Tasting Notes Of Wines Of The Rhone Valley

By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr

We are enamored by the Rhone Valley.  Like other regions, it is diverse and replete with wines that can appeal to a variety of tastes.  There are the complex and long-lived syrahs of Northern Rhone and the approachable, affordable red blends of Southern Rhone.  We hang on to the former but pair the easy-drinking blends from the south with barbecued fare. These blends are driven by grenache, syrah, mourvedre as well as other indigenous red grapes.

Less known are the white wines from the Cotes du Rhone in Southern Rhone. This week, we explore some of these wines and also the complex red wines from the Hermitage region of Northern Rhone.

Only about 10 percent of Cotes du Rhones are white, and they are mostly crafted from grenache blanc, clairette, bourboulenc and viognier. They commonly feature citrus and stone fruit flavors. Although their high acidity doesn’t appeal to everyone, they are refreshing and pair well with food, especially cheese.

We recently sampled several white Cotes du Rhones and were impressed with their quality as well as a style that should satisfy wine consumers fleeing the ubiquitous chardonnay grape. These labels may be hard to source; however, a good wine shop should offer alternative examples.  Our experience is that Cotes du Rhone blancs are generally priced in the teens.

Plan-Vermeersch RS Blanc Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2022 ($12-19). A very nice example with citrus, peach, and mineral notes. Rich, full mouth feel.

Ogier Artesis Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2022 ($12-19). Peach, and pear fruit notes with an enticing textured mouthfeel. A note of stoniness in the finish.

Heritages Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2022 ($15). A mélange of peaches and pears with some floral notes in the nose.

M. Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2022 ($15). This exotic blend of grenache blanc, rousanne, viognier, clairette and bourboulenc has a perfumy nose, brisk acidity and flavors of apricots and fennel.

Domaine de l’Espigouette Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2023 ($18). This wine’s generous use of viognier (70 percent) gives it abundant floral aromas of stone fruit and vanilla.  Flavors are similarly peach and citrus-driven. It is blended with grenache blanc.

Guigal and Perrin make easier-to-find versions of white CDR at the same price point.

The Northern Rhone is arguably the least known major wine appellations in France and is the ancestral home of the syrah grape. Red wine accounts for 95 of the production in Northern Rhone and syrah is the most widely grown grape.

The region also produces white wines that can be outstanding from mostly marsanne, roussanne and viognier white grapes.

Two of the most revered Northern Rhone appellations that focus on syrah are Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage. They are the only major appellations on the east side of the Rhone River. Grapes have been grown in the area since the times of Greek dominance and the popularity of Hermitage specifically has waxed and waned over the years. In the 1800s Bordeaux and Burgundy producers offered their red wines for export that had Hermitage wine added to bulk up color and body in their offerings.

Delas Freres was founded in 1835 and, after changing hands once before, is currently owned by Louis Roederer, the famed Champagne producer. Delas Freres produces wines from the southern and northern Rhone regions.

We recently tasted two recent releases and were favorably impressed. These wines are bold in style and in the case of the Hermitage need at least a decade of aging. Following are our impressions.

Delas Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Des Grands Chemins 2020 ($54). Beautiful deep purple/red color. This is especially tasty for a young wine. Grapey, berry, cherry, yumminess with a hint of mocha in the finish. Already appealing, this wine will add an interesting complexity with moderate aging.

Delas Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes 2020 ($105). Another deeply colored wine. Intense berry nose and flavor. A bit reticent due to its youthfulness, but silky soft tannins point to long aging potential.

Both of these wines represent syrah at its best. If you can buy both, enjoy the Crozes-Hermitage now or over the next several years. Save the Hermitage for a decade or more.

Cooper

The producers of Art of the Cooper honor the barrel maker whose skills can greatly influence a wine. Two wines we recently found in a local grocery store are the 2023 Art of Cooper Sauvignon Blanc and the 2022 Art of the Cooper Pinot Noir.

Its wines sell for about $18 a bottle, depending on where you find them.

The pinot noir from Monterey fruit is medium-bodied with cherry and plum notes.

We loved the sauvignon blanc for its fruit-forward and round style. Lots of pineapple and guava flavors with a mineral finish.

Wine picks

Sonoma-Cutrer Les Plus Haut Pinot Noir 2021 ($70).  Meaning “most elevated,” this estate-bottled pinot noir sources grapes from the top of a 300-foot slope that benefits from warm days and cool nights. Part of the producer’s “Winemaker’s Release,” it shows off the winemaker’s talents. Black fruit and espresso, spicy aromas are chased by sensuous blackberry and cherry flavors with layers of herbs and spices. This is a beautiful wine.

Decoy California Merlot 2022 ($25).  Always a great value, this sturdy and effusive merlot has generous black cherry aromas and forward cherry flavors. Lots of spice and a hint of olive make this a very interesting and enjoyable quaff.

J. Lohr October Night Chardonnay Arroyo Seco 2022 ($25). One of our perennial favorite chardonnays, this opulent and reasonably priced wine has generous floral and lemon aromas, ripe apple and spice flavors, and a soft mouthfeel.