Winemaker Notes
A decidedly southern style of wine with a bright garnet hue, a reflection of the sun-drenched terroirs from which it hails. It boasts a seductively smooth structure and notes of lightly caramelized ripe black fruits. The palate is silky smooth with notes of licorice and vanilla, revealing a good length and melted tannins.
Blend: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This classic Rhône blend opens in the glass with fresh blackberries, strawberries with cracked black peppercorn and a bouquet of violets. Ripe and juicy on the palate with a stony finish, this is an easy-going bottling to crack open with friends on charcuterie night.
Best Buy
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.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.