Into the Rhône

A good year to break through, by John Livingstone-Learmonth

The Rhône Valley has faced tough conditions in recent vintages. Here, John Livingstone-Learmonth offers his detailed guide to the region and its best-performing estates.

On its route south through France, the Rhône becomes a valley of two landscapes, two mentalities, two wine styles. The north, running from just below Lyon to Valence, is marked by severe hills that cluster close to the river. The rock origins are largely fed by the Massif Central’s granite, a root it shares with the Beaujolais north of Lyon. Syrah, its red wine variety, grows near the northern limit of its ripening. This places a healthy demand on its vigour that is shared by the Pinot Noir in Burgundy. The wines are dark, full of black berry fruits and show evident tannins when young.

The south of the Rhône is a different world: a world of open spaces and long rows of vines stretching as far as the eye can see. The geological influences are Mediterranean and Alpine, the most prominent feature being the pale alluvion stones that are spread across many of the vineyards. Tractor work is the custom here, the word ‘irrigation’ exists under strict ruling in some places, and the main variety, Grenache, provides wines of inherent warmth and softness, high in alcohol and low in colour.

Recent very hot vintages like 2003 have tested growers in both areas, although by definition the south handled the 2003 conditions better. The northern 2003s have been acclaimed by many critics, led by the American press pack, but there is a question about the wines’ stability for the future – low acidity levels, high alcohol and tannins that are on the dry side is not a mix that represents the magic word ‘balance’. The wines pack a punch and are dense, but that alone does not constitute a great vintage.
The most noble terroirs performed best in the southern Rhône in 2003, led by Châteauneuf-du- Pape. Again, these are wines in which baked flavours are the feature, with plenty of power teetering on the brink of excess, that can spill over into hot finishes and a spirity thread through the palate. Among the lesser wines, Côtes du Rhône reds at 15.5° are not my idea of fun drinking. Longevity is not a word that springs to mind for these southern wines, but short-term, some will drink deliciously, with their fruit lozenge aspect especially appealing. They will turn towards a gamey, earthy make-up without having ever possessed a cleanly fruited phase.

2004

2004 is much more the dish. Here there exists balance, freshly cut fruit, definition. Ah, ‘balance’, ‘subtlety’ – words gone missing from the wine lexicon these past years. The vintage was helped along by well-timed rainfall in August and early September, followed, much in the vein of 2001, by a super September and a gradual, steady ripening. Growers said the constant high pressure gave them free choice about when to harvest, instead of the stop-start they experienced a year later in September 2005. The southern Rhône reds of 2004 are more naturally ample than the northern wines, and their measured fullness will render them highly enjoyable to drink from early on, with the bonus of consistent, graceful ageing as well.

François Perrin of the leading Château de Beaucastel at Châteauneuf-du-Pape finds 2004 is better than 2003: “we had fresher nights and the wines are more gourmand, with a velvet side to them.” Daniel Coulon at the very good Châteauneuf Domaine de Beaurenard reflects that “2004 was when we picked the Grenache in the third week of September, not at all early. It reminds me of 2001’s deep-seated maturity with the freshness and fruit shown by the 1978s when they were young.”

The August rain meant that ripening in the northern Rhône was a more precarious business, perhaps explaining why the 2004 northern Rhône Syrahs have taken more time to come together, and why they do not possess the vintage roundness of the southern Rhônes. For them, ageing will be a slow-burn process, with the top names likely to develop over a good six years or more before their elements fuse coherently.

Excess production (or dropping demand, if you want to turn it round) is the single prevailing issue in the minds of most French growers, so breaking into the ranks of the recognised domaines has never been harder. However, across the Rhône, there are several estates that have started to come forward, and some that have confirmed their arrival in the front ranks.

Côte-Rôtie

At Côte-Rôtie, I would rate the Domaine Clusel- Roch as now established at the top table; Gilbert Clusel and Brigitte Roch work nearly four hectares with great care and their wines carry a beautiful fruit purity. The site-specific Les Grandes Places, made from 1935 Syrah on the mica-schist, is a wine of tight-knit elegance and length, with more stuffing than the cool-fruited classic cuvée.

Other developing names at Côte-Rôtie are the Bonnefond brothers from the northern, schist soil sector and the Bernard brothers from the rotted granite soils of the southern sector. Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond work the wines harder in the cellar than Clusel-Roch, but their sites are good and their approach dedicated. The classic is a wine to enjoy for its direct appeal, while the top plot-specific Les Rochains, made from 1955 Syrah, is an earthy, rich wine of growing stature.

Frédéric and Stéphane Bernard took over their domaine from father Guy in 2000. As the fourth generation, they have vineyards dating from the 1950s, notably their Coteaux de Semons that supplies the Syrah for their Côte-Rôtie Vieilles Vignes. This is often marked by blackberry flavours and stands some way clear of their classic Côte- Rôtie. Again, the labour of previous generations has played a key role in the domaine’s burgeoning development.

