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Last week, we covered the industrious little town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a hamlet charged with supplying wine for popes of southern France. This week its time to move north up the Rhône and look at some producers charged with supplying the culinary town of Lyon with its pairable reds and floral whites.
Aptly referred to as the Northern Rhône, this area is the vine-stretched and steeply inclined hills from Vienne to Valence in the south. Today this area differs from its southern counterparts in that, most notably, the Northern Rhône is far more dispersed, rural and surprisingly less well known than places like Châteauneuf or Gigondas. And that’s a shame, because these wines are looked at as having a lot more of a rustic charm to them, and artisanship. Despite the saving graces of labels like Jaboulet-Ainé, Delas, or Guigal offering some notoriety to the area, this region goes largely neglected by the public.
This tends to fly in the face of current trends in wine which favor small, family-owned, and, more importantly, sustainable wines. Thus, outside of the three aforementioned negotiantes, this area remained largely family producers in a very rural setting making humble, and interesting wines, at often affordable prices. A bottle of the most prestigious appellations here from the most prestigious makers, say Delas, Domaine des Tourettes, can sell for only one hundred dollars. Not that that is cheap, or rather, cheaper than Châteauneuf, but for a region whose auspices seem to harbor the vigneronic clout of Burgundy, whose finer parcels can sell for over a thousand dollars, and relinquish far less complexity, this region is offering bait of a deal, especially considering the difficulties of working these parcels.
The Mistral Wind is notably stronger in this narrow alleyway of vines which are strewn around the tall hills surrounding the valley of the Rhône. Because of the colder climate and higher general elevation, these vineyards are dangerous to work and have been known to kill the ill prepared vineyard worker. The rocks that firmly hold the vines in place are not by any means easier to climb, and the best parcels of land have southern exposures for all-day sunlight to allow for ripening of the grapes.
The vine first showed up here about 600BC, the product of the Romans. Whether it was necessarily Syrah which was being cultivated is unknown. But Syrah is the regional specialty when it comes to the Northern Rhône. Grenache and Mourvèdre struggle to ripen, and are not allowed by any of the appellations here. Syrah is assisted in ripening by the temperature-regulation and humidity caused by the Rhône, which will continue to flow south until finally during out into the sea in nearby Provence.
Perhaps the most noteworthy appellation to be considered and mentioned is Hermitage. This area has been the epicenter for fine wine in the Northern Rhône and has a name almost as recognizable as Châteauneuf, because this appellation was also used as Vin de Medicene to strengthen the reds Bordeaux and Burgundy. This is an incredible feat for an appellation that is owned by several producers, yet shares roughly the same landmass under vine as Château Lafite-Rotheschild.
The etymology of the name Hermitage comes from the French word for hermit. Hermitage means hermit’s hill. It refers to the knight Gaspard de Stérimberg, who fought valiantly in the Albigensian crusades and requested that a chapel be built for his refuge on the top of the hill near the village of Tain and neighboring Tournon. The chapel was a tribute to Saint Cristopher, and overlooks the Rhône river. A modern reproduction stands today just at the top where the original once stood, owned by Paul Jaboulet-Ainé. In the ever-romantic lore of the land, he is credited with bringing Syrah from the ancient town of Shiraz in Iran back to the Rhône valley. DNA analysis confirmed recently that Syrah is actually native to the Saint Joseph area, some thirty miles south of Hermitage.
The mica schist soils are fairly uniform on the hill, and vineyards map from the east to west along the banks of the river. The soils are well draining, and the area is nowhere near as steep as some of the others in the Northern Rhône but notably has been making some of the most highly regarded wines in the world. It’s not an extraordinarily tall hill and the collapsing soils below are good for wine minerality, as obviously the water table is not very high. It’s also quite a lot warmer here than in other appellations owing to lower humidity, and greater sun exposure.
Despite the propensity of red wines, and their extreme sense of authority in the area sorrowing Tain-Hermitage, the area bottles white wines of Marsanne and Rousanne. These two staple grapes are also allowed to be added to the red wines, to deliver aromas of perfume and floral characteristics from these more aromatic varietals, though this is rarely used by most winemakers in Hermitage, and very few plots of white grapes exists. They tend to do so on less desirable plots for Syrah, those being more north-facing slopes that will help white grapes retain some acidity for Hermitage blanc.
The hill is broken down into a lot of very famous parcels, Les Bassards is one of them. Delas owns a large majority of this particular vineyard and it contains a high proportion of alluvial, fertile deposits. Domaine des Tourette’s Hermitage is a domaine owned by Delas Frérès that constitutes three parcels, including this very famous one, and another parcel called L’ermite, which is where the finest wines are known to be made.
