Wines of the Northern Rhone

A pleasant and thorough introduction to the wines of the Rhone Valley, both North and South, was recently held at the French Embassy in Washington. The tasting featured fine wines, well displayed by their knowledgeable distributors. The able wine missionary work of the French Wine Society, which helped organize the event and publicize it, deserves particular note. It was suggested that these wines are now being “rediscovered”: hence the title for the tasting. Whether that is entirely the case or not, it is certainly true that with a few well-known exceptions, such as Châteauneuf du Pape (CDP), these wines deserve to be better known.

This column will treat the fine wines from the Northern Rhone, including Condrieu, the Cote Rotie, Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage. That certainly does not exhaust the list of fine wines from this region, which would also include Château Grillet (if memory serves me well, the smallest appellation in France), Cornas, and Saint Joseph. The second column will consider wines of the Southern Rhone, including Beaumes de Venise, Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and Vinsobres. Other wines from that region would as a minimum include Vacqueras, Lirac, and perhaps the most famous rose wine, Tavel.

Cotes du Rhone generic reds and whites may come from either region. However, the eighteen towns that have earned the right to have their names indicated in the AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages are all in the Southern Rhone. The two areas are said to be far enough apart so that the vintages in any given year can produce quite different results. Prices given are list prices mentioned at the tasting.

The E. Guigal Condrieu 2005 ($51.99) was the finest white wine that I tasted. It is made entirely from the Viognier grape, and a source of justifiable pride to its distributors. It was very, very good, smooth and succulent, with both flavor and body. It would go perfectly with rockfish (striped bass), and would complement nicely a mushroom sauce. The more I sipped it – and in your interests, dear reader, I did so several times – the more I liked it. The wine is said to be an alternative to the excellent (and even pricier) wines of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne- Montrachet. I suspect that it would be a revelation to those who are now used to and perhaps tired of California “big oak” Chardonnay wines and wish to try something new of a very high level of excellence.

E. Guigal’s Crozes Hermitage Rouge 2004 ($20.99), was an elegant wine with a Syrah base, “not like an overblown Shiraz,” which will reward those who can wait a bit before discovering its full taste. Then came the E. Guigal Cote Rotie 2003 ($82). This was a very deep wine, reminiscent of a Château Montrose in its depth, but definitely not a Bordeaux!

The Domaine de Remizieres Crozes Hermitage Cuvée Particulaire 2004 ($21.99) was a smooth, Syrah based wine. I contrasted it with the Delas Crozes Hermitage Rouge 2005 (no price available), which was 100% Syrah, with great depth and fine pleasant odors, the quality of the 2005 vintage perfectly apparent. The Delas Crozes Hermitage Blanc 2003, fermented in stainless steel with no oak, was a smooth, pleasing wine. Grapes are harvested by hand and aged on the lees for 6 months to increase the complexty of the wine. I asked about the vintage, and it was said that in the Northern Rhone, there was not the problem of excessive heat that tended to bother the Southern Rhone in 2003.

Then came the Delas Hemitage Les Bessards 2004 ($119.99), a single vineyard treasure, 100% Syrah, an unfiltered wine. It is made from over 50 year old vines, yielding less than one ton of grapes per acre. It is a profound wine, which would stand up well with venison or other game, with heavy flavored sauces. Hermitage is a hilly appellation, and Crozes Hermitage wraps around that hill. The powerful St. Joseph wines (enjoyed by both Victor Hugo and, it is said, Jean Valjean) face more directly south in exposure.

The Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne 2004 ($99.99), again 100% Syrah, was very fine indeed. It had a lovely bouquet, and I think that it would reward being kept for 15 years before consumption. I also liked the Chapoutier Crozes Hermitage Petite Ruche Rouge 2006 ($19.99), a nice way to start one’s knowledge of the wines of this region.

Ferraton Pere et Fils had a nice selection of Northern Rhone wines as well. Their Crozes Hermitage Blanc La Matinière 2005 (no price available), 100% Marsanne grapes, was a superior white wine, aged on the lees for 10 months, a smooth, rather fresh flavor, not entirely unlike an excellent Chablis. I liked the Hermitage Blanc Le Reverdy 2000 (no price available) even more. This was 50% Marsanne and 50% Roussanne, 20 year old vines, with a taste like white peaches, a wine to enjoy with good friends for the taste of it. Then came the Hermitage Les Miaux 2001 ($57.99), a good and smooth wine, again 100% Marsanne, aged even longer than La Matinière on the lees. It is a very rich wine, to be enjoyed on its own, not as background music to the events of the day.

The contribution of Cheeses of France, distributed by American Gourmet Foods, Inc., is worth mentioning. Their assortment of dozens of superior French cheeses created a needed grace note to the wine tasting, and their presenter was most knowledgeable. I particularly enjoyed tasting the époisses, soft, richly flavorful cheese hand washed with the fiery spirit, Marc de Bourgogne. It made the perfect accompaniment to Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage, either red or white wines!

I should note that at the public tasting which followed our preview, a number of fine Washington restaurants had tastings of their signature dishes. That made an excellent tasting an even better bargain. Events like this are a needed contrast to the mob scenes that too often pass for wine tastings at the municipal or county level. These were excellent wines, well presented, by knowledgeable people. And it was fun to compare notes with friends new and old who attended.