Newly Arrived: Elegant and Flavorful Bargains from France's Rhône Valley
90% of the wines produced in the Rhône Valley are red wine. In the Continental-climate north, the red grape is solely cool-climate Syrah with the perfume of blueberries, violets, and sometimes smoked meat. It's a narrow region, and the production is miniscule compared to the southern Rhône, so the wines are rarer.
In the Mediterranean-climate south the wines are mostly blended, using the varieties Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and a handful of other approved varieties. They evolved for that semi-arid region not only because they grow well there, but also because their flavors complement foods cooked in olive oil (the cooking fat of the region), aromatic herbs and garlic, which are standard ingredients for most cooking all across the Mediterranean.
Here are six tasty new Rhône wines to check out:
Southern Rhône (Grenache-Dominant Blends)
2024 Domaine de Durban Beaumes-de-Venise – $17.99
Durban sits atop a hillside in a vineyard paradise a few miles from Gigondas. In 2020, Beaumes-de-Venise was rewarded appellation status, elevating it from Côtes du Rhône-villages. This gorgeous, medium-weight red is made up of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 5% Mourvèdre—a real GSM—and it comes to you from Kermit Lynch Imports at a very fair price.
2022 Piaugier Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet – $18.99
Sablet is one of the elite Côtes du Rhône villages. Maude Piaugier has taken over winemaking duties and this no-oak blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah has a lot more going for it than a typical red Côtes-du-Rhône. Medium-to full in weight, what can we say? It's yummy. And so easy to drink. And so affordable!
2022 Coteaux Des Travers Rasteau "Les Travers" – $19.99
Rasteau is Côtes-du-Rhône village that has been elevated to appellation status for its exceptional quality. Coteaux de Travers' Rasteau is a G-S-M blend (50-30-20), vinified in stainless steel and concrete. With a pretty ruby color, this dry red has an equally attractive perfumed aroma, delightful texture finishing with a little grip.
Northern Rhône (Syrah)
2020 Verzier Chante-Perdrix Saint-Joseph "Madone" – $42.99
Verzier's single-vineyard hillside Madone (named for the Madonna statue near the crest) has all the blueberry and violet aromas we look for in northern Rhône Syrah along with supple textures and a generous mouthfeel. A lot of goodness here.
2022 Domaine Durand Cornas "Empreintes" – $42.99
Not as perfumed as Côte-Rôtie nor as regal as Hermitage, Cornas is often described as a rustic wine, but that is hardly fair anymore. Grown at a 300-meter elevation, Durand's Syrah is a sumptuous wine whose color is an almost blood-colored ruby. While the aroma takes a little coaxing to unwind, in the mouth it is full and concentrated, packed with primary fruit flavors. The small Cornas region rarely offers wines of this pedigree at such an attractive price.