Rhone (Rhône)

• Châteauneuf-du-Pape
• Cornas
• Crozes-Hermitage
• Gigondas
• Hermitage
• Lirac
• Saint Joseph

This is a blend of 70% old Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% other allowed grapes.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  It was interesting to drink this side by side with the Gigondas.  The CdP is a much bigger and more complex wine (and more expensive).  The nose has black cherries, cherries, spice, smoke and black pepper.  Medium to full bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Open and drinking well but with depth and complexity.  Flavors of black cherries, plums and spice with light tannins.  This is drinking well on its own and will work well wi

This is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20 % Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre.  In many ways, Gigondas has been thought of as Chateauneuf du Pape's little brother and for Guigal, that is an apt comparison.  Drunk side by side, this seemed lighter and easier although similar.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and spice and a hint of anise.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black cherries and cherry fruit with a bit of spice on the finish.  Nice finish.  This will work better with food that on its own.  Cassoulet is a classic match.  Drink over t

The Guigal Cotes du Rhone is consistently one of the best values in wine.  This is the red, but they also make white and rose.  It is  a blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, and 10% Mourvèdre.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is dusty, slight earthiness with black cherries and black raspberries.  Medium to full bodied.  Very tasty.  Nice texture.  This drinks easy but it also has some stuffing.  On the palate, light tannins with black raspberries and black cherries.  Well balanced.  Amazingly, they make 4.5 million bottles of this wine and keep the quality

This is the basic Condrieu (they also make a higher end called La Doriane).  It is made from 100% Viognier grapes.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with floral qualities along with some vanilla and spice.  With air, apricots emerge along with a bit of peach.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, the apricots and spice come thru.  A bit of a bitter ginger note on the finish.  This needs a bit of cellaring, maybe two or three years, and then should drink well for five to eight more years.  Very nice on its own, this will work better with food.  Shellfish would be a nice

A very nice northern Rhone white, perhaps a bit lighter in style, but in a good way. It is a blend of 95% Marsanne, and 5% Roussanne.  Light yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with vanilla, peach, pears and spice.  Medium bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, tangerine with slight lemon peel and the oak/spice continues thru to the finish.  A bit of grapefruit on the finish as well.  This is very nice on its own but even better with food.  It went well with a vegetarian cassoulet.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

Young, but a wonderful Cote Rotie.  Purple in color, slim ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and black raspberries, black olive and black pepper with a bit of smoke, Full bodied.  On the palate, black raspberries, black raspberries and black pepper.  Medium tannins.  Deep but primary.  This needs a five to ten more years of good cellaring. Drink for twenty after that.  If drinking soon, it should be with food.  Cassoulet is the choice.  

This is from the northernmost AOC in the southern Rhone Valley in France.  It is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and black raspberries with spice and slight floral note.  Full bodied.  Nice balance.  On the palate, lots of deep black cherry fruit.  A bit chunky in a rustic sort of way.  Good finish.  This is a nice value wine that will work well with a pizza or or burger.  Drink over the next few years.  

One of my go value wines.  Just about every vintage in the southern Rhone is good these days, so this is usually good, too.  Certainly 2020 fits right in with prior vintages.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose is nice with black cherries, char, spice and slight floral notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Nice texture.  This drinks easily with lots of black cherry fruit and underlying char.  Nice finish.  I suppose it will age for five to seven years, but I usually just drink mine right away.  Nice on its own, this is great with chili, or stew.  

This is a more easy going style of Cote Rotie.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, slight bacon fat, white pepper and some violets.  Full bodied.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, black cherry fruit with black pepper.  Long finish.  Light tannins.  This is drinking well now and should continue to drink well for another ten to twelve years.  It will work better with food than on its own.  A brisket sandwich would work well.  

This wine was bought on release and is exactly where it should be at age 21.  Deep ruby in color with just a bit of browning at the edges.  Clear and bright.  The wine initially has some bottle funk but that blows of to reveal a classic CdP nose.  Cherries, spice, slight barnyard, a bit of dried cherries and roasted herbs.  Medium to full bodied.  Great energy and balance.  on the palate, this is complex and layered.  Cherries, fresh and dried, earthiness and char.  Nice balance.  Good finish.  This is fully mature and probably needs to be drunk soon as it starts to fade.  Still, another fi