Nick Dobson Wines The Southern Rhône Valley

The Southern Rhône Valley
The Southern Rhône produces massive quantities of wine. The best of these come from the geographically defined village appellations including Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras. Between these and the generic Côtes du Rhône wines are the Côtes du Rhône Villages. Additionally, there are satellite appellations such as the Côtes du Ventoux where some good, long-lived wines are made. As with any wine region, the general rule is that the superior appellations produce the better wines. However, many excellent wines are produced throughout the region so it is worth investigating all appellations. The increasing popularity of Rhône wines may be summed up in three reasons:- 1. They offer the best value of any top appellation for red wines in the world. 2. Many can be enjoyed young but can also evolve magnificently over time. 3. They are extremely food friendly wines. Wine lovers who resent the prices of top Bordeaux and Burgundy should look to the Rhône Valley for a wide range of food-friendly wines at remarkable value. Avignon is the region's capital. It was here that Pope Clement V installed himself in 1305 at the start of the divided Papacy. His successor, Pope John XXII, a wine lover, built a new castle a few miles upstream - Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Today, Avignon remains a wonderful city to visit with the Palais des Papes and the Pont St Benezet (you know the song) among the highlights) and it is home, every July, to the Avignon Festival.

Côtes du Ventoux Rosé 2007 Domaine des Anges Mormoiron
Ref: 3345166

Lovely, refreshing rosé - a light pink wine with summer berries and confection. Good acidity.
Grapes: Cinsault and Grenache with a dash of Syrah
Winemaking: The Cinsault was picked and then cold-soaked for 24 hours before being pressed, whereas the Grenache juice was "bled" off the skins. After clarification, the wine was fermented at low temperatures, followed by an early bottling to preserve it’s freshness.
Drink: now to end 2009 Food: On its own or with light pasta, charcuterie.

Reviews: "Exotic notes" One star (Guide Hachette 2007)

Price: £8.12 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret 'Loubié' Rosé 2007 Domaine de Mourchon Séguret
Ref: 3342340

A flowery and fruity nose with a refreshing palate full of fruit and with good length. Cuts through creamy sauces well and has enough weight of fruit to match light pasta sauces for example.
Grapes:50% Cinsault, 25% Grenache, 25% Syrah (40 year old vines)
Winemaking: Bleeding of vat followed by direct pressing.
Drinking Dates: Now to 2010

Reviews: "Fresh and elegant, with watermelon, rose petal and cherry pit notes that stay pure and defined through the finish. Should be solid with food on the back porch. Drink now." 86/100 (Wine Spectator)

Price: £11.50 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Vin de Pays de Vaucluse 2004 Domaine des Anges Mormoiron
Ref: 3340289

Really tasty, fruity Cabernet with lots of black fruit and some Provencal character (a trace of herbs) and good tannic support. Nicely judged oak. Really impressive.
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaking: 12 months in second/third year oak.
ABV: 13% Drink: now to end 2010
Food: Barbecue or other robust dishes, red meats etc

Price: £7.95 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Côtes du Rhône 'Charité' 2007 Domaine de la Charité Saze
Ref: 3341044

Lovely Côtes du Rhône - further south than many, hence the Carignan and also benefiting from an earlier harvest. The resulting wine is very pretty with lovely fruit, soft tannins and good acidity making it a good all-rounder with food. This property has help from consultant Xavier Vignon.
Grapes: 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Carignan
ABV: 13% Drink: now to end 2010
Food: Virtually anything! Extremely versatile with food owing to excellent fruit, medium body and spicy tannins. Also very good on its own.

Reviews: "Christophe Coste has already proved with earlier vintages his know-how both in the vineyard and in the cellar. This wine is a pure product of terroir. Round and structured, it has a complex nose, fruity and spicy with Provençal accents. It can age well for several years." 3 stars (Guide Hachette)

Price: £8.95 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne 'Selection' 2006 Domaine des Côteaux des Travers Rasteau
Ref: 3342323

Lovely old-vine Grenache, sweet red fruits, tar/liquorice with plenty of depth.
Grapes: 60% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre (40-60 year old vines, yields of 35hl/ha)
Vineyard: Mixed soils: sandy, clay/limestone and garrigues.
Winemaking: 100% destemmed then 15 day fermentation.
Drink: now to 2014

