Winemaker Notes
The best white Côtes-du-Rhône example. Here, nothing is too much. The blend reflects the complexity of a premium terroir and winemaking provides, by small touches, acute, sharp and beneficent freshness, with a hint of minerality. To be served on a fish market in foil or just for a refreshing aperitif, within the next five years
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
It’s a rich and expressive wine with notes of elderberry, honeysuckle and lime all evidenced. The finish is creamy and textured, topped off with a dash of pear compote. It’s well judged and unforced.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
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.