Into the valley

On these long, cold winter nights, especially in the run-up to Christmas, there is nothing better than curling up in front of a fire with a glass of wine from the region that seems to pack its own form of central heating, the Rhône.

This part of France has provided us with flavoursome drinking for centuries, but in the last decade, with the rush to identify wine flavours by single grape varieties, the Rhne has been overlooked while the brasher, upfront fruity flavours of Aussie Shiraz dominated the shelves. Now the Rhne seems to have sharpened up its act and there is a new collection of wines which pack flavour and spice with French style and delicious food-friendliness.

In wine terms, the most important part of the Rhne Valley starts just south of Lyon and stretches, apart from a small gap in the middle, around 200 km to the historic town of Avignon. With Syrah as the main attraction, bolstered by large dollops of Grenache, Mourvdre, Cinsault and others, the wines gather deep plummy flavours, with occasional layers of spice, chocolate and pepper. Depending on quality, a Rhne wine can be a good value winter glugger or it can take its place alongside a grand dinner, adding depth of flavour and complexity to the meal.

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Ctes du Rhne is the catch-all name for vast quantities of wine which comes mainly from the southern end of the region. As a generic style there are some wines that are a complete disappointment, lacking the rich, fruity warmth that should be in the bottle, but at a recent tasting I was impressed by Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Ctes du Rhne 2009. Made by Chapoutier, one of the Rhne's top producers, it combines the robust briary aromas of Grenache with a serious streak of peppery Syrah and deep-flavoured Mourvdre at a modest 5.99. Majestic has another good quality Ctes du Rhne from Perrin, one of the other top names of this region. This is the same family that owns Ch. Beaucastel in Chteauneuf-du-Pape and the Reserve Rouge 2009, Ctes du Rhne (6.99 on multibuy) has deep, damson fruit with spice and concentration.

The wine buyers at Waitrose have also been shopping at Perrin and now there are stocks of Vinsobres "Les Cornuds" 2009 (9.99) on the shelves of our local stores. The village of Vinsobres used to come under the Ctes-du-Rhne Villages designation but now it has its own appellation. The 50:50 blend of Grenache and Syrah gives deep raspberry fruit with darker savoury notes adding depth and structure to the wine. This will partner a substantial winter dish of beef, lamb or spicy sausages.

Cairanne is another village which gained its own appellation some years ago and its deeper soils and warm microclimate provides a softer style with clear aromatics and supple tannins. Waitrose has the Reserve des Hospitaliers 2007 (8.99) which shows its quality in deep morello cherry fruit, chocolate and a touch of clove adding spice on the finish. It is big enough to partner a rich winter casserole or roast meats.

Tucked at the base of the dramatic, rugged mountains called the Dentelles de Montmirail, Gigondas was one of the first villages to be picked out for the quality of its wines, escaping from the basic Ctes du Rhne designation and achieving its own appellation 40 ye ars ago. Now it has settled down to quality production using substantial amounts of Grenache, with Syrah and Mourvdre adding spice and depth.

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As part of Majestic's focus on Rhne wines, prices have dropped when you buy more than two bottles. This brings Domaine Notre Dame des Pallires 2007, Gigondas is down from 12.49 to 9.99 which is great value for such a damson-loaded, spice-driven wine. I tasted this before it went into the offer and thought it well worth its full price. At Tesco, under their own Tesco Finest range, Gigondas 2008 (12.49) scored top marks for its dark, plummy Grenache-rich blend. Moving further up the Rhne valley the river curves round the steep hill of Hermitage. Here Syrah rules supreme, producing intense, dark wines that take years to emerge from their tannic shell. These are terrific wines, but for affordability and earlier drinkablity look for Crozes Hermitage, which comes from the surrounding area. Sainsbury scores well for its Taste the Difference Crozes Hermitage 2009 (8.49) sourced from Chapoutier. This is structured and elegant, packed with peppery fruit and ready for drinking now, but will also last well into next year.

Ready to drink is Crozes Hermitage, Domaine Collonge 2007 (10.99) from Marks & Spencer from Philippe and Vincent Jaboulet. Their winemaking skills have given it clear, pure red fruit, dusted with spice and supple tannins which will accompany game and full-flavoured cheese.

Also from the Jaboulet stable and another year older, Majestic's offer on Rhne wines proves irresistible with Les Jalets 2006 Crozes Hermitage. This still has the peppery fruit typical of Rhne Syrah, but its age has taken it into a meaty, savoury direction, with flavours that seem to wake up and stretch as you swirl the glass. Normally 12.49, it comes down to 9.99 on multibuy.

If you haven't tried a Crozes Hermitage before then the Morrisons version, Les Brunelles 2008 from Ogier (8.49) is a good place to start, with black fruit aromas, soft tannins, a layer of white pepper and a sprinkle of spice.

YP MAG 20/11/10

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