How Red is our valley?

Jan 4 2008 by Helen Savage, The Journal

TURN up at just about any restaurant in France and you’ll find Côtes du Rhône on the wine list.

Usually – if it’s red – it’s cheap, cheerful and fruity. Nothing special, but a good reliable bet.

The Côtes du Rhône vineyards cover a vast area, not far short of 100,000 acres, most of which are in the warm south, where the valley widens as the great river prepares to flow into the Mediterranean.

They provide a living for around 10,000 vignerons, around two thirds of whom sell their grapes to co-operative cellars, some of which are very good indeed, but most of which churn out that steady supply of undemanding plonk.

Those who aspire to quality, both individual growers and co-ops, show the Côtes du Rhône is capable of far finer fare. Wine from the best villages – no less than 61 communes – is sold as Côtes du Rhône Villages.

When the appellation was first dreamed up, 18 were allowed to add their own name to the label, but the number dwindled as the best ‘villages’ were allowed to sell their wine as appellations in their own right, beginning with Gigondas in 1971, Vacqueras in 1990, Beaumes-de-Venise in 2005 and Vinsobres a year later.

To fill the gap, four new villages have been allowed to emerge from the anonymous ranks of Côtes du Rhône Villages.

This is all very well. But facts, figures and confusing names apart, the good news is that the general standard of red wine from the region that reaches our shops has risen markedly over the last few years. Much of it is a blend in which soft, rich Grenache dominates, with the blacker, sharper fruit of Syrah and the tannic bit of Mourvèdre as supporting acts.

What appeals to me is that this is a region where tradition and innovation are in balance. No-one seems willing to throw the baby out with the bath water in order for short-term commercial gain.

As Martine Meffre, of the wonderful Domaine Saint-Gayan in Gigondas, explained to me: “Our faithful clients would be really upset if we changed something.”

What’s important, she believes, is to make sure that everything is done to the highest standards. At Saint-Gayan, this simple recipe has filled an order book that means 85% of all their production is exported, but carefully divided amongst faithful, delighted customers all over the world.

In the UK, wines can be ordered from Yapp Brothers, who have a brilliant track record for unearthing great bottles of Rhône wines (www.yapp.co.uk). Highlights from Saint-Gayan include a 2005 Côtes du Rhône (£7.25) full of rich black, juicy, brambly fruit; a superb, chewy Côtes du Rhône Villages, Rasteau 2004 (£8.65) with creamy, perfumed black cherry fruit seasoned with green peppercorns; a rich, seductive Gigondas 2003 (£12.25) and a rare dry white Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet 2006 (£8.65) with deliciously tangy stone-fruit flavours.

Yapp even stock a few old vintages but don’t raise the price – such as a 1980 Gigondas, still just £13.50.

One problem for the Côtes du Rhône is that global warming has brought sweeter grapes and much higher levels of alcohol. Twenty years ago, 13% was considered strong, now 15% is commonplace, especially in the highly-rated 2005 vintage. If the wine is well made, it doesn’t show, but be careful! Really good examples include Domaine de Lubac, ‘Les Bruneau’ Cairanne 2005 (£9.99 or £8.99 if you buy two) which is powerful and concentrated with spicy black cherry fruit and chocolate and ‘Pegovino’ Côtes du Rhône Villages, 2005 (£7.99 or £6.49 if you buy two), which combines cherry, raspberry and plummy fruit with spice and licorice. Both are available from Majestic.

As impressive as these last two are, I think that 2004 and 2006 provided wine more typical of the Rhône Valley that I know and love. Choose either my wine of the week from one of my favourite properties in France, Chateau d’Aquéria, from Lirac, just across the river from Châteauneuf du Pape, or the lovely red Beaumes-de-Venise 2006, ‘La Chapelle Notre Dame d’Aubane’ (£6.49 or £5.49 if you buy two) made by the Beaumes-de-Venise Co-op. It’s spicy and herby, with lashings of black peppery fruit. What a bargain!

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Wine of the week

Lirac 2004, Château d'Aquéria, Majestic £7.99 (£6.99 if you buy two)

Deep ruby red with a lovely, balanced, herby, spicy, plummy smell and a lingering, rich, ripe cherry and plum taste with a hint of licorice. Perfect with game, red meat or a spicy stew.

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Wine shorts

BIG merchants based in the Rhône Valley share with the co-ops there a somewhat mixed track record for quality.

I have not before expected great things from the Cave Saint-Pierre, based in Châteauneuf du Pape and founded by a barrel-manufacturer exactly 100 years ago, but their latest batch of wine is very well made.

Caves Saint Pierre Côtes du Rhône, ‘Préférences’ 2006 (£4.99 at Sainsbury, Somerfield and Tesco) is quite light, plummy, herby and attractively fruity, with a dusting of spice. Caves Saint Pierre Côtes du Rhône Villages, ‘Préférences’ 2006 (£6.99 at Tesco) is deeper, with blacker, spicier fruit (blackcurrant and cherry) and much more tannic grip.

It’s quite impressive and well worth trying. In some ways I think it’s a more exciting find and certainly more of a bargain than the Caves Saint Pierre Châteauneuf du Pape, ‘Préférences’ 2006 (£14.99 at Tesco or £17.99 at Thresher – but three for the price of two), which is certainly rich, spicy and complex, but the vivid fruit of the Côtes du Rhône Villages shows that Châteauneuf du Pape is not always a cut above the rest.