($15, Terlato Wines International): Though technically part of the Rhône, the Luberon is cool because of its elevation, with the harvest a couple of weeks later than Châteauneuf du Pape.  The cooler climate likely explains the bright profile of this zippy wine. … Read more

($25): Domaine de la Citadelle, one of the top producers in the Luberon and a name to remember, makes a range of wines.  This wine, labeled Gouverneur Saint-Auban, is their top white (They also make a stunning red under the same moniker). … Read more

($17): Though the Luberon is known mostly for its red wines, notable whites are popping up in that appellation.  This one, from one of the region’s top producers, is a blend of mostly (70%) Clairette and Grenache Blanc.  Domaine de la Citadelle has avoided heaviness, something that plagues many Rhône whites, in this wine. … Read more

($17): The regulations for the AOP (formerly known as AOC) Luberon require the wines be made from a blend of grapes because it’s the tradition in the region. That’s why this one, made entirely from Viognier, a white grape whose home is the northern Rhône, but thrives at Domaine de la Citadelle, carries the IGP designation instead of a more prestigious AOP. … Read more

($22): This wine has, not surprisingly given the blend of Grenache and Syrah, considerable muscle for a rosé.  A touch of structure and spice balances the density perfectly. Alexis Rousset-Rouard, who runs the domaine, puts it nicely, “It’s a rosé for September instead of May.” … Read more

($17, Polaner Selections): Though located in the southern Rhône — but really in the heart of Provence — the Luberon is cooler than one would imagine because of its elevation.  That explains why Syrah, a variety found more in the northern Rhone, is such an important component of the blends. … Read more

($30, Kermit Lynch): Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, a unique fortified sweet wine, has long been held in high regard, having received appellation status in 1945 and elevated to a cru, comparable to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in 2005.  Domaine de Durban, one of the appellation’s top producers, makes a consistently glorious traditionally styled wine. … Read more

($19, Kermit Lynch): The reputation of Beaumes-de-Venise hails from it sweet wines.  But the red wines from Beaumes-de-Venise were recently promoted to “cru” status, much like neighboring Gigondas. Domaine de Durban, one of the leading producers of sweet Beaumes-de-Venise, shows itself to be equally adept with the red wine. … Read more

($20, Polaner): Domaine Jean-David is a small 40-acre domaine located in Seguret, one of the 18 villages that make more distinctive wine and therefore are allowed to append their name to the Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages appellation.  Made from the usual Mediterranean blend of Grenache (71%) and Carignan (14%) with Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Syrah rounding out the blend, it is both floral and mineraly with suave tannins. … Read more

($42, Kermit Lynch): The second wine of the famed Vieux Télégraphe, Télégramme is made from what the Brunier family calls their “young” Grenache vines, 20 to 25 years old! The 2009 vintage produced rich ripe wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the ‘09 Télégramme fits that mold.… Read more

($26, Frederick Wildman):  Jaboulet, one the great names of the Rhône, has been through some tumultuous times lately.  Fortunately, they have weathered the storms, turned things around, and are now back on track.  And if anyone needed any proof, I suggest tasting Jaboulet’s two wonderful Crozes-Hermitage. … Read more

($54, Frederick Wildman):  Old vines, also exclusively from Jaboulet’s holding, make this a more complex wine.  Judicious oak aging amplifies the palate of flavor.  Less immediately overt because of a more tannic structure, it reveals itself slowly, especially in the finish. … Read more

($119, Vineyard Brands):  Beaucastel is one of the top properties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  Year after year, they produce a multidimensional, age-worthy wine.  Although Mourvèdre and Grenache, at about 30% each, comprise the majority of the blend, Beaucastel uses all 13 grape varieties permitted in the appellation, which may explain the phenomenal complexity of their wines, especially the 2009. … Read more

($57, Vintus):  Condrieu, home to Viognier grape, can be a hard wine to get right.  Viognier needs to be ripe to express its floral character, but not so ripe that the alcohol shows.  Guigal hit the bulls eye with their 2010. … Read more

($18, Vintus):  Wine lovers know Guigal is one of the top, if not the top, producers of red wines in the Rhône Valley.  Their red Côte du Rhône is a consistent winner.  Their white Côte du Rhone has been getting better and better as they’ve increased the proportion of Viognier in the blend. … Read more

($145, Vintus):  Hermitage and St. Joseph have precisely the same soil because when the Rhône River turned south, it sliced through the granite hill instead of coursing around it, putting Hermitage on the eastern bank and St. Joseph on its western bank. … Read more

($32, Vintus):  To my mind, Guigal is a genius.  And this wine shows why.  Gigondas is usually a big burly wine reflective of its home in the rugged area of the southern Rhone.  With concentrated black fruit-like flavors sprinkled with black pepper notes, Guigal’s 2007 Gigondas certainly has the burly aspect covered. … Read more

