Red Rhône Varietals - Wine of the Week

by Kristine Hansen, Posted May 25th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Photo: Tablas Creek Vineyard

Several California wineries are cranking out red Rhône varietals that are as good, if not better, than their French counterparts. A red Rhône varietal means that the wine contains grape varieties traditionally grown in Southern France's Rhône river valley, such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. (There are also white Rhône varietals which we will explore in a future post.).

Complex, and lighter-in-body, red Rhône varietals are perfect for the early days of summer when you're not quite ready to sip a chilled white. To pair with these wines, look to spring and early-summer vegetables, or grilled, lightly seasoned fish.

We recently sampled from a six-pack of red Rhone varietals available from Brixr for a fairly low price ($25) considering the retail prices on each wine. Arriving in a flat cardboard box (smaller than a shoebox) a few ounces of each wine rest inside a test-tube sized glass bottle with a screwcap.

After the jump, find our notes from a recent tasting of the Brixr Rhone Ispired Tasting Pack.

2006 La Pialade Côtes-du-Rhône, Château Rayas, Red Wine, France ($34)
Luscious Grenache grapes are folded into this wine, which has layers of white pepper throughout that really intensify on the finish. A nose of raspberries and cherries expresses the terroir very well, too.

2006 Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Beaucastel, Paso Robles, California ($50)
This blend of Mourvèdre (45%), Grenache (28%), Syrah (5%) and Counoise (5%) made it onto Wine Spectator's top-100 list (as #50) last year. (It was also our favorite in the six-pack.) There's an aroma of blueberries, figs and plum that carries through to the palate -- mixing with nutmeg and pepper -- with some spicy, peppery heat on the finish.

2008 Arnot-Roberts yrah, Clary Ranch, Sonoma Coast, California ($38)
An intriguing smoky, almost tart, aftertaste follows a palate that is fairly light and when poured in the glass is burgundy in color.

2007 Feraud-Brunel Winery, Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, Red Wine, France ($20)
Concentrated and jammy, the wine -- which contains Grenache grapes -- has ripe blackberry notes and layers of tobacco and spice before sailing into a long finish that's soft and velvety.

2007 Domaine de Font-Sane Winery Gigondas, Red Wine, France ($24)
A touch of pepper bursts into the finish after a palate that's laced with black-currant notes and sweeter fruit. Grenache (72%) is the dominant grape in this wine but there is also Syrah (23%) and Mourvèdre (5%).

2006 Domaine Gilles Robin Crozes- Hermitage, "Cuvée Albéric Bouvet," France ($30)
A fragrant bouquet of baked blueberries leads into a palate of ripe, cherry fruit that, while not overly complex, does lead into a dose of pepper on the finish.

Filed Under: Reviews, Drinks
Tags: brixr, red rhone varietals, red wine, rhone varietals