See Our collected works – a guide.
This collection of tasting notes on Rhône wines currently in circulation illustrates sharply how different are the wines from the two halves of the Rhône Valley. The less successful wines from the northern and southern Rhône tend respectively to be either too thin or too evolved – although Brettanomyces can affect any Rhône wine, it would seem.
Wines are listed in declining score order, which should make it relatively easy to pick out the bargains.
WHITE
16.5
/20
White
95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne. Caramel, ginger, stone fruit, cream – lots of authentic flavour here. Long peachy finish. Something almost autolytic too? (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2013
–
2015
Price: £22 Laithwaites
White
Juicy, ripe, nutty. Very slack acidity – it could really use a bit more zing, I think. Nonetheless, this is pleasant and typically Rhôney in style. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2013
–
2015
16.5
/20
White
Lovely stone fruit and some hay character, quite light-bodied and low in acid, but plenty of interesting flavour. (RH)
Drink:
2013
–
2014
Price: £19.75 Yapp Brothers
15.5
/20
White
Fresh, nutty, a little bit of applemint or menthol – possibly even elastoplast – quite a daring, unusual style. Pleasantly different. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2013
–
2015
Price: £11 Theatre of Wine
16.5
/20
White
Minty, peachy, with quite a bit of exotic spicing – really quite unconventional flavours. Very low acid, very broad palate. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2013
–
2015
Price: £41 Theatre of Wine
White
Loads of soapy, apricot fruit, cream and peach slices. Great flavour, but low acid and not hugely complex. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2015
Price: £34 Swig
RED
Red
Rich, fragrant and quite brett-heavy on the nose. Pure black pepper on the palate. Medicinal notes. Full on power. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2013
–
2020
Price: £45 Laithwaites
Red
Fragrant, lifted character with a little volatility – reminds me of Amarone in some ways – which comes to dominate the palate, actually, and I think it would get tiring after a glass. (RH)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2013
–
2018
Price: £53 Laithwaites
Red
55% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre. Honest, meaty Grenache character. Minty, succulent, rich but not overbearing. Spicy finish, lots of dried herb complexity. Long, peppery finish. Pushes all the right buttons. (RH)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2013
–
2020
Price: £26 Laithwaites
Red
Not sure I approve of this name – nor the price at €42 from the cellar door! Deep and rich and sweet but not over the top. Lots of chew – like a distillation of most decent Rasteaus but a bit tight. Very flattering though. (JR)
Alcohol: 15%
Drink:
2014
–
2019
Red
Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Sweet and simple on the nose. There's a little bit of gamey mercaptan on the nose. Pretty chewy. Shows how much more complex are the Boutinot 2010 Cairanne and Séguret, I'm afraid. Just a bit scrawny. A vintage thing? (JR)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2013
–
2016
Price: €7.70 ex cellar
Red
Unnecessarily heavy bottle (like its Séguret stablemate). A blend of Grenache, Syrah, old (of course!) Carignan and Mourvèdre. Aged in a mix of barriques and demi-muids with only a fifth in new oak. Dark, brooding crimson. Lifted nose, not too sweet. Quite a high-toned blend. Intriguing. Quite juicy at first and then a little drying on the finish. Distinctly 'stony'. Not yet ready. A little more ethereal than the Séguret. Definitely not playing the alcohol card! Quite refined. Definitely GV (JR)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2015
–
2020
Price: £14-15 Wide range of UK independent retailers
Red
Mainly Grenache with some Syrah, all at least 50 years old. Two years in used barriques with a quarter in new demi-muids. Hand picked, wild yeasts etc. Refined liquorice if such a thing exists. No heat on the finish. This is a wine that should continue to evolve and take on nuance for some time. Lots of juice and no excess sweetness or alcohol. It definitely has the corset of Syrah. Needs a bit of time. Very ambitious. I wouldn't say you would taste it and immediately think of schist. (JR)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2015
–
2020
Price: £12.50-14 Wide range of UK independent retailers
Red
Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. Arc du Rhône is named after the classified group of villages which together line up to form a geographical arc across the valley of the southern Rhône and is known locally as the ‘arc of gold’. At the southern tip of this arc stands the hill-top plateau of vineyards belonging to the most famous cru of the region: Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Winemaker Eric Monnin. TA 3.49 g/l, pH 3.46, RS 1.7 g/l.