Condrieu

At Condrieu, a name for the future is Francois Merlin, a dedicated grower who has gradually assembled his domaine, with a sound St-Joseph as well. The Merlin wines are made in a clean, unhurried way and fruit purity is central to their appeal. Also showing very well at Condrieu recently has been Christophe Pichon, to join the established front-runners like André Perret and the Domaine Georges Vernay. Perret opts for a more opulent style; Vernay for accomplished fruit and greater delicacy. The Vernay Coteau de Vernon remains the most grandiose and long-lived of Condrieus – the 1983 is 2004 is much more the dish. Here there exists balance, freshly cut fruit, definition. Ah, ‘balance’, ‘subtlety’ – words gone missing from the wine lexicon these past years still in fine form, for instance.

St-Joseph

The straggling appellation of St-Joseph is around 40 miles long and splits into a northern and southern area. The north’s wines reflect black fruits that carry a little austerity except in the hottest or latest ripening vintages, while the southern wines are more inclined towards red fruits and softer textures. Names emerging here include the Domaine Monier, La Ferme des Sept Lunes – both organic, both previously at the Cave de Saint-Désirat – as well as Emmanuel Barou and Etienne Becheras. All these domaines make wines in the natural, unforced way.

Cornas

Cornas is an appellation where winemaking has improved substantially over the past 10 years. In 2000, I preferred many of the Cornas to Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage, where the struggle to achieve tannic definition was remarked upon by Jean-Louis Chave. The Cornas panorama is pretty constant, still led by the magnificent Domaine Auguste Clape, with strong support from the likes of Robert Michel and Thiérry Allemand. A young face to watch here is Vincent Paris, the nephew of Robert Michel, while Matthieu Barret, an organic producer, is set to take over the Jean Lionnet vineyard in 2006.

Crozes-Hermitage

At Crozes-Hermitage, two young faces with assured promise are Alain Graillot’s son, Maxime, who made a stylishly fruited 2004, and Emmanuel Darnaud, who has achieved clear and steady progress since his first vintage in 2001. Newcomers from Paris, and settled in the northern, more granite sector of Crozes, are Jean-Pierre and Hélène Mucyn of Domaine La Batellerie; their first vintages have shown distinct promise. Crozes is becoming an appellation where money has been talking recently, with the Chéron family of Pascal Frères in Burgundy and Vacqueyras snapping up a couple of local domaines and the Domaine Collonge rumoured to have been sold to a member of the Paul Jaboulet family. Red Crozes’ easy fruit and its early drinking qualities are obvious reasons for such deals – it is a wine that generates ready cash flow.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape enjoyed a great vintage in 2001 and a disaster in 2002 with all the flooding. The 2003s are warm, well-packed wines, with 2004 shaping up to be a more complex year. Some new names appearing here include Daniel Stehelin at Château Mont-Thabor, a most unassuming man whose five hectare estate in the east of the appellation has made full, honest wines of character in 2004, 2003 and 2001, based around 70 per cent Grenache. Also in evidence is the newly shaken-up Domaine Saint-Préfert in the southern zone, where the wines usually work more on elegance than hearty power – neighbours are Château de la Gardine and Domaine Chante-Perdrix. Here the eye-catching Isabel Ferrando has made cleanly fruited, stylish reds, the classic Auguste Favier 80 per cent Grenache and only vat-raised, the 60 per cent Grenache/40 per cent Mourvèdre Charles Giraud a rare clear-cut wine in 2003.

Also confirming the promise of recent years at Châteauneuf are Baptiste and Dominique Grangeon at Domaine de Cristia – successful 2003s and one of the better 2002s – and the Domaine Giraud, run by Marie and François Giraud, both in their twenties. The Tradition Giraud was their only red in 2003, showing heart and ripeness without excess, while the 2001 Les Gallimardes, from 80-100 year vines in the southern sector, was a winner, with true local feel, mixing freshness and power. Another reviving domaine under Olivier Hillaire is the Domaine des Relagnes, for years a steady, not very inspiring second ranker. Quality is consistent across all the wines from this 10.5 hectare estate, with the special Cuvée Vigneronne and limited release Les Petits

Recommended Buys

2003 Côte-Rôtie Clusel Roch
£23.50, Vinetrail.

2003 St-Joseph red E Becheras Le Prieuré d'Arras
£10.95, Stone Vine & Sun.

2003 Cornas Renaissance A Clape
£22.50, Yapp Brothers.

2004 vin de pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier Y Cuilleron
£13.50, Berry Brothers & Rudd, Uncorked.

2001 Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes Domaine de la Vieille Julienne
£10.50, OW Loeb.

2003 Côtes du Rhône Villages Vincent de Catari red Domaine Fond Croze
£6.95, Stone Vine & Sun.

2003 Vacqueyras Arnoux et Fils
£6.99, Whitebridge Wines.

2003 Gigondas Domaine de la Bouïssière La Font de Tonin
£17.50, Charles Taylor Wines.

2003 Gigondas Domaine du Cayron
£15.99, Adnams.

2003 Lirac red Frédéric Zobel
£8.00, Charles Taylor Wines.

2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape red Château Mont-Thabor
£22.00, Siegel Wine Agencies.

2003 Châteauneuf-du-Pape red Domaine Saint Préfert Auguste Favier
£17.50, Charles Taylor Wines.

This article is an extract from Issue 4 of Fine Expressions. To enjoy our entire magazine, we encourage you to buy a copy.