Winemaker Notes
Rich, complex and delicious with dishes which take time to prepare: a slow cooked duck cassoulet, or warming beef casserole – try a Daube Niçoise, the southern French variation of the traditional beef daube which includes tomato, orange zest and black olives. Hearty vegetable dishes can work too – grilled eggplant with a herby tomato Provençal sauce or a tofu burger with all the trimmings.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A fruity and well-balanced cairanne with cherries, wild berries, warm herbs and baking spices. Medium body with crunchy berries. Fruity and vivid finish with excellent length. Grenache noir, syrah, mourvedre and carignan. Drink or hold.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe raspberries, spicy wood, dried flowers, and hints of sandalwood all emerge from the 2020 Cairanne La Côte Sauvage, a pure, elegant very pretty Cairanne based on 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre, and the rest Carignan. This medium-bodied, silky, and elegant wine has nicely integrated oak, fine tannins, and a great finish.
-
Wine Spectator
Offers cherry reduction and earthy dimension, courtesy of tobacco and forest floor gilded in oak polish. Delivers nice weight, richness and length, with a jolt of orange peel acidity and a menthol accent. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan Noir. Drink now through 2027.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
An appellation full of some of the most delightful and particularly charming reds, Côtes du Rhône Villages includes the best villages of the greater Côtes du Rhône appellation. The possibility for an appellation promotion exists for every named village but each has to achieve and prove superior quality before an upgrade will be granted. The main ones today are Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes-de-Venise, Vinsobres, Rasteau and Cairanne.
The Gigondas appellation, while sometimes producing wines with a touch of rusticity, can often rival Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Its elevations are higher and soils richer in limestone. Vacqueyras reds are more concentrated than the more general Côtes du Rhône reds and must be at least one half comprised of Grenache by law. Beaumes de Venise also includes some excellent higher elevation spots for making snappy, fruity and spicy reds but historically the appellation’s esteem came from its fragrant, sweet and golden Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.