Covering the wines of from the Cotes du Rhone of France is a first for me and I’m glad I became a part of the #Winophiles group for this opportunity sponsored by Cotes du Rhône partnered withTeuwen Communications. I tasted a number of wines from both the Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhone Villages and I’ll cover the differences between the wines from both of these designations. Tasting these wines really proved to me how I’m an Old World kind of girl. Let’s taste some French wine this week!
Cotes du Rhone
The name, Cotes du Rhone, is interpreted to mean the “hillsides of the Rhone” river. It’s a stretch of land over 155 miles from north to south lining the Rhone River. The geography was created by a clash between the Massif Central and the Alps, which then became flooded by the Mediterranean. There is quite the diversity in soils due to the marine sediment and also due to volcanic activity in the northern Rhone there is also granite, limestone and clay.
The Rhone Valley spans a massive territory of 98,000 acres allowing 21 grape varietals. In comparison to all of the wines produced in France, the Rhone contributes 9% of the total production. The red and rose wines are predominantly made from the Grenache grape that lends fruit and body to the wines. It is also blended with Syrah and Mourvedre that lend color, structure and spice. White wines are a blend of various degrees of primarily Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier.
Cotes du Rhone AOC
The Cotes du Rhone AOC appellation is the 2nd largest in France in terms of volume. It also is one of the oldest appellations with vineyards planted by the Romans in 125 BC. The AOC was established back in 1937 and covers over 171 communes from the north side of the Rhone Valley to the south side. It makes up 46% of the production of Rhone Valley wines predominantly red wines at 84%, followed by rose wines 10% and white wines 6%.
Red wines under the Cotes du Rhone AOC require at least 30% Grenache with a blend of Mourvedre and Syrah totaling at least 70%. White wines must be made of at least 80% Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Bourboulenc and Clairette.
Cotes du Rhones Villages AOC
One of the major different between Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhones Villages are that with Villages there are stricter regulations set in terms of alcohol minimum, stricter yields allowing for a higher quality wine typically that are more terroir driven. The Cotes du Rhone Villages AOC was created in 1967 and spans 95 villages only located in the southern Rhone with 21 villages allowed to be listed on the label. It makes up about 11% of the Rhone Valley’s production with red wines dominating at 96% followed by a small percentage of whites and rose.
The blends vary slightly in the Cotes du Rhones Villages AOC with a higher percentage of Grenache at 40%, at least 25% Syrah and Mourvedre and no more than 20% Cinsault, Carignan and Camarese. The whites are the same regulations at the Cotes du Rhone.
The Wines
Although I paired my red wines across a couple dishes I did also want to share one of the white Cotes du Rhone wines that I tried.
Domaine Ogier was founded back in 1859 by Antoine Ogier. Their 2018 Domaine Ogier Artesis Cotes du Rhone AOC was brightly straw colored with golden hues. Quite aromatic of pineapple, green apple and pears. These flavors carried through to the palate with added citrus notes. A fresh wine with bright acidity and a lingering finish with a touch of pleasing bitterness. This wine spent 4 months on the lees. It’s made of 40% Grenache Blanc, 20% Clairette, 20% Roussanne and 20% Viognier. SRP $17 ABV 13% .
Domaine Paul Autard is managed by Jean-Paul Autard whom followed in his father’s footsteps, Paul, that started the winery in the 70’s. Today he runs it with his daughter Pauline. Their 2018 Domaine Paul Autard Cotes du Rhones AOC was ruby color with rich aromatics of black cherry and blackberries. A rich, darker fruit profile on the palate with some black pepper and spice. Good acid with firm tannins on the finish. The wine ferments 25 days in stainless steel and vinified separate before blending in January into stainless steel. The wine is made up of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre from 45-75 year old vines.
