What to know about the French AOC

Third largest appellation in France (behind Languedoc-Roussillon and Bordeaux), the ratings of Rhône This often seems to be a forgotten average child, because wine lovers compete for their preference for Burgundy or Bordeaux. While the first is the house of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and the second is known for red mixes based on Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and Whites with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, the Rhône valley home to 37 grape varieties, only a few are familiar names. While a handful of its AOCs (appellation of controlled origin) offer wines made with 100% wines a single varietal, the Rhône has really made its reputation on the art of mixture, to the point that the reds using varieties such as varieties such as Grenache,, SyrahAnd Mourvèdre are known worldwide under the name of mixture of Rhône style and the same goes for whites based on Marsanne and Roussanne, regardless of where they are cultivated.

As with the other European denominations, the wines of the Rhône valley are mentioned by the appellation rather than by the grapes, you will therefore probably see them under names such as Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage or Condrieu rather than by the name of the grapes. The good news for lovers of experienced wine is that, although Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon command the prices of the sky on tables and shelves, the secret initiate status of varieties of Rhône varitities often makes them much more accessible than bottles elsewhere in France.

History of the Rhône Valley

Hosting wine grapes on its steep slopes by the river since the Greek and Romans' times, the Rhône valley was a center for the production of amphorae for the storage and transport of wine in the first century AD, a period which also saw the construction of stone restraint walls and terrace vineyards. The collapse of the Roman Empire saw the end of the importance of the region in the larger Mediterranean basin, and although viticulture continued from top to bottom, it took the relocation of the siege of the Catholic church of Rome in Avignon at the beginning of 14 years^th century to give birth to a vast plantation of vines in and around the southern part of the valley. At the end of 17 years^th Century, the port of Roquemure, eight miles north of Avignon, has become a leading center for shipping goods by the river. The area was then well known for its wine, and the peaks of barrels sent by boat carried the initials CDR for Coste du Rhône, an early sign of its origin. Some of the first rules of what has become the French AOC system began here; In 1936, Châteauneuf-du-Pape was appointed as the first AOC in the country, and the Rhône Global Ribs obtained this status a year later.

Climate and geography of the Rhône Valley

Current at 150 miles from north to south along the steep banks, the Rhône valley houses just under 160,000 acres of vines in 148 municipalities. The astonishing landscape of the valley is the result of epic geological phenomena that occurred 300 million years ago. The volcanic eruptions in the Massif Central gave birth to the granite rocks in the north of the Rhône, while layers on layers of limestone marine deposits in the South gave birth to prominent sandstone formations. 24 and seven million years ago, changing tectonic plates raised the Alps and caused the bottom of the valley, allowing the Mediterranean water to enter. As finally fell, he left the base layer of limestone, clay, sand and granite that exists to date.

The northern part of the valley has a cold and windy continental winter and a hot Mediterranean summer, while the South is experiencing a more moderate Mediterranean climate all year round. While 32 different winds – each with a name – are noted to provide various weather conditions, the most notorious is the mistral. Sometimes, blowing with such intense force that it drops the old trees on the ground, it also moves the humidity and the clouds from its path and is responsible for hot and sunny days and fresh nights which are tempered by heat rocks and stony vineyard floors.

The Rhône is divided into two separate regions, the north of the Rhône and the Southern Rhône, which are still subdivided into village appellations which each have their own production regulations. The basic quality level is Côtes du Rhône, which represents 60% of the results of the region. The most notable wines of the North, all dominant in Syrah, are the hermitage, the careers, the cornas, the uptime and Saint Joseph. The most eminent names in the South Rhône, producing Grenache-Heavy mixtures, are Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. While white wines represent only 12% of total production, a wide range of White Côtes du Rhône wines are available on the market as well as bottles of white condreu, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Peray and Saint-Joseph appellations in the North and Côtes du Rhône, South-du-Pape, Lirac, Lirac and South-Du-Pape, lirac. There is also a sweet AOC wine, Muscat de Beaumes de Venis, which is a favorite of burnt cream or foie gras in many restaurants.

Key grapes of the Rhône Valley

Among the 37 grape varieties cultivated here, 88% are red and 12% are white; Part of the red grapes enters pink wines which represent around 14% of total production. The two main red grapes here are Syrah and Grenache, with Syrah the predominant variety in the north and the Grenache holding first place in the south, where it is also mixed with other grapes, notably Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. While most of them grew up here and through the border in Spain for hundreds of years, a more recent addition is Marselan, a cross between Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon which was raised in 1961. The main white varieties of the north of the Rhône are Marsanne and Viognier; The Southern Rhône offers more diversity with options that include these two plus Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne. The 13 varieties traditionally authorized in Châteauneuf-du-Pape are Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Le Counoise, Terret Noir, Vaccareee, Muscine, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardin, Bourboulenc, Roussanne and Cinsault. Wine specialists among us will recognize it as a mixture of red and white grapes, with white authorized only in very small quantities.

The best winemakers in the Rhône valley

More than 6,000 vineyards cultivate grapes for around 1,800 private vineyards and 103 cooperatives, so there is a wide range of producers to choose. Largely considered one of the most beautiful syrahs in the world, the field of the chapel The Hermitage chapel is from a steep hill which has been planted with variety for 800 years. Since 16 generations, the Chave family has made wine in the north of the Rhône, and Jean-Louis Chave, who took over in 1993, constantly produced bottles loved by oenophones. The granite and dressed in pebbles which are the home of the Domaine les Alexandrins Saint Joseph les Pontts is another coveted place for the ideal culture of Syrah. At the north end of the appellation, Château de Beaucastel has organized varieties authorized in an organic way for its reference Châteauneuf-du-Pape since the 1960s. Domaine du Colombier Cuvée Gaby Crozes-Hermitage, another magnificent Syrah, bears the name of the owners David David and the father of Florent Viale Gaby; The grapes are cultivated in a plot planted by their grandfather over 50 years ago. Made with 100% Clairette, Chateau de Saint Cosme The post Gigondas Blanc testifies to the expertise of the Barruol family through the appellation. Château la Nusthe enclosed de Beauvenir Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, a single vine tank from Rousanne and Grenache Blanc, is an exceptional example of white wines from a much better known AOC for its reds.

Best vintages in the Rhône Valley

Despite a season of erratic growth that has experienced a fresh spring, an intermittent summer hail in certain regions and arrow temperatures in August 2023 proved to be a good vintage for reds and an excellent vintage for whites. While the time of 2022 had an opposite effect; An extremely dry and warm summer which, in some parts, was saved by rain in mid-August gave better results for red wines than white, but stick to the best producers in both cases. Despite a relatively hot and dry summer and an early harvest, the 2020 vintage is known for excellent freshness and acidity at all levels thanks to cooler nights than the average and an absence of prolonged thermal spikes. The 2019 vintage is announced for equally high quality among white and red wines noted for complexity and acidity. Those who are looking for both mature whites ready to drink and fully drinkable reds which could also bear more cells should look for bottles from 2015, which was at the time considered the best vintage of the century so far.

Funny facts on the Rhône valley

The papacy passed from Rome to Avignon in 1309 and stayed there until 1377 due to political troubles in Rome, giving birth to the term Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which means the new Pope's castle.