Rhône 2021 – an overview of the south

Clouds over Chateauneuf

We kick off our particularly comprehensive review of a thoroughly atypical vintage that was smaller, lighter, but sometimes more obviously tannic, than usual with this summary of the south. About 900 tasting notes to come. Ali will be picking out the plums. See our guide to Rhône 2021.

The southern Rhône has been on a roll for some time now. The 2021 vintage comes after a string of successful vintages that have been (generally speaking) characterised by hot conditions and somewhat precocious ripening. Things had to change at some point, but few could have expected the seismic differences and challenges...