THURSTQUEEN WORLD TOUR: THE SOUTHERN RHÔNE.

Welcome to the land of Châteauneuf de Pape.

Last week we discussed the Northern Rhône and all its glory. There were côtes on top of côtes and we learned all about the best places to find fairly priced Syrahs. This week, we are going to dip into its warmer neighbor to the South, the Southern Rhône.

Remember when we were talking about the qualities of Northern Rhône wines? Their wildness and how formidable they were? You could almost say the wines in the Northern Rhône are, “austere.”

Let’s just say the wines of Southern Rhône are definitely a bit less intense than their northern counterparts. What these wines may be lacking in intensity, however, they more than make up in alcohol, charm, and attitude. Hooray!

If you’re a fan of wines from Paso Robles… You’ll probably be a major fan of wines from the Southern Rhône.

While Northern Rhône wines are all about single varietals for the most part, their Southern brethren are all about blends. Though the Southern Rhône wines are typically blended and a lot more accessible, that doesn’t mean they’re to be dismissed as, “easy-drinking, chill wines.”

No. These wines do have a lot of attitude and still take regular walks on the wild side if you want to quote Lou Reed. Let’s take a second to chat about the geography of the Southern Rhône, and how its climate differs from the North.

Geography & Climate of the Southern Rhône.

The Southern Rhône and Northern Rhône really are linked by one common factor — the Rhône River. Honestly? That’s about it. When it comes to everything else, these two couldn’t be more different.

Climate wise, the Southern Rhône is significantly warmer - in fact it’s almost hot in comparison to the Northern Rhône. The Southern Rhône does have its own special wind though, a wind that is called, “Le Mistral.”

The Mistral - a wind like no other.

The Mistral is a really strong, North Western wind that blows from Southern France all the way up to the Gulf of Lion by the Mediterranean. Sometimes it can blow as fast as 115mph.

**The Mistral’s effects can range from windblown hair to actually blowing people over.**

The Mistral - unlike the Northern Rhône’s wind, La Bise - usually blows before the rains come. But like La Bise, the Mistral acts like a blowdryer, protecting the grapes from mold causing humidity.

Some vignerons - wine growers - also say Le Mistral helps cool the grapes down in the blistering heat of the Southern Rhône. At cooler weather temperatures, the grapes are able to retain their acidity.

Another special factor that separates the Northern Rhône from the Southern Rhône are really special pebbles that are in one part of the Southern Rhône, specifically Châteauneuf de Pape. These special pebbles are called galets.

The stones are excellent for drainage, and also absorb the heat of the sun. These help speed up the ripening process with some of the grapes that grow in this region.

Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne are still heavy hitters in this region, but there are some other grapes that aren’t planted in the Northern Rhône that you should definitely know about. If you haven’t checked out my last post about the grapes of the Northern Rhône and are unsure what I’m talking about when I mention Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne — definitely give that last post a read before we dive any further.

Grapes of the Southern Rhône.

GRENACHE (RED)

If you were that kid who was obsessed with fruit roll-ups — especially the Strawberry kind — then Red Grenache is the grape for you.

This friendly, higher alcohol and pleasantly acidic little grape can be found all over the world. In Spain it’s called Garnacha and if you like to go to California Wine Regions like Paso Robles and taste wine, you’ll probably find it everywhere.

Grenache is definitely lighter and less intense than its Rhône counterpart, Syrah. It’s got a good alcohol percentage, and also has some really delightful secondary characteristics like cinnamon, leather, lavender, and even orange peel. For me, with Grenache, I always pick up on Raspberries — but that’s usually because I have them in a lot of GSM blends. What is a GSM you ask? Well, let me tell you.

Grenache makes up the majority of percentages for the wines in the Southern Rhône — especially in the star of the region, Châteauneuf de Pape. Châteauneuf de Pape usually has blends of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre - which we will discuss in a few moments. Regions like Paso Robles emulate their versions of Châteauneuf de Pape by creating wines they like to call, “GSMs.” (Hint hint, the name comes from the grapes they use.)

GRENACHE BLANC (WHITE)

Grenache Blanc is a rich, white grape that is popular in the Southern Rhône and in Spain. And honestly? If you were to taste a Grenache Blanc from Spain and a Grenache Blanc from the Rhône side by side they would probably taste like two completely different grapes.

Grenache Blanc in the Rhône has that fuller bodied, higher alcohol, richer, more Chardonnay-like sort of quality. You can expect aromas of ripe peaches, honeydew melons, coconut, cream, and some beautiful herbal qualities like sage and rosemary.

It’s a really generous wine in the Southern Rhône, and you will definitely find a lot of it in White Châteauneuf de Pape. More on that later.

MOURVEDRE (RED)

You know how everybody thinks Cabernet Sauvignon is the King of Wines? If that’s the case, Mourvedre would be the King’s advisor, quietly waiting for him to kick the bucket so he (or she) could step in and rule the entire kingdom.

