What surprises many is that the Cotes du Rhone (the Rhone Valley), which stretches from Avignon in the south to the city of Vienne, and encompasses both side of the Rhone River, produces more wine than the entire area of Burgundy (including Beaujolais) and almost as much as Bordeaux. What surprises even more is that the very best wines of the Rhone compete easily in quality and aging ability with those of any other wine-growing region of the world. The northern Rhone, for example, is the par excellence home of the noble Syrah grape that yield the often magnificent red Hermitage wine. Here, where Syrah is grown on rocky slopes, the Syrah is so concentrated and tannic that winemakers sometimes add small amounts of white grapes to soften the wine. So powerful are some of these wines that after tasting one that has spent twenty years of aging in the bottle, no one will fault you if you think you are drinking a wine from one of Bordeaux' great chateaux.

The Rhone Valley is also the home of the rare Viognier grape that makes some superb white wines and even the Roussane and Marsanne grapes that produce white Hermitage. And, lest we forget, it is from the southern stretches of the Rhone, just above Avignon, that the frequently sublime Chateauneuf-du-Pape is produced, sometimes from a single grape, sometimes from a blend of as many as thirteen different grapes.

Equally important, let no one forget that there are few pleasures greater than taking a place in a cafe in Paris, Lyon or Reims, there to order a "ballon de rouge", that is to say, a large glass of red wine and to find that the proprietor of the cafe serves you a good glass of the simple but delightful wines that go under the label of Cotes du Rhone, A.C.. Together with a cheese omelet, a croque monsieur or a sandwich (ideally of good ham on a fresh baguette), there are few greater pleasures in life.

Rhone Valley - Red Wines
Vintages 1999-1995

Vintage - Rating
1999 - 8 Excellent
1998 - 8 Excellent
1997 - 6 Good But Not Exciting
1996 - 7 Very Good
1995 - 9 Exceptional

Following are notes on forty red and white Rhone Valley wines that I have recently tasted. Those wines noted with an asterisk (*) were tasted or re-tasted at the Derekh HaYain wine store in Tel Aviv on 15 March 2001.

Hermitage

Chapoutier, Hermitage, La Sizeranne, 1998: This is what I call an "oh wow" wine because at every sip you are tempted to call out anew "oh wow" as new flavors reveal themselves, new depths are unveiled and new complexities make themselves felt. In a phrase, this is a truly great wine. Full bodied, with smooth tannins and a fully harmonious structure, the wine has an abundance of berry, mineral, spice flavors and aromas as well as generous hints of clean earthiness. Flavors that linger on and on add to the charm of the wine. Drink now only if you must, for this wine will be at its best only in another five or six years and then will last nicely until 2020 or 2025. Score 96.

Paul Jaobulet Aine, Hermitage Blanc, Chevalier de Sterimberg, 1997: A wine that disproves all of those silly claims to the effect that "white wines are not as complex or interesting as reds". Made, I believe, from Marsanne and Roussanne grapes, this full bodied and remarkably round and well balanced wine has aromas and flavors of flowers and nuts all overlaying a rich fruit and oak background. Drink now, but if you like store this wine for 5 - 8 years. Score 92+. (*)

Jaboulet, Hermitage, La Chapelle, 1997: Concentrated, powerful and well balanced, this wine has alluring spice and fruit aromas and flavors of plums, coffee and chocolate. Firm and tannic, thick and chewy, this rich traditional red, made entirely from Syrah grapes, has flavors that linger nicely. As it matures the wine will become ripe and lush and should show delicious plum, mineral, black pepper and dark chocolate flavors. Despite its youth, the wine is approachable now. It will, however, come to its peak only in another 4 - 5 years. Do not, however, count on this wine to age for very long after that. Score 92. (*)

Guigal, Hermitage, 1993: Not as powerful or full bodied as the very best French wines made from Syrah grapes, but with plenty of pepper and fruits, a hint of chocolate and smooth but firm tannins, this wine makes for good drinking now or in the next five years. Score 85.

Crozes-Hermitage

Paul Jaboulet Aine, Crozes Hermitage, Domaine de Thalbert, 1997: Those who enjoy Rhone wines made from Syrah grapes will adore this one! Deep and delicious, with layer after layer of blackberry, plum and cassis aromas and flavors, the wine is loaded with the kind of smooth, almost silky tannins that assure an especially long life. Drink now if you must but ideally hold for another 4 - 5 years when the wine will begin to show its true elegance. Score 91.

