Southern Rhones
on the
Map
by Paul David Trier

I first began tasting Southern Rhones with the 1995 vintage. From that moment on I realized this was a wine region which needed my attention. Heady, rich, swirling with fruit, spice, complexity and freshness. If ever there was a model for "New World Wines", this was it. In today's world of big and bold, high-alcohol wines, the Southern Rhone is the perfect place to start and end. Not because they copy this model, but because they created it. From top to bottom, the wines here have all the necessary qualities to qualify and then some. With dedicated winemakers who are not interested in fad, but rather making the best wine they can make. At the end of the day, no other wine region brings to the table, with consistency and competency, both satisfaction and diversity in a wide range of styles and prices.

Currently, with the 2007 vintage on the market, there are five years worth of Southern Rhone wines dating back to 2003 that Robert Parker rates 90 or above. No other French region can stake that claim. Skip the washout 2002 vintage, and nine of the last ten are on that list, book-ended by the classic '98 and classic '07, both recieving 98 points. Bordeaux and Burgundy have not been able to match that record on Parker's list and yet the last time I checked, finding a 90 point wine from either of those regions for $15 or less is utterly impossible. You can and will find many Southern Rhones in this price range that rack up 90 pee-tees with both Parker and Spectator. How's that for bargain hunting.

And then the question is where do these wines come in against the rest of the "New World"? Argentina has the hot hand but lacks diversity. Malbec is the grape that everyone raves about, but try finding one with clarity, complexity, elegance and finesse. California has been putting out many highly-rated vintages, but here too, highly-priced and hard to find anything in that point range under $20.

Southern Rhone wines encompass the best of both the old and the new. Refusing to relinquish tradition and determined to make modern day wines, this region has an abundance of winemakers who are dedicated to the cause of elevating their craft to the highest possible standard. Blessed with both excellent terrain and perfect climate, and with a palette of varietals to play with, they are like painters in a renaissance of both classic and modern art. They understand that the world needs masterpieces which last for years, and functional art that you can pick up with the groceries and have with an everyday dinner. I gaurantee you can find a $12 Cotes du Rhone that will make that roast chicken in your bag a meal to remember. And yet there are Chateauneuf-du-Papes that will outshine many a Bordeaux for years to come. The best of 1998 is only just now coming into its own, softening and opening up (in 2017 you will be saying the same about the '07's and they will continue to evolve until at least 2022).

This region also includes Costieres des Nimes, Ventoux, Cotes du Luberon and Cotes du Tricastin. There are both value-priced wines and bigger guns being made in these regions as well. Many times they are overlooked because the words Cotes du Rhone or one of the village names are not on the label. But geographically, these AOC benefit from the same climate and similar soils. There are also many passionate winemakers in these areas and the grape varietals they grow and blend are virtually the same as those used by their neighbors (for those of you wondering what those varietals are; Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault make up the majority of the wines here, with most using Grenache and Syrah as the main part of the blend).

As an importer and as a wine enthusiast myself, for the last decade or so, I have found no other part of the world which intrigues me more than this one. And it isn't just the wine. It's the people and the place, the food and the atmosphere. When travelling here, you are greeted with warmth and a sense of pure joy for all that life can bring. Simple pleasures and gaurded treasures are equally important. Whether it be a picnic in the countryside where an inexpensive but well-made Ventoux fits the bill or an extravagant dinner with a classic vintage Gigondas, all is savored just the same. One day I am discussing great wines with the proprietor of Cave du Verger (an ancient Roman wine cellar converted into wine shop in Chateauneuf), the next I am dashing off to a flea market that a winemaker friend insists I must attend for Sunday recreation. Business yes, but please, lets have some fun. Life is too short, you must relax he says. Okay, I say and then we dig into our meal. Sipping intensely flavored Grenache-Syrah in-between bites.

It is the very same attitude they apply to life as they do their wines. Intensely focused and passionate, clear about what it takes to both enjoy the present and reserve respect for the past. To take stock in all the good fortune you have, then share it with everyone you know. And once you get a taste of all that, you begin to understand why the wine is so good. And that is why the Southern Rhone is where my "New World" began.