($72, Vintus):  The Brune et Blonde designation indicates that the wine comes from grapes grown in a variety of parcels on the two major slopes of the appellation, the Côte Brune and the Côte Blonde, names that reflect the color of the soil. … Read more

($24):  Not surprisingly given the appellation, Guigal’s 2007 Crozes-Hermitage is more distinctive than his Côtes du Rhone.  It conveys attractive black pepper notes and a ripe dark-fruit character reflective of the warm 2007 vintage.  It has added depth along with the hallmark Guigal classiness. … Read more

($18):  Guigal is the finest producer in the Rhone, making tiny quantities of iconic, single-vineyard, expensive (hundreds of dollars a bottle) Côte Rôtie, elegant Condrieu, and stunning Hermitage.  I could go on and on.  He also makes hundreds of thousands of cases of affordable red Côtes du Rhone. … Read more

($22, Cognac One):  The appellation of St. Joseph lies on the right (West) bank of the Rhône, facing east and its more famous neighbor, Hermitage.  Though the granite soil is similar to that of Hermitage and the grape (Syrah) is the same, the wines are lighter and earlier maturing because the east-facing exposure means less sunlight–and ripeness–during the harvest season. … Read more

($27, Winebow):  St. Joseph, well known for its reds, also produces a small amount (less than 10% of the appellation) of white wine from the usual white grapes of the Rhône, Marsanne and Roussanne.  In this one, the substantial amount of Roussanne (40%), imparts freshness and verve to the fruitier and slightly lanolin-like textured Marsanne. … Read more

($20, Cognac One):  Saint-Péray, a tiny appellation in the Rhône, produces only white or sparkling wine.  Cave de Tain is the local, highly regarded cooperative there.  Like many Rhône white wines, this one delivers fleshy yellow fruit flavors.  But unlike many white Rhônes, it also has lovely brightness and vivacity to balance the usual waxy texture. … Read more

($17, W. J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd.):  This is a brilliant white Côtes du Rhône.  Guigal, the leader in the Rhône, purchased Vidal-Fleury about twenty-five years ago.  Their hand, in the form of a healthy amount of Viognier, is apparent in this wine. … Read more

($30, W. J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd.):  Although owned by Guigal, the Rhône’s leading producer, since the mid-1980s, Vidal-Fleury remains a separate commercial entity with a separate winemaking team.  Nonetheless, the elegance and grace for which Guigal is known shows in this wine. … Read more

($11, Palm Bay International):  White Côtes du Rhône can be tough, often heavy, lacking acidity.  But when they’re balanced, like this one, they are hard to resist.  A blend of Clairette (80%) and Roussanne, Colombo captures the slightly peach or apricot stone fruit character while retaining vibrancy and freshness. … Read more

($12, Palm Bay International):  Colombo is a star producer in Cornas, a small appellation in the Northern Rhône.  His Côtes du Rhône, dubbed Les Abeilles (the bees) is always a winner as well.  With equal parts Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache, the 2009 is no exception.… Read more

($50, AP Wine Imports):  Founded by Serge Chastan in 1982, Domaine Lou Frejau, which means round pebbles after the stones found in the vineyards, produces this Châteauneuf-du-Pape from all of the eight permitted varieties of red grapes.  Their 2007 is certainly filled with ripe fruit flavors and spice, but also displays considerable elegance unlike many of the super concentrated southern Rhone wines from that year. … Read more

($48, Palm Bay International):  The Terres Brulées is the name Colombo gives to the 20-year old vines planted near the winery.  Vigorous and youthful, it delivers spice and liquorice-like flavors.  It’s beautifully balanced, with no sharp edges.  The tannins are polished, which mean you can enjoy it now with wintry fare.… Read more

($88, Palm Bay International):  This is Colombo’s top cuvée, from old vines sitting atop a ridge. The firmest and most mineraly of his wines, it has distinct peppery notes, which act like a condiment and enliven the wine.  Big and concentrated, the tannins are firm, but fine. … Read more

($70, Palm Bay International):  La Louvée (“she-wolf”) comes from 70-yr old Syrah vines planted on “only” a 30-degree slope.  Organic matter covers the granite and gives the wine a slighter rounder sense than the Les Ruchots (also reviewed this week).  Fruit flavors are more apparent with minerality in the background. … Read more

($70, Palm Bay International):  Colombo is one of the best producers of Cornas, an appellation in the northern Rhône which lacks the popularity of Côte Rôtie or Hermitage, but which like those, uses the Syrah grape.  He makes a variety of Cornas from different vineyards that vary in exposure and vine age. … Read more

($74, W J Deutsch):  The popularity–and price–of Côte-Rôtie has skyrocketed recently.  In 1971, the appellation consisted of only 140 acres and was shrinking.  Currently it covers about 500 acres, divided principally between the steep slopes behind the town of Ampuis, named Côte Blonde and Côte Brune because of the sandy/limestone soil of the former and the iron containing clay soil of the latter. … Read more

