Bounty from the Rhone

France¡¯s south-eastern region produces wines with a burst of different flavours.

FOR red wines that evoke the taste of fruit and spices and most things nice, seek out the famous wines of the Rhone Valley in France.

Red Bordeaux and Burgundy drinkers may not know this but a long time ago in France, the Borderlaise and Burgundians once bolstered their thinner wines by blending in Rhone red wines such as Hermitage.

Today, Bordeaux and Burgundy wines are excellent wines in their own right. Yet, many Rhone wines continue to be overlooked by many red wine lovers.

The Rhone Valley lies in south-eastern France between the cities of Vienne in the north and Avignon in the south, connected by the Rhone River.

In terms of grape growing, the Rhone is a large region, with more than 40,000ha under vine.

And thanks to various micro climates, soil types and more than 10 varieties of grapes, the wine styles are many.

The Rhone¡¯s wines had their beginnings when the ancient Greeks, who traversed the Rhone Valley to get to the north to trade in Roman Gaul, brought their knowledge of grapes and wines.

Later, around 125 BCE, the Romans built the city of Vienne and then planted vineyards around the city.

The Romans also found some steep slopes of the river¡¯s right banks to be ideal for grapes, so the sub-region of Cote Rotie came to being. Not satisfied, the Romans also developed a vineyard on the river¡¯s left bank that became known as Hermitage.

But what can we expect of the famous wines of the Rhone?

Firstly, we should note that the Rhone is divided into the north and the south Rhone districts.

The red wines of northern Rhone are conspicuously different in style to those of the south. Syrah is the major grape variety in the north whilst Grenache is the south¡¯s major grape.

The terroir is different between the districts €¡° the climate in the north is continental while the south enjoys a Mediterranean climate; and wine-making practices and philosophies differ.

It is interesting to note that, in the north, most vineyards are family-owned while in the south, almost three-quarters of wines are produced by co-operatives.

Geographically, in the north, vines are grown on steep banks of the river to maximise the exposure to sunlight, especially during hard winters. These slopes are also terraced to prevent erosion.

Cote Rotie (¡°roasted slopes¡¯¡¯) is so named because the vineyard is south-facing and exposed to the sun. The growing conditions endow Syrah-based wines with a pungent, espresso-like overtones €¡° however a little of the white grape Viognier (up to 20%) is allowed to be blended in to bring some freshness to the wine.

Typically, Cote Rotie wines taste of raspberry, baked fruit, spices and truffles, mocha, cinnamon, and more.

Aficionados of Cote Rotie like to differentiate between the steep granite terraces covered with sand-lime and named the ¡°pale slopes¡¯¡¯ (Cotes Blondes) and the terraces covered with iron oxide called the ¡°brown slopes¡¯¡¯ (Cotes Brunes).

Cotes Brune wines have a bigger backbone and stronger tannins than Cotes Blonde.

Famous single vineyard wines include La Turque, La Mouline, La Cote Boudin, Le Chevaliere and Fontgent. (Note that certain producers may blend wines made from various vineyards and the name, like Les Jumelles or La Mordor¨¦e, might sound like it is a single vineyard wine.)

Further south is the Hermitage sub-region whose wines are robust and impressive. Indeed, Hermitage wines are equally as famous as the Cote Rotie wines.

Hermitage wines are made from Syrah also, and a little amount (up to 15%) of the white grapes of Marsanne and Roussanne are allowed in the blend.

In general Hermitage wines are chewy with aromas of red fruit, wild flowers, violets, blackcurrants and strawberries and as they mature and the tannins soften, a bouquet of prunes or cooked fruit with spices develop.

For good value, many wine drinkers who love Hermitage choose Crozes-Hermitage. This is a sub-region that surrounds the hill where Hermitage is found.

Red wines are similar to Hermitage but are lighter in colour and body, with aromas of smoke, undergrowth, spices, red fruit and flowers. Crozes-Hermitage is often described as the younger sibling of Hermitage €¡° hence its price reflects this.

A little north of Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage is the appellation of St. Joseph. This is another wine that commands an attractive price for its quality. Wine are predominantly Syrah with up to 10% Marsanne and Rousanne blended in. St. Joseph wines show red fruit and cassis flavours and develop spices and pepper over time as tannins develop a smooth texture.

Last but not least of the northern Rhone sub-regions and appellations is Cornas. Because the vines are grown on granite terraces and silt soils with a very sunny exposure, the resulting wines are an inky red-violet in colour, and come across as big, tannic and structured.

The wines are 100% Syrah. So, Cornas typically tastes of forest fruit, blackcurrant, spices, chocolate, coffee and tar.

In the next instalment of Uncorked, we will look at how wine making developed in the southern Rhone region.