a seldom seen Vinsobres (sober wine?) from Chateau de Beaucastel.<\/p>\n

In more general tems the wines from the big name negociants such as Guigal, Chapoutier and Jaboulet are always reliable and often superb. SImilarly the better cuv\u00e9es from the co-ops at Rasteau amd Cairanne can be good value.<\/p>\n

As elsewhere in France, there is a hierarchy of appellations which can be an indicator of quality, but is essentially a increasingly narrow focus on the area of production – so C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne AC is vast; C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne-Villages AC is restricted to wines made only in the designated villages, whilst an individual villages AC such as C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne – Sablet AC can only be produced within the named village.<\/p>\n

Anthony Rose in the Independent<\/a> (10 Feb 07) recommends the 2004 Domaine des Amadieu, Vieilles Vignes from Cairanne “an aromatic blend of grenache, syrah and mourv\u00e8dre from the award-winning wine merchants Stone, Vine & Sun<\/a>“<\/em><\/p>\n

For more info on the wines of the C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne see www.vins-rhone.com<\/a><\/p>\n