First taste: Rhone wines - Matt Walls picks six to try
Regional body InterRhone, which is the professional body that promotes AOC Rhone wines, recently held its annual seminar and tasting in London. Here are my top six wines from those present.
Northern Rhône
The northern Rhône is home to the likes of Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas and Condrieu.
Hermitage famously allows producers to blend up to 20% Viognier with Syrah, producing some of the world’s most sought-after wines.
Condrieu is a temple to Viognier grown on steep hillsides, where the warmth of the summer is countered by the cooling mistral winds to produce rich, ripe white wines.
Quick Links Northern Rhône 2017: Full report | Côte-Rôtie 2012 panel tasting results
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The New World of the northern Rhône
A crucible of experimentation, Crozes-Hermitage is home to a band of young producers with New World attitudes. Matt Walls introduces some of the names you should know, and finds a growing adoption of natural and biodynamic methods
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Northern Rhône 2012
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Decanter panel tasting (Sept 2012): Crozes-Hermitage 2010 - All wines
The expert verdict: you still have to choose carefully with Crozes-Hermitage, but the basic standard is rising and this is a very good vintage that wine lovers can buy with confidence.
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Rhône 2010 in 'top three vintages of last 40 years' says Decanter
Rhône 2010 is one of the finest vintages for 40 years, Decanter’s expert John Livingstone-Learmonth says in the latest issue of the magazine.
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Vintage report: Northern Rhone 2009
An excellent crop of generous and ageworthy reds and rich whites
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Which French wine region produces St-Joseph?
The northern Rhone is home to this Syrah-producing appellation. It also produces some whites from Marsanne, and a little Roussanne.
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Hermitage may lose famous signs as part of environmental bill
The advertising signs that adorn the famous Hermitage slope may be removed as part of a new environmental heritage bill proposed by French authorities.
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Latour's Engerer buys in the Rhone
Chateau Latour director Frederic Engerer has invested in his own wine property in the Rhone Valley.
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Christie's sets new record - for a case of Hermitage
Christies London has set a new European auction record for a case of wine - 12 bottles of Hermitage La Chapelle 1961 which sold for a record-breaking £123,750 - over £10,000 a bottle.
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St-Joseph & Crozes: Two villages in Northern Rhône in Focus
Keeping up with the neighbours. John Livingstone-Learmonth visits two of the best value villages in the Northern Rhône...
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M²: Pomerol meets Hermitage
Two of France’s most celebrated winemakers have created a wine from two of its most prestigious appellations.
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Northern Rhone
As in the rest of France, 2003 was one of the hottest ever experienced in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. James Lawther MW finds out if the wines suffered.
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Snow in Hermitage
Freak weather conditions hit the vineyards of the northern Rhône over the weekend, causing traffic chaos and promting fears of frost.
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Rhône wines: Find Your Rhône
Value for money in the Rhône can be found – if you know where to look. Our expert tasters plot a map, as they select their favourite reds between £5 and £15.
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Understanding Hermitage
Hermitage is one of the northern Rhône’s most exclusive appellations...
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Unbeatable Rhone
Rhône expert JOHN LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH hunts down the best of the Rhône’s great-value wines, recommending 20 excellent producers whose wines offer huge enjoyment – and don’t cost the earth