Alain Graillot, Crozes Hermitage, 1998: Loaded with black fruits, oak and leathery notes, with soft tannins and a light, pleasing bitter overtone, this lovely wine can be approached now but will store nicely, opening further in the bottle for the next 2 - 3 years. Score 88. (*)

Chapoutier, Crozes-Hermitage, Les Meysonniers, 1997: Made entirely from Syrah grapes selected from mature vines and aged in oak for twelve months, this medium bodied wine has lots of cherry and berry flavors, black pepper and just a hint of leather. With just the right balance between soft tannins and fruits, the wine makes for comfortable drinking now. Good, but perhaps just a bit diluted and thus not good enough to set aside for aging for more than another year or two. Score 86.

Jaboulet, Crozes Hermitage, Les Jalets, 1997: So thin and light that it is almost diluted, and with far too sour flavors, this wine disappoints in the extreme. Score 69.

Chateauneuf -du -Pape

Chateau de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 1998: A fabulous wine. Still in its infancy and thus quite tannic, tight and closed, but so well structured and balanced that it promises to develop very nicely as it ages in the bottle. As the wine opens look for black truffles, leather and minerals that will make themselves felt over plums, berries and black cherries. This is the kind of wine that gives Chateauneuf its excellent name! About $65. Score 95+.

Chateau de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Blanc, 1999: White wines with the Chateauneuf appelation have been well received in France for many years but are just beginning to be recognized for their potential in America and England. Like the best reds of the area, this white is full bodied and heavy. Loaded with buttery, toast and vanilla flavors, all set off nicely by just a hint of bitter oranges, and all of which linger nicely on the palate, this delicious wine can be drunk now but will be at its best only in another 3 - 4 years. After that, the wine will continue to store nicely for another decade. About $65. Score 91+.

Chateau de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Blanc, 1998: Medium bodied, with an abundance of fruit flavors and aromas (look for oranges, lemons, pear and quince) all overlayed by an almost honeyed finish, and with plenty of acids to keep it lively. A delicious wine, drinkable now or in the next two - three years. $50. Score 91+.

E. Guigal, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 1998: With excellent balance between full body, smooth tannins and fruits (look especially for plums and wild berries) and with charming hints of coffee and toasted oak, this delicious wine is approachable now but will be at its best starting in another year or two and then on to about 2010. About $25. Score 90+. (*)

Chapoutier, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, La Bernardine, 1998: Until recently I was one of those who insisted that the best Chateauneuf wines had to be blends of eight or more different varietals of grapes. This beautifully made wine has changed my mind, for even though it is made entirely from Granache grapes, it has extraordinary depth and a beautiful balance between tannins and fruits that will allow it to age nicely for another decade or longer. Deep in color, full bodied, with plenty of red fruits (look especially for berries and plums), and with a marked mineral character, this rich wine promises to show increasing levels of complexity as it ages. A wine not to be missed. Score 90. (*)

Chateau de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 1997: Deep and concentrated, with lots of plum, oak and leather flavors and aromas and an abundance of already smooth tannins. A well balanced wine, ready for drinking now or in the next 3 - 4 years. About $50. Score 87. (*)

Jaboulet, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Les Cedres, 1994: Lacking balance and depth, too earthy and without nearly enough body or fruit, this is a very disappointing wine, hardly characteristic of the best wines that carry this name. Distinctly overpriced at NIS 265. Score 79.

St. Joseph

Yves Cuilleron, St. Joseph, Les Serines, 1998: If Rhone wines are among your passions, this one is bound to please. Medium to full bodied, with plenty of soft tannins and a personality redolent with flavors and aromas of wild berries, black cherries, and rose petals, this complex and elegant wine can be approached and will cellar nicely for another 5 - 6 years. About $44 in the U.S.A.. Score 90. (*)

Gigondas

E. Guigal, Gigondas, 1996: Absolutely delicious and a perfect match to bistro food. Full bodied, and with lots of black fruit, plum, leather and herbal notes, this wine is still in its infancy and will be at its best only in another 4 - 5 years. After that, count on it to last until about 2015 or even longer.
At about $25 per bottle in the U.S.A. a good investment in future pleasure. Score 90. (*)

