Labeling aside, do not miss this wine. The Domaine de Saint Cosme is a top producer of red wine, especially their extraordinary Gigondas releases from the village where they are based. They are less well-known for white wines, though Les Deux Albion, may change that.… Read more

($41, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant):  St. Joseph, an important but sometimes overlooked appellation in the Northern Rhône, is exceptionally long, running on the west bank of that river from Cornas in the south to Condrieu in the north.  Its soils and exposures are varied, given its length, unlike its more circumscribed neighbors, Cornas, Hermitage, and Côte Rôtie, so it’s hard to generalize about the wines. … Read more

($175, Vintus):  With Arioso, and indeed all of Rotem and Mounir Saouma’s Rhône wines, the finesse and weightlessness of Burgundy meets the muscle of the Rhône.  In Burgundy, the husband-and-wife team is a mini-négociant, buying small amounts of grapes or newly pressed wine from growers—typically just a few barrels—raising it, and bottling it under the Lucien Le Moine label. … Read more

($21):  The Rhône Valley provides a treasure trove of reasonably priced reds and whites, especially from the appellations with a lesser pedigree compared to the famed ones, such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Hermitage.  There is a trio of appellations, Côte du Rhône, Côtes du Rhone-Villages, and Côtes du Rhône-Villages with a named village appended, such as Saint Maurice, that offer particularly good value. … Read more

($17, The Wine Trust):  Séguret, a beautifully perched village in the southern Rhône valley, is one of 22 villages allowed to add their name to the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation.  Rhône authority Matt Walls, refers to them as a “training camp before being elevated to Cru status.” … Read more

($38, Vintus):  Guigal now owns prized vineyards in Saint Joseph and makes highly acclaimed wines from them, much as they do in Côte Rôtie.  The grapes for this juicy bottling come from their own vineyards plus ones they buy from other growers. … Read more

($18, Vintus):  Guigal’s single vineyard wines from the Côte Rôtie, La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque, which sell for hundreds of dollars upon release and are highly allocated, bring fame to that firm.  In my mind, what makes Guigal a famed producer is this wine, their consistently excellent and well-priced Côtes du Rhône.  … Read more

($91, Vintus):  Côte Rôtie, or “roasted slope” transliterated into English, is composed of two major subdivisions, the Côte Brune and the Côte Blonde.  Typically, the former imparts more power to the Syrah grown there because of the iron rich soil, while the latter is home to Syrah with more finesse, reflecting its limestone soil. … Read more

($15, Folio Fine Wine Partners):  Chapoutier is one of the top producers in the Rhône, so it’s no surprise that this mid-weight red Côtes du Rhône of theirs is easy to recommend.  It displays a balanced and marvelous mixture of black and red fruits, offset by herbal elements that lend a savory touch. … Read more

($15, Bowler):  I am reviewing this bargain-priced beauty again for emphasis since I just tasted it again.  This seductive white shows the potential of white wines from the southern Rhône.  A subtle peach-like character merges with a firm minerality.  The combination delights the palate and invigorating acidity in the finish magnifies it charms. … Read more

($15):  Laudun is an unusual Côte du Rhône Village because it produces a hefty amount of appealing white wines, like this one from the local co-operative.  A versatile wine, this lively mid-weight beauty delivers a hint of white peaches without any heaviness so it would work well as a stand-alone aperitif. … Read more

($14, Bowler):  Laudun, one of the 22 villages allowed to attach the village name to the Côte du Rhône Villages appellation, has applied for, and is likely to be elevated, to cru status, which would put it on a level with Rasteau and Cairanne, other named villages who were formerly under the Côtes du Rhône Villages umbrella. … Read more

($45, Kysela Pere et Fils):  Though more well known for its red wines, Lirac produces some lively whites, like this one.  That it is made from organic biodynamically grown grapes indicates to me that the winemaking team is more compulsive in the vineyard because they can’t just spray to control disease. … Read more

($25, Kysela Pere et Fils):  Frequent WineReviewOnline readers may know I am not a fan of rosés in general because they are often vapid and lack character.  Not this one.  Domaine de la Mordorée has fashion one from a blend Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault that delivers lively refreshment, delicate red fruitiness, and complementary spice.… Read more

($17, Levecke Imports):  The CPR refers to the blend of this zippy wine:  Chardonnay 23%, Pinot Gris 50%, and Riesling.  A charmer, it leads with fine and flowery aromatics and then follows with sufficient depth to hold up and balance its energy.… Read more

($25, Kysela Pere et Fils):  Regular WineReviewOnline readers know of my aversion to rosé, which, all too often, is insipid and lacks interest.  Not this one!  Of course, it comes from Tavel, an appellation that allows producers to make only rosé and from one of the top producers not just in Tavel, but in the entire Rhône Valley. … Read more

