Rhone Blend Wines
Rhone Blend Wine
The Rhône valley has historically been an underappreciated region when it comes to viticultural accomplishments. It has long remained in the shadows of Bordeaux, Champagne and other regions that normally represent the pinnacle of French winemaking prowess, yet it consistently gives birth to some of the most awe-inspiring, compelling and mouth-watering wines in the world. Blends like Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie are nothing short of heavenly, and they’re often underrated, not appearing in as many conversations as they truly deserve.In terms of grape varietals, the Rhône offers a fair amount of variety. Syrah and Grenache dominate the red wine blends of the region, whereas white wine aficionados can enjoy a tasteful, complex combination of Marsanne, Viognier, and Roussanne. Every one of these wines simply oozes with character and complexity, requiring multiple tastings to properly deconstruct for all except the best-trained connoisseurs.
You have quite a few excellent choices, regardless of your personal preference. A 2003 or 2001 vintage of “Hommage à Jacque Perrin” from Chateau de Beaucastel or a bottle of Réserve des Célestins from 2000, made by the artisan Henri Bonneau, can send you soaring to the cosmos as your senses are stimulated to their conceivable limit. The deep, often inky appearance of these wines reveals their raw power and boldness, making them a common favorite among those who explore this region’s produce. Examining each wine from the Rhône valley in detail would take us longer than the average fermentation period for one of these masterpieces, but allow us to introduce you to some of the finest representatives.
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1964 Paul Aine Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle94WSA warm summer led to supple, low-acidity wines. This Chapelle reflects the vintage--smooth, silky and full-bodied. Less expressive than the '66, but tastes rounder and richer. Melt..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $2,015.00 -
1983 Guigal Cote Rotie la Landonne98RPThis murky, purple/garnet-colored wine offers up an exotic nose of tea, smoked duck, licorice, truffles, and earth. Extraordinarily concentrated, and almost too rich to be called a..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,400.00 -
1989 Chapoutier Hermitage Le Pavillon100RPThe 1989 Le Pavilion is a prodigious wine. Made from yields of 14 hectoliters per hectare, this parcel of old vines (averaging 70-80 years of age) has produced an opaque black/purp..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $785.00 -
1990 Paul Aine Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle100DECJaboulet's Hermitage La Chapelle 1961, 1978 and 1990 are considered to be among the greatest wines ever made in the Rhône Valley. The 1990 was sourced from Les Bessards, Le M..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,230.00 -
1994 Beaucastel CDP Hommage a Jacques Perrin96RPThe two limited cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin are spectacular in both 1994 and 1995, but each will require 10-15 years of cellaring. Less than 300 cases we..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $460.00 -
1995 Chapoutier Hermitage Le Pavillon100RPStill a youngster, the blockbuster 1995 Ermitage le Pavillon is a quintessential Hermitage in every way. Full-bodied, powerful, thick and unctuous, with tons of smoky, black, black..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,275.00 -
1995 Chave Hermitage Cathelin98JDThe 1995 Hermitage Cuvee Cathelin is another magical wine from this family estate that’s drinking brilliantly today. Its vivid ruby, semi-opaque color (classic mature Hermita..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $9,555.00 -
1995 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape Celestins95RPThe profound 1995 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins exhibits a dense saturated plum/garnet color as well as an intense nose of roasted meats, beef blood, plum, cherry, and ..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,090.00 -
1996 Chapoutier Cote Rotie ''La Mordoree''91RPI was less impressed with the 1996 Cote Rotie La Mordoree from bottle than I was from cask. Michel Chapoutier still believes it is one of the finest examples he has produced, but a..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $185.00 -
1996 Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne93RPThe 1996 Cote Rotie La Landonne was herbaceous early in life, but is now revealing a black olive/tapenade, melted asphalt character in its smoky, earthy, animal, blackberry, leathe..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $475.00 -
1998 Chave Hermitage Cathelin Cuvee98+VMReticent, minerally nose hints at great sweetness and ripeness; notes of blackberry and tar emerge with aeration. Round, rich and layered in the mouth; still quite closed but the w..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $10,630.00 -
1998 Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque99RPThe opaque purple-colored 1998 Cote Rotie La Turque offers extraordinarily gorgeous, pure black raspberry fruit intertwined with cherry liqueur, smoke, coffee, licorice, and roaste..." Learn MoreAs low as $549.00 -
1998 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape Speciale98WSThis offers an aroma of chocolate-covered prunes stewing on the stove, along with notes of brick dust, black currant preserve, fresh espresso and powdered rust. Powerfully tannic a..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,195.00 -
1998 Paul Aine Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle96WSWhat a great wine. Full-bodied, with crushed berry, smoke and grilled aromas, all presented quite subtly. Stands out for its natural, down-to-earth taste of clean, pure, shining fr..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $189.00 -
1999 Beaucastel Chateauneuf Du Pape92+VMFull ruby. Highly complex nose combines black fruits, gibier, truffle, road tar, licorice and leather. Very intense and spicy, but still tightly wound, with a firm acid spine keepi..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $135.00 -
1999 Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne100RPI have given perfect scores to other vintages of La Landonne, but the black/purple-colored 1999 Cote Rotie La Landonne may be the finest effort Guigal has ever coaxed out of this v..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $985.00 -
2000 Andre Brunel CDP Cuvee Centenaire96JDA blend of 80% Grenache (from the Farguerol vineyard), 8% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre, the 2000 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Cent..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $165.00 -
2000 Beaucastel CDP Hommage a Jacques Perrin99RPThe 2000 possesses an impenetrable black/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of melted licorice, creosote, new saddle leather, blackberry and cherry fruit as well as roaste..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $600.00 -
2000 Beaucastel Chateauneuf Du Pape97JDAbsolutely firing on all cylinders and with an open, borderline slutty profile, the 2000 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a dream on the nose, showing compl..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $109.00 -
2000 Chapoutier Hermitage L'Ermite99RPI grossly underestimated the 2000 Ermitage l’Ermite from barrel. This wine, which emerges from largely pre-phylloxera vines planted on the dome of Hermitage, adjacent to the ..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,275.00 -
2000 Chave Hermitage Cathelin Cuvee97VMChave’s 2000 Cuvée Cathelin was monumental. It was a privilege to taste, but also a shame to open so early. If the 1991 seemed young, the 2000 came across as a veritab..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $10,630.00 -
2000 Mordoree CDP Reine De Bois98JDWow, Domaine de la Mordorée's 2000 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bo is almost the quintessential Chateauneuf and is glorious stuff. They should bott..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $165.00 -
2000 Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve99RPThe 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve (15.5% alcohol; 100% Grenache) is a wine of magnificent intensity as well as majestic texture and richness. Layers of concentrated fruit cascad..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $415.00 -
2001 Clape Cornas98DECAn exceptional Cornas. At 19 years, this is at a lovely state of maturity, complex but still sappy. A perfect time to drink it, but no great hurry. Smoked meats and singed herbs, b..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $365.00