My favorite pick of the tasting was the 2015 Xavier Vignon Arcane XIX Le Soleil Cotes du Rhones Villages AOC. Deep ruby in color with black cherry and red licorice on the nose. I loved the depth of this wine and the lush fruits with a silkiness on the finish. This wine is made 80% from 80+ year old vine Grenache along with 10% of both Syrah and Mourvedre from 50+ year old vines. The wine is aged 15 months in 1/3 new Austrian oak, 1/3 concrete and 1/3 vats. Quite the delight. ABV 15% SRP $29.
Lastly was another favorite featuring the 2018 Domaine La Decelle Reserve Cotes du Rhone Villages Valreas AOC. This winery was established only in 2010 and as you’ll see from the label is in Valreas. This wine is made of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah. Deep ruby in color with purple highlights. Some spice on the nose, black cherry and raspberries. Surprisingly I didn’t find the body of this wine as heavy as the others. Good acidity with the tannins and vanilla notes showing on the finish. ABV 15% SRP $14.
The Pairing
I prepared a couple dishes this week to pair with the Cotes du Rhone red wines. The white I just drank for enjoyment! My first pairing was sausage stuffed ravioli I purchased from Trader Joe’s and I prepared a sauce with ground sausage to go with it. Although all the wines went well with the dish the 2018 Domaine La Decelle Reserve Cotes du Rhone Villages Vilreas went nicely.
Join my fellow food and wine lovers as they take you through their personal journey of the Cotes du Rhone with selected food and wine pairings. Join us live on Twitter this Saturday at 11am EST @ #Winophiles. See you there!
- Jeff from Food Wine Click! thinks we should Embrace the Base of the Côtes du Rhône Pyramid.
- Cindy of Grape Experiences suggests we Sip Wine from the Côtes-du-Rhône... then Visit the Rhône Valley.
- Cathie of Side Wino Hustle says OMGigondas!
- Mel of Wining with Mel introduces us to The Wonderful World of Chapoutier in Côtes du Rhône.
- Terri of Our Good Life tells you What You Need to Know about Côtes du Rhône Wines.
- Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is Assembling an End of Summer Cheeseboard with Domaine Chamfort Sablet La Pause Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019.
- Robin of Crushed Grapes Chronicles talks about Côtes du Rhône & Côtes du Rhône Villages – a plethora of flavors to pair with!
- David of Cooking Chat shares Grilled Sirloin Steak and Côtes du Rhône.
- Jane of Always Ravenous shares Cote du Rhone Wines: Tasting and Pairing.
- Nicole of Somm's Table says Bring on the Côtes du Rhône.
- Katrina of The Corkscrew Concierge explains Why You Should be Drinking White Rhône Wines.
- Linda of My Full Wine Glass introduces us to Red, White and Pink-The Colors of Côtes du Rhône Wine.
- Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings shares Côtes du Rhône and Perfect Fried Rice.
- Jill of L'Occasion is Feeling Satisfied with Côtes du Rhône.
- Susannah of Avvinare shares A Fresh Look at the Côtes du Rhône.
- Liz of What's in That Bottle? declares Côtes du Rhône Offers Fancy, French & Affordalicious Wines.
- Gwendolyn of Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley considers White, Red, Rosé? Côtes du Rhône Wines Paired with Squash Soufflé, Instant Pot Cassoulet.
- Payal of Keep the Peas discusses Everyday Wines from the Côtes du Rhône.
- Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares A Month's Worth of Celebrations with Côtes du Rhône.
I love when you branch out away from Italian wines!;) This post is great. I was excited to explore the Cotes du Rhone as well.
ReplyDeleteGreat information and your pairings look very nice, especially that stew.
ReplyDeleteThose pairings sound delightful. I find it so interesting how the different wines find these pairings that they lean toward. While sausage ravioli and beef stew are both meat dishes they have different weights and flavors and its so fun to see how the nuances in the wines pair with these!
ReplyDeleteBeef stew and Cotes du Rhone - stoke up the fire, I'm ready for fall!
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