($35, Kysela Pere et Fils):  Lirac, a lesser-known appellation across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is, like that more well-known neighbor, also a cru of the Rhône, a distinction given to a village and its surroundings that makes distinctive wines.  So, looking at the Rhône quality pyramid, Lirac sits with Gigondas, Vacqueryas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and other crus, at the top. … Read more

($25, Kysela Pere et Fils):  The quality of wines labeled Côtes du Rhône is as vast as the appellation, which is to say, vast.  So, what differentiates one from another?  The producer, of course.  And Domaine de la Mordorée is one of the best, not only of Côtes du Rhône, but of other Rhône Valley appellations as well. … Read more

($29, Louis/Dressner Selections):  Elodie Balme symbolizes a new generation of winemakers in Rasteau, employing organic viticulture and making slightly less muscular wines that are formerly emblematic to this appellation.  That said, no one would categorize this beauty, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, as a light wine. … Read more

($30):  Lirac, an often-overlooked appellation of the southern Rhône just to the west of Châteauneuf du Pape, is one of two Rhône appellations that makes all three colors, reds, whites, and rosés.  (Vacqueyras is the other.)  From what I heard from many during my recent trip to the area, Château de Montfaucon is one of the leading producers there. … Read more

($15):  French wine regulators allow 22 (at current count) villages that produce sufficiently distinctive wine to put their name on the label along with the appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages.  It is an elite club, accounting for only about ten percent of the wine from the Rhône Valley. … Read more

($70, Vintus Wines):  Condrieu, a small roughly 500-acre, appellation in the northern Rhône valley, mandates the exclusive use of Viognier, a temperamental grape.  Guigal, arguably the Rhône’s best producer overall, has (perhaps unsurprisingly) tamed it and turned it into an excellent wine. … Read more

($30, Folio Fine Wine Partners):  Chapoutier, one of the best producers in the Rhône Valley, is both a négociant and a grower.  As a grower, the house makes estate wine from grapes in vineyards they own.  As a négociant, the company buys either very newly pressed wine or grapes from their neighbors and transform it into wine.… Read more

($16, Vintus Wines):  To me, the mark of a great producer lies in their least expensive wine.  Of course, Guigal is rightly known for their mind-boggling La La’s, small single-vineyard wines, La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque, from the Côte Rôtie, whose approximate 20,000-bottle combined annual production is highly allocated and sells for hundreds of dollars a bottle. … Read more

($73):  Côte Rôtie, a small appellation in the Northern Rhône that is home to spectacular red wines, allows the inclusion of up to 20 percent Viognier.  Burgaud included some Viognier in their Côte Rôtie in the past, but Pierre Burgaud, who is currently in charge, told me that with climate change and better ripening of Syrah, they no longer feel the need to add Viognier to bolster the alcohol. … Read more

($101, Kysela Père et Fils):  Domaine de la Mordorée, founded only in 1986 by the Delorme family, makes a wonderful range of wines from several southern Rhône appellations.  La Reine des Bois is, for all practical purposes, their top Châteauneuf-du-Pape (They do make a special cuvée occasionally, once or twice a decade, labeled Plume du Peintre, which is practically impossible to find and priced for the one-percenters of the world.) … Read more

($28):  Guigal, an undisputed leader in the Rhône, shows his considerable talents with this white wine from what is best known for its reds.  White wine from Crozes-Hermitage comprises less than ten percent of the appellation’s total production.  This one, a blend of mostly (90+ percent) of Marsanne with Roussanne providing the remainder, delivers delicate and refined stone fruit flavors with wonderful acidity, a characteristic often lacking in Rhône whites. … Read more

($15, HB Wine Imports):  As this wine shows, wines from the broad Côtes du Rhône appellation can provide an excellent pleasure-to-price ratio.  A balanced and lively Grenache and Syrah blend, it has good concentration and the oomph you would expect from the south of France. … Read more

($15, Europvin USA):  Domaine Saint Gayan, known for their Gigondas, also makes a notable Côtes du Rhône from grapes grown in the neighboring villages of Seguret and Sablet, two of the named villages of the more prestigious Côtes du Rhône-Villages appellation, according to their website. … Read more

($15, Europvin USA):  Domaine Saint Gayan, known for their Gigondas, also makes a notable Côtes du Rhône from grapes grown in the neighboring villages of Seguret and Sablet, two of the named villages of the more prestigious Côtes du Rhône-Villages appellation, according to their website. … Read more

($13, Taub Family Selections):  Jean-Luc Colombo is a star producer in the Northern Rhône appellation of Cornas.  Many credit him as a locomotive for that appellation, pulling it onto the world’s stage.  It turns out that he also makes a stylish, bargain-priced Côtes du Rhône. … Read more

