CÔTES-DU-RHÔNES

The second largest of France's appellations (Bordeaux being number one), the Rhone Valley contains 76,000 hectares of vines. Ninety per cent of its appellation wines are reds, with rosés (six per cent) and whites (four per cent) accounting for the rest of its production. Unfortunately, over the past few years, the prices of the more prestigious appellations from this region have climbed substantially. Wines like Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Condrieu and certain Châteuneuf-du-Pape have taken advantage of their growing popularity in international markets. But despite these rising prices, Côtes-du-Rhônes nevertheless offers an excellent selection of wines with a very good quality-price ratio. Over the course of a recent trip to this region, we tasted a gamut of wines from the of the 1999 and 2000 vintages, to evaluate the level of quality currently offered to consumers.

When evaluating a vintage in the Côtes-du-Rhônes, it is of utmost importance to understand the terroir extremely well. This region is divided into two distinct sub-regions: north and south. The north has a cooler climate with more frequent rain showers, while the south sees more sun and is much warmer and drier. 

NORTHERN APPELLATIONS AND PRODUCERS:

Côte Rotie:
205 hectares: A red wine made entirely from Syrah with the addition of a small percentage of Viognier permitted. Thanks to the Guigal winery, this very colourful and well-structured wine has become the leader of the northern appellations. Many of its producers bear watching. The better known among them; Guigal, Burgaud, M. Sorrel and Jamet, are not to be overlooked, but take the time to discover the work of Y.Cuilleron, Domaine Gerin, P. Gaillard and Delas. The latter has made an enormous amount of progress over the past few years.

Condrieu:
105 hectares: A white wine made entirely of the Viognier varietal. These are magnificent, fruity (peach and apricot) wines with a tender acidity. They are smooth and charming. The woody versions often mask the fruit. Agreeable while young, they don't seem to benefit from a long ageing. Among its top producers are Y.Cuilleron, Domaine Gerin, G. Vernay, P.Gaillard and Y. & M. Gangloff.

St-Joseph:
922 hectares (91 per cent reds, 9 per cent whites): This is an appellation which has made tremendous progress over the past 10 years. Its vast terroir offers up everything from excellent to insipid wines. The whites, dominated by the Marsanne varietal, feature wines with fruity and floral fragrances. Round and smooth, the best of them fill the mouth well. The reds, produced from Syrah, have become better over the years. Colourful and with a much improved structure, their potential for ageing has greatly improved as well. Suggested producers include Y. Cuilleron, J.-L. Grippat, Gonon, Domaine Rochevine, P. Jamet and Domaine Courbis.

Hermitage:
135 hectares (76 per cent reds, 24 per cent whites): This renowned appellation has been producing great wines for many years. Its solid and concentrated reds are produced from Syrah and its rich and flavourful whites from Marsanne. Both the reds and whites offer great ageing potential. Chave, Chapoutier, Delas, Jaboulet, M. Sorrel and Domaine des Remizières are among its best known producers.

Crozes-Hermitage:
1,252 hectares (92 per cent reds, 8 per cent whites): This is Hermitage's little brother. Its fruity whites are produced mostly from Marsannes. Its reds, made from Syrah, offer up a surprising concentration in their better years. The better known producers generally offer wines with good ageing potential. A. Graillot, Domaine de Thalabert (Jaboulet), Gilles Robin and Domaine des Remizières are some of the names to look for.

Cornas:
91 hectares: Producing only reds, these Syrah made wines feature good body, structure and potential. They also offer the best price to quality ratio of all the northern appellations. Producers to discover include A. Clape (the king of this appellation), J-L. Colombo, and A. Voge.

St-Peray:
55 hectares: An appellation which produces good and unpretentious sparkling white wines made for the most part from Marsanne.

Château Grillet:
This four hectare monopoly produces an overpriced white wine from Viognier which fails to offer up the full expression of its terroir.

SOUTHERN APPELLATIONS AND PRODUCERS:

Châteauneuf-du-Pape:
3,140 hectares (93 per cent reds, 7 per cent whites): This world famous appellation produces mostly reds and but has a few whites as well. The reds are produced from 13 authorized varietals, four of which dominate the assemblage (Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault). The styles of wine vary enormously, but the quality is without reproach in the 1998 and 1999 vintages. The whites are produced from three to five different varietals (Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Rousanne and Picpoul). Many producers here are worth looking out for. Here are a few: Clos des Papes, Château de Beaucastel, Bosquet des Papes, Domaine de la Janasse, Domaine du Pégau, Domaine de Beaurenard, Domaine du Caillou, Roger Sabon and Pierre Usseglio.

Gigondas:
1,208 hectares (96 per cent reds, 4 per cent rosés): Châteuneuf's little brother, this wine easily matches up against its more famous older sibling. Both reds and rosés, it is made from the same varietals. Grenache is often dominant. The styles vary greatly, with the most concentrated impressive in its richness. Suggested producers include Domaine Santa Duc, Domaine La Bouissière, Domaine Brusset and Château St-Cosme.

Thomas Perrin from Château de Beaucastel	Alfred Haeni from Domaine de la Cabasse	Michèle Aubéry-Laurent from Domaine Gramenon

Lirac:
715 hectares (81 per cent reds, 15 per cent rosés and 4 per cent whites): An appellation which produces reds, whites and rosés that has not yet succeeded in setting itself apart. A pity, but since the 1998 vintage, we have picked up on a couple of producers worth discovering: Domaine de la Mordorée and Domaine Lafond.

Vacqueyras:
1,230 hectares (96 per cent reds, 3 per cent rosés and 1 per cent whites): Their red wine is solid and at times hardy. In its good years, it can rival with the Gigondas and certain Châteuneufs, and it is made mainly from Grenache. Recommended producers include Domaine des Garrigues, Sang des Cailloux and Tardieu-Laurent.

Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages:
7,880 hectares (99 per cent reds, 1 per cent whites): Sixteen villages attach their names to this appellation. Dominated by Grenache, these wines offer an excellent price to quality ratio, especially in the 1998s and 2000s. The Rasteau commune sets itself apart with its coarse, strong wines. The village of Rasteau will surely be promoted to its own appellation sometime in the near future and they also produce naturally sweet wines (vins doux naturals). In the village of Beaumes-de-venise, Muscat is used to make a superb sweet wine produced mostly in a cooperative cellar. The most remarkable producers are Domaine Gourt de Mautens (Rasteau) and Domaine de la Soumade (Rasteau). Domaine de Gramenon (Vinsobbres) and Domaine de Cabasse (Séguret) are some of the other names to look out for.

There you have it - a quick tour through the Côtes-du-Rhône that I hope will allow you to better understand this region and its many great appellations. The producers here have worked well with the 1999 and 2000 vintages and offer wines at a level of quality that is beyond reproach.

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