Winemaker Notes
Co-fermented Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut and Viognier, the Cotes du Rhone Les Deux Albions Rouge always offers up considerable, complex, vibrant and profound fruitiness.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Textured, layered and focused. It expresses notes of dark berries, roasted meat, warm spices, bay leaves and some dried thyme. Medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Plenty of energy, focus and structure. More compact toward the finish.
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Wine Spectator
This seductive red offers a lot to like, with ripe red fruit and toasted aniseed notes showing an invigorating layer of white and black pepper through the harmonious, medium- to full-bodied frame. Hints of black tea and iron shavings add energy. Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Clairette.
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.