Domaine de Boissan, Gigondas 1995: Concentrated, robust and firm, this Rhone Valley wine is built around Grenache and enhanced by Syrah, Mouvedre and Cinsaut grapes and has an attractive deep color, ripe fruits and overlays of nuts and herbs. Medium tannins make it accessible now and the wine should continue to develop nicely over the next five years. About $18 in the U.S.A. Score 89. (*)

Cote Rotie

Guigal, Cote Rotie, Chateau Ampuis, 1997: Drink this full bodied and delicious wine and you will know what we critics mean when we write about "smoky wines". Happily, in addition to the smoky oak and toasted flavors and aromas you will find just the right balance between berry, cherry and plum aromas and enough natural acids to keep the wine lively and fresh. Drink now if you must, but the wine will be even better between 2003 - 2010. About $100 in the U.S.A. Score 94.

Guigal, Cote Rotie, La Landonne, Premiere Cru, 1997: As deep in color as it is in texture and flavors, this is a wine that bursts forth with wild berry, cherry, currant fruit flavors all overlaid by generous hints of toast, cumin, nutmeg and minerals. Approachable now but the wine will show its best only in another 2 - 3 years, and will then cellar well until about 2010. About $175 in the United States. Score 93+.

Guigal, Cote Rotie, La Mouline, 1997: As one has come to expect, this wine is so dark in color that you might think it black. Not as good as the superb 1995, but still superb, with plum, currant, chocolate and lots of oak. Even though you can count on this wine to age for another decade or so, it is approachable now. Be sure, however, to let it open in the glass for 15 minutes or so to feel precisely how seductive the wine is. About $200 in the U.S.A. Score 93+.

Guigal, Cote Rotie, La Turque, 1997: Complex, deep, well balanced and with an abundance of currants, blackberries and plums, all overlayed with aromas and flavors of freshly toasted bread.
Lots of oak, smooth tannins and flavors of coffee and chocolate that linger on the palate. Drink now or until about 2006. About $200 in the U.S.A. Score 93.

Guigal, Cote-Rotie, Brune et Blonde, 1993: Medium bodied, with distinct flavors and aromas of the oak casks in which it was aged as well as of ripe fruits, blackberries and spices, this is a brilliantly colored, dense and slightly peppery wine. Drink now or let age for up to 15 years longer. Score 92. (*)

Jaboulet, Cote Rotie, Les Jumelles, 1997: With ripe plum, berry and cassis flavors and with accents of coffee, cinnamon and spice, this is a wine that is both powerful and velvety. Concentrated and well balanced, with plenty of tannins, the wine needs another year until it will be fully ready for drinking. Score 90.

Chapoutier, Cote-Rotie, A.C. , 1997: As is Chapoutier's habit, this basically Syrah wine also contains a small amount of white Viognier grapes to give it its velvety smooth tannins and soft finish. What will delight is the combination of herbs and spices (eucalyptus, black and green pepper, vanilla and even a hint of cinnamon) with fruits, all of which come together in ways that border on elegance. Drink now or in the next 3 - 4 years. Score 89+.

Yves Cuilleron, Cote Rotie, 1998: Medium to full bodied and with an abundance of tannins that will probably stay fairly harsh but are compensated for nicely by tempting wild berry, currant, violet and cedar flavors and aromas. Fully ready for drinking now. About $45. Score 87.

Cotes du Rhone

Chapoutier, Cotes du Rhone, Belleruche, 1998: This more than usually full-bodied Cotes du Rhone was made almost entirely from Grenache grapes. Aged partly in oak barrels and partly in larger vats and blended before bottling, the wine has lots of pepper, fruit and spicy flavors and aromas. Excellent with chops, steaks, hamburgers and other grilled meats., Drink now. Score 88+.

Guigal,Cotes du Rhone, 1994: Made from Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mouvedre grapes and far more complex than most of the wines of this category that one finds in Parisian cafes and wine bars, this medium bodied red wine has good flavors of currants, black berries, pepper and juniper berries. One of the very best of its appelation. Score 87.