($61, Vintus):   Condrieu is a small, 500-acre, appellation just south of Côte Rôtie on the western bank of the Rhône River that produces only white wine made from the Viognier grape.  The clone, or bio-type, of Viognier in Condrieu is smaller and lower yielding than Viognier planted elsewhere, which helps explain the expense of the wine. … Read more

($42, Vintus):  Guigal, based in the northern Rhône village of Ampuis, has made Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the southern Rhône’s most famous wine, since the 1940s.  But this 2017 is their first white Châteauneuf du Pape.  White Châteauneuf du Pape is unusual, since about 95 percent of the appellation’s production is red. … Read more

($15):  Tavel, an appellation established in 1936 solely for rosé, usually produces wines that are notably more robust than other rosé wines.  Indeed, in this case, you could consider many of them as light reds, and Ogier’s, befitting the appellation, has more color and depth, balanced by vigorous acidity. … Read more

($38):  Gigondas and its more well-known brother, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, share the same level on France hierarchical appellation status: they are both one of nine cru of the southern Rhône Valley.   They both use a similar blend of standard Mediterranean varieties, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, among others. … Read more

($17, Quintessential):  Laudun and Chusclan are two villages, practically adjacent to one another, on the right bank of the Rhône, across the river from Orange and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  Although both villages are included in the umbrella appellation of Côte du Rhône-Villages, the members of the very good co-operative there, Laudun Chusclan Vignerons, also make straight Côtes du Rhône from vineyards that lie outside the strict borders of the two villages. … Read more

($15, Jenny & François Selections):  This fine co-op, Les Vignerons d’Estézargues, bottles wine from individual members by using a domaine label, such as this one, Domaine Grès St. Vincent.  The usual Mediterranean blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, produces an unusually fine wine. … Read more

($15, Jenny & François Selections):  This single grower wine, Domaine Les Genestas, from the top-notch co-op on the “other” (western) side of the Rhone delivers power without sacrificing refinement.  Made entirely from Syrah, it combines pepper-like spike with plum-like flavors wrapped in smooth tannins. … Read more

($15, Jenny & François Selections):  I know this producer, a co-operative, well, having rented a summer vacation house fifteen minutes down the road every year for a decade.  They have many bottlings and many labels, but one thing that is constant is the quality of their wines and the value they deliver. … Read more

($16, Vintus): If there is a more enjoyable red wine at this price, I’d like to know about it.  Guigal’s Côtes du Rhône is always an excellent value and the 2012 is no exception.  It’s riper and a touch fruitier than the racier 2013, which is also on the market. … Read more

($16, Vintus): Collectors and conoisseurs know of Guigla’s “La La’s”, as they are called — his tiny production, single vineyard wines from the Côte Rôtie, La Mouline, La Landonne and La Turque — that sell for hundreds of dollars upon release. … Read more

($15, Robert Kacher Selections): Costières de Nîmes, one of the lesser-known subregions of the greater Rhône Valley, lies on the right (western) bank of the river.  Wines from here lack the popularity — and price — of the more upscale subregions, such as Vacqueyras or Cairanne. … Read more

($110, Wilson Daniels): Nicole Rolet and her team at Chene Bleu are shooting for the stars with their wines, aiming to be one of the Rhone’s top producers.  And they are well on their way.  This is a property to watch. … Read more

($53, Kermit Lynch): Wow.  You don’t normally expect this kind of power and finesse from a wine from St. Joseph.  But some producers are now demonstrating that St. Joseph can be a locale for great wines.  Though it’s a long narrow appellation on the west bank of the Rhône, a portion of it at its southern end sits directly across from Hermitage and indeed, the granite rock in which the vines are planted is identical to the soil across the river.  … Read more

($42): Gigondas, another one of the nine “cru” in the southern Rhône Valley whose wines are distinctive enough to warrant identification by only the name of the village, is capable of producing powerful, yet stylish wines.  This is one them.  Using the usual blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsault, the team at Saint Cosme have fashioned a delightfully unusual combination of black fruit flavors, mineral-like nuances and herbal notes, all of which are wrapped in suave tannins.… Read more

($24, Vintus Wines): Guigal is one of, if not the, star producer in the Rhône Valley.  Their wines, especially their single vineyard wines from the Côte Rôtie, La Mouline, La Landonne and La Turgue, which now command hundreds of dollars upon release, have shown the world the grandeur and finesse of Rhône wines. … Read more

($26): This is a classic example of Vacqueyras, one of the nine “cru” in the southern Rhône Valley whose wines are distinctive enough to warrant identification by only the name of the village.  (Châteauneuf-du-Pape is likely the best known of the southern Rhône cru.) … Read more