Southern Rhone

One of the world's top 10 best known wine brands, Guigal is the producer of this incredibly smooth, spicy, soft and delicious full bodied red Cotes du Rhone. At least 4 million bottles of this wine are made in a good year and as it is aged for three years  minimum in Guigal?s wine cellars, there are about 12 million bottles of Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge in Guigal's cellars at any one time, either fermenting or maturing.

All of the grapes are grown and bought in from 850 growers in the Rhone Valley and while this is a vast amount of external input, all of the wine production from fermentation to ageing, bottling and marketing is done by the Guigal family. 

This blend is approximately 55% Syrah with smaller proportions of Grenache and Mourvedre to add roundness to the wine, which is softened out by the three year ageing process in Ampuis, in the Northern Rhone, which is the Guigal family's winemaking headquarters.

This wine has biodynamic certification with Demeter and is a dark and complex dry red made from 50% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre and 25% Syrah. It's from the Lirac appellation in the southern Rhone Valley, which is famous for its high quality reds as well as dry pale ros?s.

Excellent value red from Domaine De La Charbonniere, with Grenache leading the way in this full bodied beauty, which is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah.

The Domaine de la Charbonniere is owned by Eugene Maret, who owns 19 hectares in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, nearly six hectares in Vacqueryas and two hectares in the Cotes du Rhone appellation.

This is an outstanding Cotes du Rhone red with body to burn and flavours of approachable, soft and smooth spicy red fruit notes supported by a tannin structure of impressive velvet smooth framework and complex savoury, clean notes on the finish.

This is a blend of predominantly Viognier and Marsanne made by highly regarded Rhone producer, E. Guigal. Bright golden in the glass, with aromas of white flowers, ripe apricot and peach. On the palate, the wine is rich and full bodied, with intense yet balanced fruitiness. This wine punches above its weight in elegance and richness.

If Cotes du Rhone reds haven't made their way onto your wine drinking radar yet, then now's the perfect time because many of the 2016 wines are still available on the market and it's a vintage that rocks. This wine is made by the Sabon family, who have carved a name for themselves as high quality producers of great Ch?teauneuf-du-Pape. This red is made from the hills of the surrounding southern Rhone Valley from a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourv?dre and 10% Syrah.
This crowd pleaser drinks beautifully now but undoubtedly has eight to nine years of aging and evolution up its vinous sleeve.

Sourced exclusively from 2 family farms that are increasingly practicing sustainable farming. Most of the fruit is sourced from the right bank of the Rhone River. This blend of Grenache and Syrah offers aromas of wild berries, white pepper and cherries. Rich red fruit on the palate. Medium-bodied with a lightly textured style.

This cuvee is made up of a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, from the Garrigues plateau located near the village of Sarrians. This wine is highly perfumed with aromas of ripe red berries and smoky minerality. The generous palate offers intense red berry and lavender flavors and a touch of white pepper.

Domaine de Beaurenard is family owned and operated (over seven generations) and is one of the leading estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The Coulon brothers, Daniel and Frederic, have taken over from Paul and Regine, and craft some of the most fruity, charming and supple wines of the whole Appellation. With the modernization of the cellars in the late 80s, the quality of the wines has gone from excellent to often exceptional - and the vineyards are now organic and biodynamic.

All 13 of the permitted grape varieties are used here including some vines so old they’re not sure of the variety. Terrific stuff.

Good value and delicious flavours are the name of the Cote du Rhone game and this southern French red over delivers, big time. It's a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourv?dre. All grapes were fully destemmed and fermentation took place in temperature controlled concrete tanks, with 25 days of maceration. Gentle pumping over followed by maturation in concrete tank defines the traditional vinification of this lovely, lively, fleshy dry red. Great buying.

Southern Rhone white blends offer great value for money and this wine is no exception, thanks to the complexity that the grapes each bring to this fleshy ablend, made from 60% Clairette, 30% Viognier and 10% Grenache Blanc. Fermentation is in thermo-regulated stainless-steel vats and there is no malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged 6 months in stainless steel on lees before bottling. Very tasty, expressive white with flavours of ripe peach, a full body and lingering finish.

70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourv?dre from the Rhone. A rich, well structured wine. Full of plum and stewed fruit aromas. No oak results in pure fruit expression on the palate. 

This Gigondas by Domaine Espiers is deep, rich and fruity. The nose is complex and savoury, with black olive and pepper notes held together by a ripe dark fruit backdrop. The palate reveals a ripe, layered wine with mild tannins and a long finish.

From the Cairanne sub-region in the Cotes du Rhone. This is a powerful yet nuanced wine with an excellent smoothness. This Cote du Rhone is defined by its ripe fruit character and peppery spice. Excellent concentration and earthiness makes for a complex, satisfying red.

This is one of our favourite C?tes du Rh?ne villages wines, thanks to being a great producer and a complex blend of grapes, including 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. This lovely blend provides this wine with its dark colour, deep rich concentrated fruit flavours and impressive structure. All of which makes Cassagnes de la Nerthe a wine to age as well as to enjoy right now.

It is made from grapes grown in S?rignan du Comtat, 20 kilometres north of Ch?teauneuf du Pape. 

This is a top wine from an excellent producer - worth keeping or enjoying. Better still, buy a case of it and do both. 

Sang des Cailloux Vacqueryas is a labour of love and tastes like it. It's a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and Cinsault and named after the daughters of Serge Férigoule: Floureto, Doucinello, and Azalaïs. 

All grapes are hand harvested and fermented with natural yeasts in cement cuves with daily pumpovers then moved into 450 litre barrels for 12 months' maturation before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

This is a delicious, full bodied dry red from one of the great appellations of the Southern Rhone Valley in France.