Wines of the week: April 12
There was an ad campaign a few years back for Côtes du Rhône wines with a red hedgehog getting his hair cut, with the slogan: ‘Think red, think Côtes du Rhône.’ I’m not sure what the relevance of the hedgehog was. Perhaps it was as simple as: people like hedgehogs and people like Côtes du Rhône.
One of the first things wine drinkers learn is that the words Côtes du Rhône equal reliable red. What’s not so well known is that the Rhône also makes some superb whites. They’re made from an array of not terribly wellknown grapes – Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc among others.
They taste unusual too, being oily, herby and often having a distinct taste of marzipan. I normally hate marzipan but when it’s in a wine, somehow it makes sense.
In the past they were often too heavy and boozy, but nowadays they have an appealing freshness about them and they taste like nothing else.
Château La Canorgue Côtes du Luberon Blanc 2011, £13.50: www.yapp.co.uk
I’ve been drinking a lot of this recently. It smells of wild herbs with something fl oral too; it’s fullbodied but clean and refreshing.
Domaine de l’Arnesque Côtes du Rhône 2011, £9: www.oddbins.co.uk
There’s that marzipan smell I mentioned earlier. This is simple and delicious.
‘Les Échalas’ Clos Petite Bellane Côtes du Rhône Villages 2009, £17: www.oddbins.co.uk
What a beautiful golden colour, and it smells so alive with honey and almonds. It’s a big, rich wine with an unusually long finish. It’s so distinctive that I have no idea what food you would drink it with.
‘La Redonne’ Jean-Luc Colombo Côtes du Rhône 2011, £12.99: www.waitrose.com
The one very famous white grape from the Rhône is Viognier, which makes the ultrapricey Condrieu. This is similar with its smell of peaches, intense dryness and its length but it’s much more affordable
One of the first things wine drinkers learn is that the words Côtes du Rhône equal reliable red. What’s not so well known is that the Rhône also makes some superb whites. They’re made from an array of not terribly wellknown grapes – Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc among others.
They taste unusual too, being oily, herby and often having a distinct taste of marzipan. I normally hate marzipan but when it’s in a wine, somehow it makes sense.
In the past they were often too heavy and boozy, but nowadays they have an appealing freshness about them and they taste like nothing else.
Château La Canorgue Côtes du Luberon Blanc 2011, £13.50: www.yapp.co.uk
I’ve been drinking a lot of this recently. It smells of wild herbs with something fl oral too; it’s fullbodied but clean and refreshing.
Domaine de l’Arnesque Côtes du Rhône 2011, £9: www.oddbins.co.uk
There’s that marzipan smell I mentioned earlier. This is simple and delicious.
‘Les Échalas’ Clos Petite Bellane Côtes du Rhône Villages 2009, £17: www.oddbins.co.uk
What a beautiful golden colour, and it smells so alive with honey and almonds. It’s a big, rich wine with an unusually long finish. It’s so distinctive that I have no idea what food you would drink it with.
‘La Redonne’ Jean-Luc Colombo Côtes du Rhône 2011, £12.99: www.waitrose.com
The one very famous white grape from the Rhône is Viognier, which makes the ultrapricey Condrieu. This is similar with its smell of peaches, intense dryness and its length but it’s much more affordable