THE WHITE WINES OF THE RHONE VALLEY.
You may remember the story of my friend scanning the wine list prices in a London restaurant and gasping aloud ……. until he discovered the Rhone Valley page. The reason is simple; as the Rhone is not as well-known as Bordeaux or Burgundy, the wines generally carry friendlier price tags.
The Rhone Valley vineyards follows the River Rhone as it flows from Lyon, through Avignon to the Mediterranean. And, it’s simple, they’re divided into the Northern Rhone and the Southern Rhone, the former extending between Lyon and Valence, the latter from Montelimar, past Avignon to the Mediterranean.
The steep granite slopes of the Northern Rhone are ideal for the three white grape varieties; Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne.
The village of Condrieu and the nearby Chateau Grillet (both very expensive!) are famous for their single variety Viognier wines whereas the villages of St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and St. Peray are a blend of Marsanne and Rousanne. Hermitage Blanc has a global fan club with a price to match but the whites of St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and St. Peray are far more approachable.
Marsanne and Rousanne are also ‘at home’ in the warmer, flatter Southern Rhone and under the Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhone Villages Blanc label offer excellent value. The village of Lirac is also worth noting. If you’re feeling flush you can splash out on the world famous Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc.
Still little known, the southerly vineyards of Costieres de Nimes, Cotes du Ventoux and Luberon are also well worth a pour; here Marsanne and Rousanne are joined by Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc and Clairette in the grape line-up.
As is often the case in France, the wines are named after the village and helpfully the village name is on the front label – typically French, you’ll have to scan the back label to clock the grape varieties.
My friend ordered Croze-Hermitage Blanc with the smoked salmon, “perfect match; yellow gold colour, peach lemon aromas and flavours with nutty overtones”, he smiled, swirling the glass. He liked the price tag too of course.
