To winefolk it’s the Cotes du Rhone, or “slopes of the Rhone.” To the locals, it’s that part of Provence known as the Rhone Valley. By whatever name, it is a vast vineyard area that turns out 75 million gallons of wine annually.
Some of it is unforgettable, and for an outrageous sum of money, obtainable; most of it is good but thoroughly forgettable, and you can buy it for a song. But some of it provides a very acceptable compromise: savory flavors that won’t beat up your budget. These wines are called Cotes du Rhone Villages.
The region consists of vineyards whose original planters basically followed the Rhone’s path along its final 120 miles or so. The northern 40 miles, from Vienne to Valence, has only 4 percent of the vineyards. But this includes two of the three big names in red Rhone wines (see accompanying story). Then there is another 40-mile stretch, pretty much a vinous hiatus for our purposes, that leads into the “South 40,” the southern Rhone.
This part is home to the most famous of them all: Chateauneuf du Pape. It is also home to Cotes du Rhone Villages. This is red-wine territory; only 3 percent of production is whites.
The terroir of the Rhone–the ecosystem, if you will–is unique. The combination of the climate, the lay of the land, the composition of its soils and the grape types employed make for wines different from those of Bordeaux, Burgundy or anywhere else in the world. And although it stretches 120 miles, there are commonalities.
First, it’s hot: They don’t call them “wines of the sun” for nothing. The heat assures that the local grapes will ripen to achieve among the highest sugars of any fine wine region of France. It’s also dry. A blend of winds, the most famous of which is the mistral, pretty much guarantees against the rot that plagues Burgundy and Bordeaux. It also dessicates the berries, keeping them small and with a consequently high skin-to-juice ratio. Because most of the grapes’ flavor lies in the skins, such grapes yield wines perfect for full, sometimes spicy meals.
The lay of the land is variable. The north is higher and steeper, and the south sprawls over long rolling hills on either side of the Rhone and its many tributaries. Vineyards on hills enjoy greater drainage (and less water-swelling of the grapes) as well as the possibility of optimum exposure to the sun. Both help concentrate flavors. All of the area’s 143,000 acres of vineyard land are classified by the nature of the wine they give, from palatable to sublime.
The grape varieties of the Rhone are many; but for the most part we are talking syrah in the north and grenache in the south (86 percent and 60 percent of the totals, respectively). Syrah has much more color and tannin than grenache as well as flavors that remind you of everything from cassis through black pepper to a meaty quality. Grenache is less acidic and makes slightly more alcoholic, richer wines. Its monochromatic qualities are augmented by the other major red grapes of the south: mourvedre, cinsault, carignane and some syrah.
Every vineyard in the system is classified by the French government. The basic land makes wines called simply “Cotes du Rhone.” The great majority of this land is in the south and will therefore reflect the dominance of grenache (for two exceptions, try Delas Saint Esprit and Colombo’s Les Forots, both pure syrah wines from the north). These are usually less than $10 and provide quick-drinking, fruity and flavorful wines best taken with burgers, simple stews, pizza and the like. (Two exceptions to this rule are the Coudoulet from Beaucastel and the Fonsalette from Rayas. Both are around $20 but have much more wallop than their name would suggest.) This plain Cotes du Rhone category represents about 75 percent of the total.
The highest category, representing about 18 percent of the total, is a collection of vineyard plots across the length of the Rhone that are known as the “specific” appellations. These range, in the north, from the tiny Cote Rotie and Cornas to the larger Crozes Hermitage, Saint Joseph, and in the south, from friend “Pape” to its much better-value neighbors, Vacqueyras and Gigondas.
The best-value category lies in the middle. They come from communes, or villages, mostly in the south, whose vineyards consistently produce more interesting wines than would warrant a simple Cotes du Rhone label. Hence, the term “Villages” is appended: Cotes du Rhone Villages. These vineyards are better situated and yields are more tightly constrained and, hence, offer richer wines with more staying power. But because the category is a relatively recent one–not around before 1965–word hasn’t quite got out yet about them.
If the wine is offered by a large shipper or cooperative, it could well consist of wines taken from several of the Villages and then blended. An example is the 1995 Cotes du Rhone Villages from Paul Jaboulet Aine ($13), a great match for a stew or cassoulet.
If, however, you see “Cotes du Rhone” followed by a hyphen and then the name of one of the 16 most highly considered of the Villages (there are about 100 of them), you have even more wine in your bottle. For instance, the 1995 Cotes du Rhone-Rasteau “Domaine la Soumade” ($15) is a mini-Pape at half the price. For lighter versions, try the Cotes du Rhone-Cairannes from Domaine de l’Ameillaud, (1996: $13) or from Daniel Alary (1994: $15). Another Village wine worth trying is the Beaumes de Venise from Domaine les Goubert (the 1995 is $11). In general, these wines may be drunk now or cellared for a year or two.
Other Villages to keep a lookout for: Seguret, Sablet, Chusclan, Valreas, Vinsobres, Visan and Seguret.