($75, Pasternak Wine Imports):  This is one of the rare white wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  It comes from a 6.5-acre plot planted primarily to Roussanne and Clairette. Fermented in oak barrels, one-third of which are new, accounts for the noticeable vanilla notes apparent at this stage. … Read more

($25, Pasternak Wine Imports):  Regular WRO Readers know I am not a fan of rosé, but this one is an unusually attractive one.  The regulations for the Tavel appellation permit only rosé, which helps explain why rosés from that area are distinctive. … Read more

($48, Pasternak Wine Imports):  Christian Voeux, La Nerthe’s winemaker, describes 2007 as “a fantastic vintage,” because, as he puts it, “there was rain and wind just at the right time.”  The 2007 La Nerthe certainly has all the traits of coming from a great vintage. … Read more

($165, Pasternak Wine Imports):  Cadettes is French for the second-born daughter.  (I can only imagine how the first-born daughter must have felt to be bypassed when La Nerthe selected the name for their flagship cuvée.)  The 2005, like its predecessors, is a gorgeous wine. … Read more

($16):  The Brunier family, owners of the prestigious Château du Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf du Pape, produces this Grenache-based wine from vineyards located in two distinct areas.  One lies just outside of the Châteauneuf appellation while the other is in the Côtes du Ventoux area. … Read more

($28, Kermit Lynch):  Les Racines comes from parcels from the lower part of the estate, around the winery.  Made from old vines (65 year average), it is a blend of Grenache (80%) Syrah and Cinsault (15%) and Clairette.  It’s more overt at this stage than Terrasse du Diablo, conveying more power, richness and spice. … Read more

($28, Kermit Lynch):  With the 2007 vintage, there are two cuvées, this one and “Les Racines” (also reviewed this week), from this leading Gigondas producer.  More similar than different, they represent different expressions of the estate.  They are definitely not a “first” and “second” wine. … Read more

($10, Vineyard Brands):  The Perrin family, owners of the renowned Chateau Beaucastel in Châteauneuf du Pape, have consistently made solid “everyday” wines under their Vieille Ferme label from grapes and wine they purchase.  A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, it delivers a mid-weight combination of fresh cherry-like fruit flavors and zesty spice notes. … Read more

($68, Vineyard Brands):  Two Rhone Valley powerhouses, the Perrin family of Châteauneuf du Pape, and Nicholas Jaboulet of the eponymous house in Hermitage, have forged an alliance and brought out a new line of wines.  Judging from this one, it will be a successful project. … Read more

($12, Vineyard Brands):  I wish regulations prohibited the use of Reserve when that’s all the producer makes (or exports).  And the fact is, this wine needs no labeling hype.  It’s very good.  Made from the typical blend of white Rhone grapes–Viognier, Marsanne, Roussane, Bourblanc and Grenache Blanc–it’s floral and refined. … Read more

($68, Vineyard Brands):  Two Rhone Valley powerhouses, the Perrin family of Châteauneuf du Pape, and Nicholas Jaboulet of the eponymous house in Hermitage, have forged an alliance and brought out a new line of wine.  Judging from this one, it will be a successful project. … Read more

($14, Ex Cellars Wine Agency):  Although the vast amount of wine produced in the Rhone Valley is red, consumers should explore the small amount of white wines that originates there because they offer richness and body.  The only potential downside of Rhône whites, which Guigal avoids, is that they can come across as heavy if they have insufficient acidity. … Read more

($34, Martine’s Wines, Inc.):  Château Rayas is on everybody’s short list of the top producers in the southern Rhône.  They are best known for their exquisite Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but you can get a glimmer of their grandeur with this Côtes du Rhône. … Read more

($15, Martine’s Wines):  You’d be hard pressed to find a more promising partnership in the southern Rhone.  This négociant firm, founded in 1998, is a partnership of two of the very best producers in Châteauneuf du Pape, Laurence Feraud, whose family owns Château Pegau, and André Brunel, owner of Les Cailloux. … Read more

($15, Ex Cellars Wine Agency):  This wine remains my benchmark for red Cotes du Rhone.  I am continually impressed by Guigal’s ability to make 250,000 cases of this high-quality wine year in and year out.  Of course, he is a great producer. … Read more

($22, Ex Cellars Wine Agency):  Guigal, perhaps the Rhône’s best producer overall, made his reputation with his stellar wines from Côte Rôtie.  But since he purchased two estates that gave him vineyards in Crozes-Hermitage, the less steeply sloped land adjacent to Hermitage, he has been making wonderful wines from there as well. … Read more

($70, Ex Cellars Wine Agency):  There are many wines that claim to be ready to drink now, but will age beautifully.  Few deliver on that promise. This is one of them. It has all of the lovely peppery components that young Syrah delivers when grown in cooler climate, such as the Côte-Rôtie. … Read more