THE most ridiculous purple-blue you’ve ever seen in this variety–and I LOVE seeing this color come out of a Syrah bottle. Slightly closed-in bouquet–something a vigorous decant will fluff and plump. Black and meaty in the nose: bruised cherry skins with the kind of blueberry subtlety and plummy shyness wracked with acid, briar and grapefruit minerality showing the BEST things a cooler climate can…
Interesting juxta between two big reds last night… one obviously 3 or 4 times the cost and perceived availability, and produced 4 or 500 miles apart in California. One from the warm, exclusive Westside of Paso on fairly young vines–one from serious old-vines in chilly Mendocino. Both MASSIVE, one from proper Syrah massiveness: packing finesse and complexity in the tannic cracks; the other from…
Medium ruby, surprisingly blueish at the edge. All that tarry goodness we expect from the variety blows out of the nose, along generous peppery briar, green-stalk and weed-eating, a dull rasp of mineral drying the black cherry and raspberry.
Tasting it introduces smoky agitation to the palate, awkward and unbalanced. The fruit feels thin while chubby and manipulated, a cloying jolly-rancher…
Nice cherubic nose: freshly-scrubbed and possibly soapy while still managing a fair bit of funk. It blows off into wet newsprint and ink, a ratchety meatiness clouding the fruit. Berry a bit backward, hiding behind vegetal and some of the more boring aspects of this wine.
Nothing surprising in the mouth: peppery and dull, the cherry getting lost behind considerable heat and disappearing…
If you've ever wondered what an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) or simply The Côtes du Rhône is, it's one of France's oldest and second-largest appellations after Bordeaux.
"There is no location like the Rhône," says the Rhône, which ranges from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south and from the western Massif Central foothills west to the Vaucluse and Luberon mountains in the east. The Rhône Valley has been a center of wine culture since ancient times, and it continues to be so today.
Viticulture arrived in Southern France with the Greeks in the 4th century BC, as we all know (or don't). However, the Romans, who used the Rhône as their highway through France, were the ones who developed the vineyards and reputation of the region (and planting a few vineyards along the way).
Grape Variety In Rhone
Grenache is the king of red grapes. This grape is widely grown in the region and is the primary source of red fruit flavors (mostly blackcurrant) in red wines.
The other red champion is Syrah, which grows particularly well in the north and is prized for its deep color – almost black at its peak – and peppery flavor in Côtes du Rhône wines.
Viognier, a white grape variety, is unique in that it is native to the Rhône Region. It has a musk and spice aroma that gives the region's white wines their distinct softness. Another everyday white grape is Marsanne, a fruity grape with hints of hazelnut.
Best Rhone Wines
Cornas, which is made entirely of Syrah grapes, and Cote Rotie, which is mainly made of Syrah grapes with some Viognier thrown in for good measure, provide some of the best Rhone wines in Northern Rhone.
The majority of Côtes du Rhône wines, however, are made from a blend of grapes. The vast majority are a combination of many varieties from different parts of the valley and manufacturers.
In our shop at My Wine+, you can find the best brands of the best Rhone wines. We bet you will like Alain Voge 2016 Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines Côtes du Rhône France. With loads of glycerin and fat, it's full-bodied, rich, and sexy, but it still manages to maintain its classic Cornas character-rich, extremely strong Cornas from 2016 that checks in near the top of the vintage."
If you browse more, you would find your best fit, but we have one more handy suggestion- best wine for $100. The price range is very different among Rhone wines, but the best wine with $100 (around 100) is Chateau de Beaucastel 2006 Famille Perrin Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It has a dense plum/ruby/purple color with a sweet fragrance of black truffles, camphor, earth incense, fresh saddle leather, and tons of peppery blackberry and herb-infused meaty black cherry fruit.
Parting Thoughts
It’s the best time of the year to choose which wine you’re going to have at the outdoor parties. Visit our online shop at My Wine+ and have the best shopping!
Bois De Menge is this week’s candidate for Bargain Wine of the Week. I purchased it from Trader Joe’s as we shopped for Thanksgiving food. The bottle caught my eye and as I looked at the bottle a woman said: “That is a great wine”. She backed the statement up by grabbing several bottles. Emboldened by this recommendation, I dropped it into our cart.
