WINES OF THE Southern Rhone

While Bordeaux is France’s most prestigious wine region and the largest producer of AOC wines—Appellation d’Origine Controlee, the government’s limited guarantee of quality—it doesn’t have the same appeal as the Rhone, France’s second largest AOC region. Rhone wines, write Mary Ewing-Mulligan and Ed McCarthy in French Wine for Dummies, “offer an animalistic sort of pleasure” and “put us in touch with our primitive selves” the way no Bordeaux wine can.

“There is always an aggressive spiciness and sanguine character to the wines,” says Joe Spellman of Paterno Wines International, which imports the outstanding Rhone wines of M. Chapoutier. “Rhone wines don’t have the class factor Bordeaux wines have.”

The 125-mile Rhone Valley wine region, which follows the Rhone River from Vienne to just below Avignon, is actually two distinct regions, the North and South. The South, which is the focus of this column, is much larger and produces about 90 percent of the wine in the entire Rhone. It also includes Wine Spectator’s 2002 wine of the year, the 1999 Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Tapping the Guigal wine was also symbolic, according to Thomas Cozanet of Brotte SA, a leading exporter of southern Rhone wines. “It is a recognition of the progress we have made in the last five to 10 years,” he says.

The southern Rhone begins around Montelimar. As it continues south, the terrain changes from steep hillsides to land that is flatter and more wide open. Soil gives way to smooth stones (especially in Chateauneuf-du-Pape) that provide good drainage and retain the higher heat in the South, which can give wines intense ripeness and high levels of alcohol. The stones also protect vines from the howling Mistral winds, which help keep the region dry and the grapes disease-resistant. In The Wines of the Rhone Valley and Provence Robert Parker writes that he can smell the aroma of the ubiquitous Provencal herbs in the wines of the southern Rhone.

In addition to terrain and weather, the South differs from the North in the grapes used. While Syrah is the primary grape in the North, it is one of some 20 employed in the South. (Red wines far outnumber whites in the southern Rhone.)

Spellman characterizes the wines of the South as having red fruit flavors of raspberries and strawberries with notes of black and white pepper versus the black fruits and smoked meat qualities of the Northern Rhone. This is best exemplified in Grenache, the most common red grape in the South, which makes delicious, if not magnificent, wines when yields are kept low. Other common red varietals include the richly colored, fruity Mourvedre, and the aromatic Cinsault.

Because so many varietals are grown in the South, most southern Rhone wines are blends. Thus, writes Parker, “It is no wonder that the type and style of each producer’s wine in the southern Rhone can vary enormously depending on the percentage of a particular grape used in the blend.” It also depends on how wines are aged, from the use of traditional large oak vats to the increasing utilization of small oak barriques, especially for Syrah and Mourvedre.

The ultimate blended wine is Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which can use up to 13 varieties including some whites. Chateau de Beaucastel, whose 1989 Chateauneuf-du-Pape was also a Wine Spectator wine of the year, is one of the few wineries that use all 13 varieties. Most use fewer than half that number. The esteemed Chateau Rayas uses only Grenache.

Traditionally made Chateauneuf-du-Pape is tannic and full-bodied, designed to age a few decades or more. But lighter, less pricey styles are being made for earlier drinking. Though under 10 percent of the wines in Chateauneuf-du Pape are white—from six varietals such as Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne—that number is gradually increasing.

Other top Chateauneuf-du-Pape producers include: Louis Bernard, Jean-Luc Colombo, Paul Coulon & Fils, Chateau Fortia, Lancon Pere & Fils, Chateau Mont-Redon, Chateau La Nerthe, Caves des Papes, and Domaine du Vieux-Telegraphe.

The huge Cotes du Rhone appellation provides some of the best wine values in the world, with many costing less than $12. These are comforting wines to enjoy on a chilly winter evening with a hearty stew or roast chicken. Cotes du Rhone wines must contain at least 40 percent Grenache.

Cotes du Rhone-Villages is a step up from Cotes du Rhone. Production is considerably smaller than in Cotes du Rhone. Yields are lower and there are fewer allowable grape varieties. Grenache can provide up to 65 percent of a blend with Syrah and Mourvedre providing most of the rest.

Of the 95 communes or villages encompassed by Cotes du Rhone-Villages, 16 can be identified on the label. These village-named wines are usually of the highest quality in the appellation. Villages to seek out include Vinsobres, Rasteau, Chusclan, Cairanne, and Laudun.

Spellman thinks Cairanne will get its own appellation one day as Gigondas did in 1971. After Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, which may contain up to 85 percent Grenache, offers the best southern Rhone red wines for aging. Vacqueyras is another former Cotes du Rhone Villages wine that received its own appellation. It is less well-known and thus often represents a good value.

Lirac and Tavel are best known for rosé wines, though Lirac makes a good deal of full-bodied red wine. Two dessert wines of note in the region are Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, made with the aromatic Muscat grape, and the less common Rasteau, made from Grenache.

Four new appellations to look out for in the southern Rhone are Coteaux du Tricastin, Costiere de Nimes, Cotes du Ventoux, and Cotes du Luberon. These newcomers represent a whopping 22 percent of the area’s total production and thus the potential for some good values.

According to Wine Spectator, nine of the last 15 southern Rhone vintages were either rated very good (1994, 1995, 1999, 2001), outstanding (1988, 2000) or classic (1989, 1990, 1998). The 2002 vintage was the worst since 1993. While many regions unused to heat waves did not know how to handle the blistering summer of 2003, for the southern Rhone it was business as usual. The 2003 vintage is “tremendous, very ripe and dense,” says Francois Dauvergne, CEO of Louis Bernard.