Mourvedre is a Spanish grape, otherwise known as Mataro. It’s absolutely ENORMOUS - just like Cabernet. Mourvedre puts the “M” in GSMs and is often used in Châteauneuf de Pape as well - in smaller concentrations. Morvedre is a big-ass wine — that’s high in tannin and body. It’s generally speaking as fruity as Cabernet, and when I drink a glass of Mourvedre I pick up on this really meaty quality that’s always a dead giveaway.

It’s got notes of this hedonistic, roasted, gamey sort of meat and as a grape, Mourvedre is very primal. If blueberries are your thing — and even black olives — definitely give Mourvedre a try. I’d highly recommend it to all those Cabernet-lovers out there as a fun, interesting little wine to try.

Other Grapes Of The Southern Rhône:

The Southern Rhône also hosts some other white grapes such as Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, and Picardin. You can read about Picpoul in my post about the Languedoc Rousillion.

In terms of other Red Grapes, you can expect to see Cinsault, Muscardin, Counoise, Vaccarèse and Terret Noir.

And now… without further ado…. Let’s discuss:

The Major Regions of the Southern Rhône.

CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE - THE CROWN JEWEL

Châteauneuf de Pape translates to “new house of the Pope.” This is because in the 14th Century, the Pope ended up living over in the Rhône Valley near the city of Avignon. Châteauneuf de Pape was really popular in America during the 1960s and 1970s before Bordeaux and Burgundy took over as the star regions of France.

Like I mentioned previously, Châteauneuf du Pape usually consists of a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre - with other varietals like Cinsault and Counoise occasionally thrown in the mix. But the big three varietals that you must know about are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.

The reason I mentioned Paso Robles earlier, is because Paso uses pretty much the same varietals that are used in Châteauneuf du Pape. Fans of full bodied red wines that are rustic, chewy, rugged, and higher in alcohol will love the wines from this region. They have beautiful aromas of strawberry jam, garrigue - those herbs we were talking about — and an almost leathery, meaty quality.

If you like powerful reds with not a lot of those toasty, oaky flavors — then you will love Châteauneuf and the majority of the wines from the Southern Rhône because they are often fermented in concrete and aged in neutral oak. Neutral oak imparts less of that toasty, oaky flavor than the type of oak you would find in a Red Bordeaux.

Like their Northern Rhône siblings, Châteauneuf du Pape is a very primal, almost savage sort of wine. Just expect to get more red fruit qualities instead of the darker fruits and black olive flavors you would get out of a good Hermitage.

It also comes in white.

White Châteauneuf de Pape is a rare find indeed. Very few are imported to the United States because there isn’t a huge demand for them. The really good ones are like unicorns and are definitely worth grabbing if you like powerful white wines that pack a punch as strong as any red.

I remember a moment where I was at a trade tasting, and another wine rep came up to me and had me smell two Châteauneuf de Pape wines with my eyes closed. He asked me what I thought about them. I told them they were great red wines.

Turns out I was duped, when I opened my eyes, I was nosing a red and white Châteauneuf side by side. The aroma of the white Châteauneuf was just as powerful, herbal, dusty, and meaty as the red one. They both had the same intensity of fruit. Granted, I didn’t know as much about wine back then but it was a total trip!

It was something that turned me on to these unbelievably authoritative wines and I’ve loved them ever since.

It’s so hard to find white wines with that sort of power, concentration, body, and intensity that you could find in a White Châteauneuf de Pape. I guess it was that experience - among many others - that made the Rhône Valley have a special place in my heart.

GIGONDAS - BARGAIN CHÂTEAUNEUF

So you like the wild, unbridled sassiness of Châteauneuf but don’t want to spend your entire paycheck on one?

Look no further than Gigondas.

For the longest time, Gigondas was Châteauneuf’s hip, younger, and more affordable cousin. It was like the best kept secret all the Somms I knew had when they were looking for Châteauneuf-esque wines that were a fraction of the price.

Sure, these wines are more rugged and may not have that polish that some of the Châteauneufs have, but honestly? That’s part of their charm. If you’re into leathery, gamy wines with beautiful flavors of raspberry jam, a shitload of dried herbs and almost woodland aromas — check out wines from Gigondas.

If you read last week’s post on the Northern Rhône, I would probably compare Gigondas to Saint-Joseph in Northern Rhône. The quality here is pretty great, and winemakers have really stepped up their game over the last few years.

These wines are probably the closest stylistically to the wines coming out of Paso Robles, with their dusty, leathery, animal sort of qualities.

VAQUEYRAS - POWERFUL WINES

Oooooooh, love me some Vaqueyras. I remember the first time I had one of these badass wines from the Southern Rhône. If Vaqueyras were a Powerpuff Girl, it would be Buttercup. It definitely packs a punch! The aromas of dark fruit, and that herbal garrigue don’t just hang out in the glass… they charge right on through it!

If you’re all about energetic, brawny wines like Saint-Estéphe from Bordeaux or even Cornas from the Northern Rhône, you’ll probably love Vacqueyras..

Vacqueyras wines tend to have a bit higher percentages of Syrah than the wines from Gigondas or even Châteauneuf. So many Syrah lovers will fall in love with Vaqueyras.

