Two very educative Rhône tastings over the last month, doubly reinforced my view that this part of France is the next go-to region for sheer value and quality. Northern and Southern Rhône each have a different story to tell, so let’s begin with the north – in particular Côte Rôtie – as we had Matt Walls MW, Decanter’s Rhône journalist to guide us through a selection of these at our first event.
Côte Rôtie is a tiny strip of very steeply walled ledges (think Inca terrace farming) full of individual plots that make it resemble Burgundy. The ‘cult’ wines amongst these small plots are the likes of Rostaing and Guigal which sell for well over £1,200 a six pack – why? Because they’re just more famous and have been around longer. Do not therefore ignore Domaine Bonnefond whose vineyards hug Guigal’s famous La Landonne and all for under £250/6 in bond, nor the exquisitely polished wines of Domaine Duclaux, Domaine Bott or Clusel Roch. Multiple cymbal dings for all, on the night.
The line up of the evening
For our wider Rhône Valley EP tasting (also featuring some older vintages), we were delighted to be joined by no fewer than thirteen producers from all along the Rhône Valley who kindly took time out of the vineyard/cellar to come to London and present their wines to our customers.
Unlike the North, Southern Rhône, given volumes produced, is more ‘aspirant Bordeaux’ than Burgundy. Alongside trying wines from our latest producer Les Deux Cols (wines landing soon), the tasting was a golden opportunity to revisit some old favourites in the South.
I’m at least three decades into loving anything that Mordorée produces (especially their Lirac). Relative newcomer Domaine de La Vieille Julienne is garnering deserved respect amongst serious Rhône heads.
On the night there was also some real class from Domaine de La Bouïssière (old grenache and syrah from high up) and then some wonderful purity from Elodie Balme around the villages of Roaix and Rasteau – all of which can be approached young.
As Benjamin Duclaux so succinctly put it: ‘This must be the greatest Rhône selection in London’.
