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% 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 might 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. . A very nice example with citrus, peach and mineral notes.
Rich, full mouthfeel. . Peach, pear fruit notes with an enticing textured mouthfeel.
A note of stoniness in the finish. . A méla.