Reviews: "Surprisingly juicy, fruit-forward style moves away from the almost overt earthiness and spiciness of wines from this appellation. This is a modern-styled Cairanne, seductive, rich, fleshy and surprisingly deep and long." 89/100 (Parker)

Price: £12.35 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret 2006 'Tradition' Domaine de Mourchon Séguret
Ref: 3342308

More forward than the 2005s, Walter McKinlay's wines from 2006 have an enticing freshness with good upfront fruit and great texture and length. Lighter than the 2005 and, as such, more approachable in its youth with lovely sweet cherry fruit (more noticeably red fruit in character when tasted alongside the 2005) and good mouthfeel. A decent tannic structure to give the wine a real lift. Very friendly wine.
Grapes: 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Carignan (40-year-old vines, 35hl/ha)
Winemaking: Stainless steel
ABV: 14.5% Drink: now to 2013+

Reviews: For a full list of reviews, click on "More".

Price: £11.50 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Vin de Table "Xavier Rouge" NV Xavier Vignon Le Barroux
Ref: 3340002

Don't be fooled by the vin de table status into thinking this is a lowly wine: if it had appellation status it would sell for two to three times as much. The reason is that Xavier has sourced grapes from both the Languedoc and the Rhône to make this stunning wine, rich and full of complex fruit characters well balanced with vanilla oak and excellent structured. drink any time over the next five years. Extremely impressive.
Grapes: "100% Xavier". As a Vin de Table, Xavier is not allowed to state vintage or varieties used on the label. However, grapes used are as follows: 50% of the wine is made from Syrah, Merlot and Mourvèdre, and other half is made from Grenache, Caladoc, Marselan, Cinsault, and Carignan - grapes. From vintages 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Vines that have produced this wine have been tied in, even the Grenache (rarely found), in order to optimize foliar surface and so make richer grapes. Because of this, yields are all below 35hl/ha.
Vineyard: The grapes are from more than 30 plots within 20 different sub-regions) More than 30 parcelles, on more than 20 different terroirs. Soils are too varied to be specific
Winemaking: Traditional vinification with temperature controlling and ageing in French oak barrels for between 12 and 24 months, dependent on the variety.
ABV: 14.3% Drink: now to 2017
Food: grande cuisine, red meat, white meat with sauce, cheese...

Reviews: For a full list of reviews, click on "More".

Price: £12.35 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne 2004 'Les Chabriles' Domaine Brusset Cairanne
Ref: 3342004

Always one of the very best wines from this leading Village, Vendange Chabrille (renamed "Les Chabriles" in 2004) has always been a great success. The 2004 is somewhat more refined than the 2003 but distinctive in its similarities. An excellent wine, rich yet subtle, silky with great balance and superb texture.
Grapes: 65% Grenache, 35% Syrah (28hl/ha).
Vineyard: Clayey-limestone facing south. 100 % hand-picked and selected.
Winemaking: Destalking, no yeast-added, cold pre-fermentation during 3 weeks with daily "pigeage" and temperatures maintained at 31°C. Matured 60% in vats, 40% in two years old oak casks "demi-muids" for a year. No filtering.
ABV: 14% Drink now-2012. Food: Game and grilled meats.

Reviews: Gold Medal (Foire d'Orange) - "A fabulous bouquet (small red, cooked fruits, nothing but complexity) for holding two to three years to develop its potential" 2/3 stars (Guide Hachette)

Price: £13.95 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Gigondas 2005 'Le Grand Montmirail' Domaine Brusset Cairanne
Ref: 3342001

A return to a more traditional style Gigondas: big, brawny and with an attractive touch of rusticity. Sophisticated nonetheless with good structure. Will be approachable quite young but last well too.
Grapes: 55% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% Cinsault (30hl/ha)
Vineyard: Stony terraced vineyards on alluvious soils and molasse facing full south. Yield 30 hl / ha. Hand-picked and selected following strict ripeness checks.
Winemaking: Crushing, destalking, no yeast added. 15 day fermentation in vats with twice daily pigeages. Aged 60% in vats, 40% in 2-4 year old demi-muids.
ABV: 13.5% Drink: now to 2015 Food: Red meats

Reviews: "Aromas of pen ink, graphite, crème de cassis and espresso. This full-bodied, rich, textured, impressively endowed Gigondas should drink nicely for 10-12 years." 90-92/100 (Parker)
Gold Medal (Foire d'Orange)

Price: £15.50 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret 2005 'Grande Reserve' Domaine de Mourchon Séguret
Ref: 3342013

Spicy, liquorice and red/black fruits on the nose follow through to a concentrated, rich and rounded palate with good structure. A whiff of oak, lots of potential.
Grapes: Grenache, 35% Syrah (60-year-old vines, 20hl/ha)
Winemaking: Matured 40% in barriques
ABV: 14.5% Drink: now to 2015
Food: Red meats, games, stews, cheeses

Reviews: For a full list of reviews, click on "More".

