Some of my favorite wines anywhere have their origin in the south of France, especially the Rhône Valley. The valley, which runs roughly from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south, is divided geographically and viticulturally into two regions – north and south. Most Rhône wines are red, though there are a few notable whites.
The north is syrah country. The best wines tend toward substance and power, intensely concentrated fruit, pepper and strong tannins. The two leading appellations – Hermitage and Côte Rôtie – are among the most prestigious wines anywhere. But this makes their prices almost uniformly out of reach for most.
Not far behind in quality but more accessible in price is Cornas. A good example is the 2019 Vincent Paris “Granit 30” ($50): bright red and black fruit, concentrated but fresh, balanced with floral, mineral and savory notes, robust yet supple textured.
Other appellations vying for a place at the alternative table include St. Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. The 2018 Tardieu-Laurent Crozes-Hermitage “Vieilles Vignes” ($35) is a particularly nice bottle of black fruits, herb, stone, white pepper, and floral notes glide along a silky palate.
The southern Rhône also has several appellations of interest, the most famous being Châteauneuf du Pape. In contrast to the northern Rhône, grenache is the most prominent grape and most of the wines are blends adding proportions of syrah mourvèdre and smaller amounts of cinsault, carignan and others.
Arguably the best after Châteauneuf is Gigondas. Its vineyards often produce earthy wines of good structure. Like the 2017 Domaine St. Gayan “Origine” ($35): approachable, cherries, red plum, currant, cinnamon, supple tannins.
Near Gigondas, Costières de Nîmes is a hidden treasure and a reliable source of value. Red blends dominate; syrah is the main variety, with grenache and mourvèdre, and small amounts of cinsault and carignan. My tasting revealed a fine 2019 Château Mourgues du Grès “Galets Rouges” ($18): savory and spicy notes in addition to violets, red fruit and dark berries; and organically grown 2018 Château Mourgues du Grès “Terre d’Argence” ($17): cassis, plum, stony, supple, chalky tannins.
Costières de Nîmes white wines, also mostly blends, are as diverse and unique as its reds. The most common grapes include grenache blanc, viognier, marsanne, and roussanne. I enjoyed the 2022 Château De Valcombe “Chateau Blanc” ($13): fruity, pear, apple, anise, supple, round; and 2019 Domaine Gassier “Nostre Païs Blanc” ($17): fresh, lively, apple, orange, silky texture.
Wines blended from different vineyards throughout the valley labeled Côtes du Rhône can be some of the best red wine values in the world. Solid, flavorful and tannic, they are great for everyday. Two good examples are the aromatic, minty, mellow 2017 Vidal-Fleury ($15); and 2019 Domaine Saint Gayan “Trescartes” ($15): juicy black cherry, earthy richness.