TAVEL - A ROSÉ LOVER’S PARADISE

If you love your Rosé from Provence and only Provence, hear me out.

Tavel is a thinking person’s rosé. If you want a rosé that you can pontificate on, that transitions effortlessly from Summer to Fall — and even Winter in Los Angeles because let’s face it, we have no seasons here — Tavel will be your jam.

It was Ernest Hemmingway’s favorite Rosé, and to be honest it’s probably mine too. This electric pink, Syrah based, darkly colored dry Rosé is a must-try wine for anybody who loves the pink stuff but wants to expand their horizons.

I mean… can we just bathe in the beauty of that color for a moment?

The wine above, the Domaine de la Mordoree La Riene des Bois Tavel is a wine I used to sell and it’s absolutely astounding. Colors such as the one above are fairly common for Tavel.

The minerality in this wine, coupled with the aromas of the biggest, juiciest sun-ripened raspberries that you can find and that subtle touch of herbs makes this wine a true standout.

There are a bunch of other wines from Tavel that are amazingly complex examples of Rosé, with electrifying colors and aromas that freaking rage out of the glass. You can expect aromas of cotton candy, ripe raspberries, some spices, and loads of complexity. Once you start having Tavel, you’re definitely going to change your Rosé habits.

Tavel is a hard sell in the states though, and a lot of this is because people think darker colored rosé is bound to be sweet because of — well, White Zinfandel.

This wine is not sweet at all, and if you’re willing to give Tavel a chance, you’ll be happy you did.

CÔTES DU RHÔNE - EVERYTHING ELSE

The Côtes du Rhône makes up 70% of production from the wines from the Southern Rhône. This designation can be used throughout the region — so you can have vignerons making wine in places like Gigondas.

There are a lot of cooperatives that make wine in the Côtes du Rhône. This means that certain winemakers purchase grapes from a network of grape growers. A lot of co-ops get bad vibes from some professionals in the biz - and I’m not 100% sure why this is always the case. Sure, back in the day when it was all about churning out volume, I can see why some cooperative wines didn’t taste very good. But now, things are different.

Sometimes, people just want to grow grapes, and quality grapes at that. Because of that, they enter the cooperative system so other winemakers can purchase their grapes and they don’t have to worry about making wine. Gifted winemakers know where to source the best grapes from, and some cooperative wines can be pretty darn good!

If you wanna get real technical with it, Côtes du Rhône wines (whenever I texted about them I would abbreviate them to CDRs) that are a little higher tier are called, Côtes du Rhône Villages.

A lot of Côtes du Rhône wines are fruity, spicy little wines that beg to be paired with food. If you love your GSMs, you’ll really dig Côtes du Rhône wines — because a lot of them are made with those varietals.

The great thing about Côtes Du Rhône wines is they’re inexpensive and easy drinking wines that you can enjoy pretty much whenever. These wines are amazing values for those savvy wine buyers, which is why we are going to be reviewing one for the Pick of the Week!

PICK OF THE WEEK: SAINT COSME LITTLE JAMES BASKET PRESS ROUGE $14.00 @ Stanley’s Wet Goods

What drew me to this wine was the word, “solera.”

I am a sherry nut and the idea of solera anything immediately piques my interest. If you don’t know what a solera is, don’t feel bad — I’ll explain it to you.

Sherry is typically made in what is called, “the solera system.” The solera system is a series of barrels stacked on top of each other, almost like a tower. The oldest vintages are generally on the bottom and the newer vintages are on the top. Sherries are then blended together to achieve a sort of signature style for each producer.

This wine is made the same way. It’s a series of different vintages, stacked in a sort of solera system, featuring Grenache that goes all the way back to 1990. The vintages are then blended together at the end, giving the Little James Basket Press a unique, more robust sort of style.

This is the first wine producer I’ve seen that does this by the way.

When I tasted this wine, I was more than impressed with the quality and I honestly thought it was a steal at $14.00. It was way more robust than a typical single varietal Grenache from the Rhône Valley. I’ve tried a lot of different versions of Grenache at varying price-point and this one drank like it was very much underpriced. I did some more digging and learned that Château St Cosme is one of the leading estates of Gigondas - one of my favorite value AOCs.

It had this leathery tobacco sort of thing going on and I was all about it. This wine was sassy and sexy af. It made me think of a super overripe strawberry that occasionally practices BDSM.

If you like lighter bodied wines like Beaujolais, and Pinot Noirs and are looking for something a little more serious and rustic then this wine will be your jam.

This Grenache is clean and bright, but you can tell because older vintages are included in the mix there’s a layered complexity to this wine. It is by no means a Netflix & Chill wine. This is a wine you have with friends, bring to a picnic and talk about.

As someone who has sold my fair share of Rhône wines I was super impressed that it was only $14.00. I immediately wanted to pair it with some hearty dish with a lot of fat because it had really good acidity. If you purchase this wine, give it a go with some Shawarma, or even a hearty homemade chili.

If you want something a bit creamier - Macaroni and cheese springs to mind. This is definitely a #cheeseburgerwine - especially if you want to add some bacon.

So what do you think about the Rhône? Love it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments!