Fine value Rhones from the Rhone's finest

7 Oct 2011

Delicious everyday reds from northern and southern masters on tasting from midday

Cooler, snowier, earlier nights are on their way; markets more volatile than Gary Oldman's roles of the 1980s. At Uncorked, we've decided to give you, our customers, respite and remedy from these uncertain times. Two wines that comfort and warm and are easy on the wallet. It's an unwritten rule of thumb that most producers of iconic labels are fastidious across their range. Call it the "Ghislaine Barthod Bourgogne Rouge Principle". In this case we have two luminaries from the Rhone - one in the Septentrional, one in the Meridional.

Jean-Louis Chave is a fanatical winemaker. While some growers would certainly be content to coast on the family name after 530 years in the game, Jean-Louis is committed to surpassing the mythic status of his ancestors' wines through hard work and intense scrutiny. His entry-level wine, the 2009 J L Chave Selection Cotes du Rhone Mon Coeur is from the negociant arm, and comes from four different southern Rhone villages, where Jean-Louis works closely with the growers. The blending in the cellar, a longstanding Chave metier, completes the picture for this structured, polished, slightly animale offering. Brooding in 2009, this 60/40 Grenache/Syrah blend is the rare cheap wine that will cellar splendidly.

Though Domaine de Pegau has only been around for a short time, Paul and daughter-winemaker Laurence make some of the most traditionally styled Chateauneuf. Their Fonds de Pegau Vin de Table is all Domaine fruit, from three vineyards close to Chateauneuf, but not close enough (though two of the six ha that make up the wine are a Carlos Tevez brain cell from Beaucastel). A blend of the 2007/2008/2009 vintages and an assemblage of Merlot, Syrah, Grenache and Carignan, this can be enjoyed immediately.

The two wines will be on tasting today from midday at our Bishopsgate shop. Buy now and thank us in the chilly evenings to follow. /CC