The wine is warm, smooth and drinks very nicely. Noticeably, there is a strong sense of mineral I this particular wine, which is reminiscent of carbonated water. It it still a very full-flavor and fruit-forward wine. Sour huckleberry underlies rich ripe red cherry, and some blackberry syrup. This wine has flavors of lilac and smoked cedar as well, with gleaning hints of prosciutto, and fresh rosemary, and tarragon. Some aromas of leather, and shoepolish add a note earthiness to this wine as well. Though expensive, this is a wine worth splurging on, as it can make a great intro to the Northern Rhône region.
Wines made in the surrounding hills are called Crozes-Hermitage and they can range in quality. One major issue that this area suffers from is the dilution of the names on the bottle. Years and years of brawl by major winemakers looking to crack into different marketable plriceponts has lead to some appellations being blown up with a bike pump over the last seventy years. This has not been good for regional reputations, as appellations like Saint Joseph, and Crozes-Hermitage as these two have been pushed way out of their original appellation boundaries to some areas that are not even suitable for wine production.
That is why, like in any region, knowing reputable producers is important. Capoutier, Delas, Guigal, and Ainé are all famous for making incredible wines of distinct value in both appellations, and are always recommended as crowd pleasing, well made takes on these appellations. There are others too, it’s just important to be weary. Southern facing plots here are blended with westerly plots which tend to reside more in the acidic underpinnings of flavor, and can make awesome food wines. Fruit expression will hampered. When a wine is made well here, it can compete with some of the best from Hermitage.
On the other bank of the river is the full bodied brooding Cornas, producing the most muscular wines in the Northern Rhône. These are all Syrah as well, but notably a different breed. Not literally, but the winemaking styles in this much hotter climate lead to wines of incredible distinction from the rest of the Rhône. Often easterly aspects are sought out by those familiar with the region just to keep the rough, brooding character of Cornas to a minimum. But those who love this appellation love it. It is definitely a great pairing for barbecue, and heavier meats.
The wines of Cornas are grown in a land that etymologically means scorched earth. Unlike some of the other appellations, due to the way that corners sits on the Rhône, vineyards are essentially totally shielded from the winds of the Mistral and the alpine breezes that serve to keep the other grapes ripening longer in Hermitage. This means harvest can take place nearly a week earlier in Cornas. Wines grow at about four hundred meters above e the sea, so you have the same types of slopes, and curves as seen throughout the Northern Rhône.
Vines can be found strewn about the iron rich, sand and limestone hill that stretch out over the Rhône, and they are notably all Syrah. It is not acceptable by law to integrate white wine grapes into the blend of red wine grapes here in Cornas, as it is in Hermitage. Finely interspersed clays are common that cool the roots and supply water, but soils are mostly well draining, leading to brooding, full-force Syrah wines of incredible muscularity. Some winemakers are experimenting with different types of oak, but the majority are using old French oak barrels, similar to the ones found in Hermitage. These wines are slightly more affordable than Hermitage, but better value, and better suited to some age than Crozes-Hermitage often is.
Moving up north, Côte-Rôtie, is making some of the most celebrated reds in the region ever since the awe-inspiring negotiate house of Guigal, owned by Marcel Guigal, began producing single-vineyard bottling of the LaLa wines, These are La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque. These really the bottles that launched the region into success. Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate had spent extensive time writing bout these then-affordable wines, and other members of the press began to acknowledge their incredible drinkability, and ageworthiness.
Prior to the fame of these single-parcel bottling, the first of which was La Mouline in 1966, Côte-Rotie was no competitor to Hermitage, which had a lasting and important reputation of the wine stage. But this all changed with the advent of quality-minded operations who began to make something of their terroir. All of Guigal's finer wines are made from owned estates, and maintained by their vignerons, as opposed to the more widely available wines which are made from purchased grapes.
Côte-Rôtie experiences the full but force of the Mistral wind, and suffers the wide-ranging effects of losing vines and parcels due to them. Not being tied down well enough. Vines are trained on Côte-Rôtie in the echalas method, which makes them look like a small coniferous forest of what are essentially tied down by wires, and trained similar to a low goblet on stakes, which strengthens the trunk, and helps to hold the vines in the ground. The slopes are difficult to work and require a steady hand. All grapes need to be hand-harvested, getting machines, up here would be impossible.
Côte-Rôtie means, roasted slope, and this is an illusion to the warmth of the slope and its all-day sun exposure which they see. This can help soften tannins and make the wines more pleasant and enjoyable. Côte-Rotie is divided into two plots, referred to as the Côte Brune, and Côte Blond, brown slope, blond slope. These titles are aptly given as the brown silicate iron-rich, heavy eroding, schistous rock of the Côte-Brune. This area is planted on top of a dark-brown colored soil which produces wines of intensity, and aromatics. These wines are known to age gracefully.
