Thursday night glass of red

why you should be getting into the wines of Côtes-du-Rhône

When people talk to me about wine, one of the questions I get asked a lot is...what are you favourite grapes? I find it a hard question to answer, since I do have many, but a grape that comes from a region that will never let me down is always good with me. That being said, I sure do love a good French blend, ones especially made from Syrah and Grenache. Côtes-du-Rhône is the birthplace of Syrah and where it thrives to it's fullest potential. It's spicy, fruity, rich, complex and a very important part to blended wines. Grenache is the other player at the table and is more fruit forward and herbaceous.

look to the bottom right

This brings me to the topic of the week...big bold and beautiful blends from Côtes-du-Rhône!

Let's start with a bit of background information about Côtes-du-Rhône. The Rhone valley is a long strip of land in the South Eastern part of France, under Burgundy and above the start of Languedoc and Provence. The wines made there will usually be blends, mainly of 3 varietals; Syrah, Granache and Mourvedre with additions of Merlot, Carignan and Brun Argenté.

The region is divided in 2 between the North and the South. The wine that I drank tonight was from the Southern Rhone, close to Chateau Neuf du Pape. The South is hotter than the north and that reflects on the wines. They will be earthier, warmer and slightly more alcoholic.

a nice glass of red

The vines are trained to grow in short bush like rows, low to the ground, so they will not get damaged by the harsh winds that blow from the Sea. The wind even has a specific name; Minstral.

Xavier Cotes Du Rhone 100% (Xavier) 2012 is a Grenache dominated blend. With flavours of dark fruits like blackberry and plum, herbs and spice. It's full bodied and bold with dry mellow tannins.

This is a big wine. The alcohol is 14.5%, so it is heavy and will end up being very good with food. It should be decanted. It should breath. It needs time to get out of the little area it's been sitting in for years. I guarantee if you get it out and let it breathe, it will be all the better.

Try it with grilled meat like beef and lamb or serve with a lighter style of goat cheese, to balance the bold flavours and tannin of the wine

Take a look in the vintages section next time you are there and grab a bottle. It won't be there forever, so grab a bottle while you can!