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Rhone Blend Wines

Rhone Blend Wines

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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2020 clos i terrasses laurel Spain Red

2020 was a challenging year that gave them a lot of work in the vineyard, but it it paid off. The 2020 Laurel feels very elegant, balanced and fresh, a little lighter perhaps, with perfectly ripe tannins, a little in line with 2016 or 2013. It might be a little unusual for the house style or perhaps a slight change, as they are gradually going for softer vinifications; you don’t really need to extract in Priorat, because the wines are powerful enough on their own. It’s still extremely young and has a lactic touch (that blows off with a bit of time in the glass); it was only bottled at the end of May 2022, three months before I tasted it. Even if it’s the second wine here, it’s a wine that needs a little bit of time and improves in the bottle. Having said that, the 2020s feel more open, expressive and approachable than the 2019s, which are more tannic and powerful while the 2020s feel a little more Burgundian if you like. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Laurel so far. After some time in the glass, the aromatics of the Syrah (which was perhaps a little more this year, some 12% versus 8% in 2019) made an appearance—violets, smoked bacon. Daphne Glorian told me that everything was easy, that the wine was expressive and open from day one and that the fermentations were smooth. There are some 19,000 bottles of this.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

96
RP
As low as $67.99

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