The Côte Blond is made up of the villages south of Ampuis and carries lighter soils of granite based schist, and sand. These well draining soils make for wines that are richer in fruit and will drink very easily. They are softer and more vinuous prized for their layers of nuance. They are delicious wines with greater minerality, far more focus, and tend to exhibit blue-fruit character as well.
Part of what makes these wines so aromatic is their colder climate growing area, and their use of blended white wines. Côte-Rôtie growers will intersperse maceration of the aromatic white Viognier grape from nearby Condrieu in with their Syrah, and blend this together. They are allowed to use up to twenty percent of this white grape in their overall cépage. White grapes add darker red color, and savory aromatics when blended with red grapes, interestingly.
One fantastic example of a blend of both of these plots, the Côte Brune and Blond, is Guigal’s Côte-Rotie Brune et Blond. It’s a really thrilling Syrah with only about four percent of the blend consisting of Viognier. The wine has a deep, rich color and a lot of fresh red fruit, specifically plum and blackberry, with some ripe red cherry. There is a lovely polished leather smell which gives way to old oak, and perhaps hints of straw. I also noticed a really endearing smoke-like characteristic with this wine which added to some of the more organic flavors present. Overall an incredible expression of the Côte-Rotie, and one that is truly classic, by that.
By now I’ve alluded to a few white grapes grown in the region, the most predominant and important being the floral and aromatic Viognier, that is unlike any other wine in the world. This incredible grape is so honeyed and well perfumed, and expresses its place of origin so nicely that it is often a favorite of wine journalists, and new wold vintners alike. Viognier is native to the areas surrounding the Rhône valley, but may come from further south than first thought. It seems to share some relationship genetically to the aromatic red grape, Nebbiolo, but that is still uncertain.
The appellation that made Viognier famous around the world is Condrieu, to the immediate south of Côte-Rôtie. The name refers to an appellation that is around the corner of the stream from the roasted slope. Soils here are a gneiss harboring greater consistency than the schistous rock found elsewhere. The aspect in condrieu contributes to wines of incredibly density. Viognier is not only floral, but is extremely firm and mouth filling with aromas of honeysuckle. Almost all the soils are extremely well draining, but have an underbelly of clay that keeps the vines cool.
As with all the appellations in the northern Rhône, a heavy bed of schist, or in this case, genius is needed to conceal the roots from the dangerous southerly winds that blow from the alps down to the Côte d’Azur. The combination of wind and steep slopes can mean erosion is a problem here as well, and vines often need to be carried back up the hill and placed on their trellises.
Through wines here are not necessarily sweet, they have a sweetness to them that comes from their aromatics and weight. Though obviously any wine with weight will have likely increased amounts of sugar, the striking aromas of honey, chamomile, and lilly can sometimes obfuscate the fact that the majority of wines made in Condrieu are actually dry. There are some producers that will make a late harvest wine in appropriate vintages, but typicity here calls for dry styles of intense complexity.
Louis Chèze is a family-owned winery that produces not only incredible, noteworthy wines in Côte-Rôtie, but whites of Condrieu as well. His very affordable Condrieu Pagus Luminis is a fantastic first step into the world of Northern Rhône wine. Not too austere, but not overly nuanced, this wine strikes the balance perfectly of a refreshing, but incredibly appetizing representation of typicity of for the region. It’s made from twent-five year old vines on the top of the hill at the bend of the Rhône with incredible precision, and features fruit that is lively and fresh. Apricots, mandarin orange, white Lilly, chamomile and honey are rolled into a beautiful bouquet and served on a smooth, palatable but mouth filling plate of lavender and vanilla. This is an amazing wine to check out if you’ve never had Viognier, and very good value as well.
Château Grillet is not just a producer of mention, but like Clos De La Coulée de Serrant of Savennières, Grillet has its own appellation which exists just to the north of the larger Condrieu, and their Viognier is of the highest level of quality possible. This separate AOC was officially created in 1936, and rests on the high south-facing foothills on the Northern most banks of the Rhône. This added sunlight ensures that the Viognier here is something special. All day exposure at optimal aspect, and well-draining soils of schist and mica, ensure that there is a ton of fruit, with a balance of mineral and organic tertiary characteristics, that make these wines unique, and deserving of their AOC.
Vines here are some of the oldest in the Rhône, at forty years. This makes a big difference for when these wines are being produced, as it means the yields are low, supply is harder to come by, but most importantly, the wine is concentrated and delicious, deserving of its reputation. Grillet produces a style of even stickier, more dynamic and less green Viognier in this strictly white-wine appellation, one with often a lot more to say that can age even longer than Condrieu. They are kept in thin, Burgundy-like bottles, used nowhere else in the world, giving them an aura of importance and desirability in accordance with their price.
That's all,
~K