Soft ruby. Sweet and ripe with a hint of citrus on the nose. Tannins already quite soft, some complexity from a savoury edge. Dryish finish. Overpriced and lacking generosity. (JH)
Soft ruby. Sweet and ripe with a hint of citrus on the nose. Tannins already quite soft, some complexity from a savoury edge. Dryish finish. Overpriced and lacking generosity. (JH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2013
–
2017
Price: £19.99 Waitrose
Red
Black, leathery, open and expressive, if a bit chewy and pinched on the palate. Hearty, rustic, traditional. (RH)
Drink:
2013
–
2014
Price: £12.95 Yapp Brothers
Red
Blackberry, white pepper, sweet spices. Gentle, rounded, fresh. (RH)
Drink:
2013
–
2015
Price: £21 Theatre of Wine
Red
Good purity and pepperiness. Fragrant, long persistence. Ticks all the boxes for style and typicality. (RH)
Drink:
2013
–
2016
Price: £16.40 Theatre of Wine
Red
Slinky, smooth, aromatic and open-knit. Supple tannins, moderate length. Not as impressive as you’d hope from the appellation? (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2013
–
2019
Price: £48 Swig
Red
Quite interesting, very aromatic in a rustic way – earthy, manure and perhaps a little bit of VA. Certainly very traditional! Strong, dense black fruit but it is just a bit too extreme for me. (RH)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2013
–
2018
Price: £20.70 The Sampler
Red
Proper black peppery spice and a lovely leathery complexity. Really pleasing, full, lengthy and meaty. (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2018
Price: £15.99 Sainsbury's
16.5 +
/20
Red
Lots of Viognier perfume – almost reminds me of those chillable Italian reds – then a solid dose of black fruit and pepper. Opulence vinified. Not much meatiness – but it is rather young. (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2013
–
2019
Price: £31.49 Tesco
Red
Very light and rather ordinary on the nose. Sweet but not at all intense. Dull. Sinewy. Not enough real fruit concentration. (JR)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2014
–
2017
Price: £13.49 Tesco
Red
Mid smudgy red. A little light and rank on the nose. Some richness but a bit awkward and stringy. (JR)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2014
–
2017
Price: £12.99 Tesco
Red
Dark ruby. Sumptuous nose with some evolution. Really rather majestic with richness and yet with a dry finish. This would be a excellent introduction to Hermitage even if it is a bit more evolved and much faster maturing than most. (JR)
Drink:
2013
–
2020
Price: £34.90 Justerini & Brooks
16
/20
Red
Layered dark ruby. Smudgy and interesting but a bit sweet and occluded in impact. Difficult to see the absolute purity of Hermitage in this wine. (JR)
Drink:
2015
–
2024
Price: £41.40 Justerini & Brooks
Red
Deep dark crimson. Fine and smooth and very appealing and correct without recourse to sweetness or oak. Just what St-Joseph should be – but is there the merest hint of reduction here? Juicy and appealing. GV (JR)
Drink:
2012
–
2017
Price: £18.40 Justerini & Brooks
16.5
/20
Red
Sweet and polished and pretty nectar-like. A bargain hint of Rayas? Very pure, sweet, just-not-jammy Grenache. Lots of fun. And no animal flavours at all. Very sweet; very transparent. GV (JR)
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £19.95 Lea & Sandeman
Red
Mid ruby. Very evolved. Dry finish. Quite tart. Correct but not much fruit or fun. (JR)
Drink:
2014
–
2018
Price: £18.28 Lea & Sandeman
16.5
/20
Red
Scented, liquorish and vital. Just a hint of black pepper but lots of fruit and energy and northern Rhône character. Some development. Complex and pretty. (JR)
Drink:
2010
–
2015
Price: £21.50 Lea & Sandeman
14.5
/20
Red
Evolved ruby. Sweet with a hint of Band-Aid – not a good sign. Not much fruit vitality on the palate. (JR)
Drink:
2011
–
2013
Price: £19 RRP
Red
Gamey spearmint on the nose. Lots of dramatic leather and interest. Almost a marmite wine. I like it! (JR)
Drink:
2011
–
2016
Price: £17 RRP
Red
Very dark crimson. Sweet, dramatic and winning. A bit flashy. Spicy and then very sandy and drying on the end. Not quite ready. (JR)
Drink:
2013
–
2017
Price: £15.28 Justerini & Brooks
Red
Mid crimson. Very dry. Solid and correct but too drying to be much fun. (JR)
Drink:
2014
–
2019
Price: £18.45 Berry Bros & Rudd
Red
Dark crimson. Intense ripe but dry Syrah. Quite flashy and dramatic. Dry finish. Lacking a bit of fruit. (JR)
Drink:
2014
–
2019
Price: £13.99 Waitrose
Red
Mid ruby with some brown. Very evolved nose indeed – not unpleasant! Lovely salty north Rhône character. Appetising and transparent. Medium weight. Appetising. (JR)
Drink:
2011
–
2015
Price: £17.99 Waitrose
16
/20
Red
Transparent blackish ruby. Light, rather animal nose. Very evolved tannins. Not very fresh but true to type! If you want full ripeness under a Provençal sun, this is your wine. (JR)
Drink:
2010
–
2016
Price: £22 RRP
16.5
/20
Red
Blackish ruby. Scented and rather clarety. Lively – some Syrah here? A very attractive whole that is dry rather than sweet. Appetising. Verging on severe but not. (JR)
Drink:
2012
–
2020
Price: £21.50 Lea & Sandeman
Red
Blackish crimson. A bit gamey, porty and overripe. Lacks freshness. Very droughty finish – uncomfortable. (JR)
Drink:
2013
–
2018
Price: £20 RRP
Red
Mid ruby. Light sweet treacly nose with very attractive transparency and development. Sufficient acidity to stop it being jammy. Lots of sweet strawberry pleasure. Fresh finish. Impressive persistence. (JR)
Drink:
2010
–
2015
Price: £13.50 Tanners
Red
Livid crimson. Attractively mellow nose. Round and spicy but not aggressively hot. Tough. Quite well mannered and delivers lots of pleasure. (JR)
Drink:
2012
–
2017
Price: £12 RRP
15
/20
Red
Very dark crimson. On the way to oxidation. Too much for me! Though there are some herby, and jammy, notes. Very dry finish. (JR)
Drink:
2010
–
2014
Price: £20.45 Berry Bros & Rudd