Price: £15.50 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape 'Tradition' 2006 Domaine de Cristia Courthezon
Ref: 3343298

We are convinced that we have stumbled upon one of the up-and-coming great estates of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Deep, rich wine with lots of black fruit and liquorice. Good potential.
Grapes: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre
ABV: 15% Drink: 2010 to 2020

Reviews: "An upfront, forward wine exhibiting a deep ruby/purple colour as well as a sweet nose of black cherries, cassis, incemse and smoky liquorice. Round, rich, full and opulent, it is a sensual wine to enjoy over the next 10-15 years" 90-92/100 (Parker)

Price: £19.60 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape 'Tradition' 2005 Raymond Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Ref: 3343256

A classic wine from this top producer. Everything a Châteauneuf-du-Pape should be: rich and ripe, sweet fruit and great balance. Tasted again at the domaine in summer 2007, the wine had settled well into the bottle which offered a rich, classic Châteauneuf in the grand style of the leading estates. A superb wine.
Grapes: 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
Winemaking: 3 week fermentation in cement vats where it remains for another 10 weeks for malolactic fermentation before being transferred to oak casks for 12 months. Bottled unfiltered.
ABV: 14% Drink: 2010 to 2020

Reviews: "A deep, structured, muscular Châteauneuf-du-Pape" 91-93/100 (Parker)
"Rock solid, with a great core of raspberry, blackberry and loganberry fruit, all supported by licorice, Turkish coffee, fruitcake and a hint of mesquite. The long finish pumps out a nice tarry intensity. Better poise on this than the chewier Cuvée Impériale." 93/100 (Wine Spectator)

Price: £19.60 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Gigondas 2004 'Les Hauts de Montmirail' Domaine Brusset Cairanne
Ref: 3344003

Massive, concentrated, oaked red - one of the best of the 2004 vintage in Gigondas. One of the great wines of Gigondas, this is already a very stylish wine with lovely, elegant fruit characters (some of the top Gigondas wines can be a little overblown in some vintages such as 2003) and well-integrated oak. A real pleasure.
Grapes: 55% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah
Vineyard: Clay and rock, below the great Jurassic calcareous ridge of the Dentelles de Montmirail on small terraces.
Winemaking: Hand-picked, severe selection, crushing, destalking, cold pre-fermentation and separate fermentation for each variety for 21 days with pigeage and temperature control. Aged in 100% oak casks, around 40% new.
ABV: 13.5% Drink: now to 2020
Food: Grilled meats or meat cooked in sauces, game and cheeses.

Reviews: "Simply sumptuous - our favourite wine" (RVF Rhone tasting 10/06) 92-94/100 (Tanzer)

Price: £21.60 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape 'Cuvée Impériale' 2001 Raymond Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Ref: 3343008

Very backward, this is a true vin de garde with massive tannins lurking amidst the ripe fruit. It has a very long finish and there is no doubting the potential but it should be left ideally until its eighth birthdays at least before opening.
Grapes: 95% Grenache, 5% Cinsault
Winemaking: 3 week fermentation in cement vats where it remains for another 10 weeks for malolactic fermentation before being transferred to oak casks for 12 months. Bottled unfiltered.
ABV: 14% Drink: now to 2016
Food: Rich game: wild boar, venison etc.

Reviews: "Gorgeous sweetness, a striking minerality, impeccable purity and a bold, full-bodied, backward style with abundant concentration, high levels of glycerin and loads of black cherry fruit intermixed with blackcurrants, raspberries, liquorice and garrigue-like elements. Moderate tannin in the finish suggests patience will be warranted" 92+/100 (Parker)
“Beautiful. Ripe, rich and thick, showing leather, plum, stone, mineral and lots of clean black fruit and crisp acidity--a combination that brings elegance to this full-bodied, racy, very long red. Tempting now, but will age for years. Best from 2006 through 2015.” 91 points (Wine Spectator)

Price: £30.80 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

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