Rhone/southern France
Rhone/southern France
When driving south through France it always feels that as one reaches Lyon it should become hot and sunny – somewhat prematurely as there are still over 300 kilometers before reaching the Mediterranean. So the northern Rhone is cool, the northern limit of Syrah and that is what makes the grape perform so magically here, triumph through struggle. And it is a struggle, much of the good or great wine is grown on precipitous hillsides, steeply and narrowly terraced and useless as a workplace for those with vertigo. Viognier, the north’s most high maintenance grape variety is grown in similar conditions and the combination of hillside, river and the beginnings of mistral are essential to quality. Marsanne and Roussanne are other white wine vines found in this area where in fact white wine used to dominate. Côte Rôti, Condrieu, St-Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes, Cornas and St-Peray make up the north.
In the south, after a bit of a gap in the vines and some majestic wind turbines cunningly sited along the autoroute the southern Rhone begins. Supplementary: which two types of confectionary are produced in the Rhone valley? In the south we are much nearer the Med and Grenache takes over from Syrah as dominant red. Villages like Sablet, Rasteau, Gigondas and Chateauneuf-du-Pape all make hedonistic wines of varying quality and style. Picking the best and most interesting and delicious is our job.
The south also gives us lipsmacking rosés from Tavel and Lirac. Travelling south and west from the plateau of Chateauneuf brings us to first Languedoc and then Roussillon, two regions lumped together yet of very different character. The former displays a split personality with many growers of the old school lost and angry as they fail to adapt to the loss of subsidies and the arrival of the market. On the other hand there are contemporary growers, entrepreneurial and energetic and often incomers, though plenty of natives are enthused by their vineyards' potential too. Their's is a green and pleasant land. Roussillon is rockier, more austere, a Catalan land of fortified houses and fortified wines on a bleaker, more imposing landscape.
- Northern RhoneA granitic territory of hilly outcrops and green valleys given over entirely to Syrah in red wine production, where at its best the wines are fragrant and structured and reminiscent of Burgundy. Whites are famously from Viognier and more discreetly from Marsanne and Roussanne. Cornas is arguably the soul of the region, but Hermitage, around Tain the capital makes the finest wines, both red and white. St-Joseph can be the most variable but can provide good quality and great value. Crozes-Hermitage is very postcode dependant, you need to know your producer and/or where their vineyards are. Cote-Roti is Syrah based, but often a co-ferment with up to 20% Viognier, making the most delicate of the wines, though they are still dark and sturdy. Condrieu is entirely Viognier - an awkward grape. The region is shaped by the Mistral, a fierce and cold wind from the Swiss alps that cools and dries grapes, but drives men mad. A tough place to have a wine domaine. (CW 18/01/11)
- Southern RhoneThe Southern Rhone is a huge area stretching down to the coast and includes some of wine`s most famous names as well as being home to the simple yet often delicious category of the Cotes du Rhone. Villages like Gigondas, Rasteau and Chateauneuf-du-Pape vie to produce the finest of hedonistic wines, while Tavel and Lirac are most famous for their roses.
The region is in a state of almost constant drought, is baking hot in summer and cold in winter, as well as having teh benefit of the mistral wind. The last is a cold blast that can be excellent for the health of the vines, but does nothing for the human inhabitants. (CW 23/01/12) - ProvenceA year in Provence. Only the hardest soul would not have laughed at the death of tiny Tim, and so it was with this tome, for years bathroom reading matter. The wines of this area are often condemned as yet more overpriced Rosé, yet the best of these are brilliant in their own right. As well, within Provence we find the Bandol AOC, home to some of the world`s finest Mourvedre, of which locals say that it must be grown in sight of the sea. This is serious wine indeed, with many living for ages and the best of which are only really understandable after 10 years or so of age. (CW 23/01/12)
- LanguedocToo often lumped together with Roussillon, as if they were the same geographically or vinously. Most of the vineyards are planted on fairly fertile alluvial plains and the region still produces the bulk of France`s bulk wine. And here is the problem, for in a world that is drinking less but better - despite the current moral panic over alcohol consumption, the cheap and often less than cheerful local produce is having difficulty finding homes for itself. There is a tradition of the discontented here rioting going back over a century and it continues. It`s difficult that after generations of growing fruit to a price, farmers here can`t envisage their customers. They don`t see past their regional boundary. Not all of course as there are some hyper talented natives and many clued up incomers too, but as a whole the Languedoc is floundering and that is why we have so few on our list. (CW 23/01/12)
- RoussillonTo an extent the unknown cousin of the Languedoc. Many drinkers don`t really have an idea of the fine wines produced in this region of France. In fact you might have more success linking them to wines from Montsant and Priorat in Catalan Spain than with the neighbours in Languedoc. It has also been difficult for the bureaucrats, both in Paris and Brussels to understand the region. They haven`t spotted the talent, creativity and potential of Roussillon and are failing to encourage the quality vignerons to achieve full potential. (CW 23/01/12)
- Southwest FranceLa France Profonde indeed, encompassing some of the most obscure regions and grape varieties the country has to offer. As an over view, you`ll find the food in this rustic haven simple and robust and the wines are perfect accompaniment with their tannins and deep flavours. We`re talking Malbec, Tannat, Carmenére among the red varieties and the Mansengs amongst the whites. A characterful and charming area and relatively little explored. (CW 23/01/12)