Guigal, Cotes du Rhone, Blanc, 1996: Not many people outside of France even know that this region produces a charming white wine. Made, I believe, from Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Marsanne grapes, this unoaked, medium bodied wine has a floral bouquet in which one will also find the aroma of peaches. Long and clean, the wine makes an appealing alternative to Chardonnay. Score 86.

Jaboulet, Cotes du Rhone, Parallele 45, 1998: Well balanced and nicely concentrated, with smooth tannins and pleasing raspberry, black cherry and herbal aromas, and flavors that linger nicely on the palate, this is a lovely medium bodied red wine. Although it has no pretensions at greatness, this is a fine wine, definitely worth trying. Drink now or in the next year or two. Score 86.

Jaboulet, Cotes du Rhone Blanc, Parallele 45, 1998: Meant for drinking in its youth, this white wine has just the right balance between crispness, complexity and body. With attractive flowery aromas and plenty of citrus, pear and hazelnuts this crisply refreshing, lightly spicy wine succeeds in capturing the ripe, rich and exotic flavors of the Viognier grapes from which it was made. Score 85.

Chapoutier, Cotes du Rhone Blanc, Belleruche, 1999: Light in body and not complex but with simple charms, this blend of Borboulane, Grenache and Marcelle grapes is pleasant little white wine has the kind of fresh, citrus and honey flavors that can make for appealing everyday drinking. Score 85.

Condrieu

Yves Cuilleron, Condrieu Ayguets, Late Harvest, 1999: Made from botytized grapes this delicious nectar will remind you of the wines of Barsac even though it came from the Rhone. Aromas and flavors of dried figs, dates and apricots are set off nicely by spicy, tropical fruits, all of which are complemented by honey flavors, a thick texture and plenty of acids to keep it lively. At its best with fruit based desserts, the wine is drinkable now but will cellar nicely for another decade. The almost perfect dessert wine! About $65. Score 96. (*)

Jaboulet, Condrieu, 1998: With a floral, apricot and herbal bouquet and plenty of citrus and tropical fruits and even a hint of pepper in its flavors, this full bodied delicious white wine strives for and approaches elegance. Drink now or in the next few years .About $30. Score 89.

Yves Cuilleron, Condrieu, Les Chaillets, Vielle Vignes, 1998: Confusion reigns. When I tasted this wine the first time I mistakenly thought it a Chardonnay, and on the second occasion identified it as a Pinot Gris. No apologies, for as Michael Broadbent once said, "I never make such mistakes more than twice a day". Concentrated and with floral, pear, apricot and tropical fruit flavors and aromas and just enough oak, this is a lovely and appealing wine no matter how many mistakes one makes. (Oh yes, it is made entirely from Viognier grapes). About $60 in the U.S.A. Score 89+. (*)

Chapoutier, Condrieu, A.C., 1998: This medium to full bodied and concentrated white wine, made entirely from Viognier grapes cannot help but charm even though it lacks greatness. With aromas and flavors of pears, apricots and wild flowers, a subtle hint of the oak in which it aged, this is a good choice for fish or veal dishes served with cream based sauces. Drink now or in the next year or two.
Score 86.

Other Cotes du Rhone Wines

Paul Jaboulet Aine, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, 1998: Few sweet white wines will charm you more. With aromas and flavors of oranges and orange peel, apricots and tropical fruits, this medium bodied wine has lively acidity to add to its charm. Concentrated and full of flavor, the wine will do very nicely indeed as an aperitif, with courses based on goose liver and with fruit-based desserts.
Meant to be drunk in the next year or so. Score 89.

Jaboulet, Hermitage, La Pied de la Cote, 1997: Bright and with fresh fruit flavors including plums, grapes and with floral accents, but with firm tannins that need time to open, this wine will show its distinct personality and be approachable only in another three or four years. Score 89.

Jaboulet, Cotes de Ventoux, Les Traverses, 1998: Medium bodied, and with ripe spicy berry flavors
and light tannins, this round, lively wine is fully ready for drinking now. A fun wine, definitely worth trying. Score 86.

Domaines Perrin La Vielle Ferme, Cotes du Ventoux, 1998: From a good producer in a small Cotes du Rhone area whose name is improving over time, this concentrated wine (made I believe from a blend of Grenache, Cinsaut, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes) has plenty of berry, currant and herbal flavors and aromas. Drink now or in the next year or so. Score 86. (*)

© Daniel Rogov