Long before it became the official beverage of Instagram and pool parties, French royalty and intellectuals swooned for the appellation’s bottlings.īeloved by King Louis XIV, Balzac and Hemingway, Tavel wines are often shockingly pink, with hues that range from deep salmon to ruby. In Tavel, wine has always meant one thing: rosé.
“Blending is key to the complexity of each vintage.” Rosé from Tavel / Photo by Ian Shaw / Alamy Tavel “Each year, each member of our family makes their own blend, and then we decide which direction to go,” says Perrin. Some grapes, like Mourvèdre, serve as lead instruments, he says, while others, like Picardin, are more akin to subtle background notes. What Do We Mean When We Say Rhône-style Wine?įor example, the red bottling of Château Rayas is 100% Grenache, while at Château de Beaucastel, Winemaker César Perrin describes his family’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge as “a symphony with each of the 13 grape varieties playing a valuable role.” As a result, its wines can vary significantly in composition.
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However, Châteauneuf-du-Pape winemakers are free to formulate distinct cuvées from any of the region’s 13 permitted grape varieties. Grenache reigns supreme here, much as it does throughout the entire Southern Rhône. The art of blending is also central to the appellation’s identity. Lesser-known limestone, gravel and sand terrains contribute to the region’s unique expressions, too. The formations store heat during the day, which warms the vineyard at night. Shaped by the flow of the Rhône river into flattened formations that range from the size of baseballs to basketballs, the stones lay atop subsoils of sand and clay throughout the region’s plateau. The appellation is synonymous with its galets roulés, or rounded pebbles. Wine Styles: Red (93%), White (7%) Permitted Varieties: Red and White Wines-Bourboulenc, Cinsault, Clairette (Blanche and Rose), Counoise, Grenache (Blanc, Noir and Gris), Mourvèdre, Muscardine, Picardan, Picpoul (Blanc, Noir and Gris), Roussanne, Syrah, Terret Noir, Vaccarèse Recommended Producers: Château de Beaucastel, Château Rayas, Domaine du Pégau, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Then, in 1936, Châteauneuf-du-Pape became one of the first wine AOCs. Efforts by Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s winegrowers to designate borders and impose strict production rules led to the French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system, which now governs the nation’s wines. Sign up Privacy Policyīy the 20th century, the region’s prominence suffered due to rampant wine fraud. Thank You! We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. and the UK.Ĭhâteauneuf-du-Pape translates to “new home of the Pope.” It’s a moniker that dates to the early 14th century when Pope Clement V established a summer court in nearby Avignon. Foreign demand for them is so great that about 80% of the region’s wines are exported, primarily to the U.S.
With wines that showcase opulence juxtaposed to elegance, the deeply concentrated, beefy bottlings of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are the undisputed royalty of the Rhône’s southern cru. Dusk falls over Châteauneuf-du-Pape / Photo by Mick Rock / Cephas Châteauneuf-du-Pape And with stunning vintages from 2015 through 2017 on store shelves, now is the perfect time to dive in and drink up. Today, nine cru appellations span the region, each offering distinct wines that express the Southern Rhône’s varied terroirs. While Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the original cru of the Southern Rhône, advances in viticulture and winemaking have blurred the lines between the appellation and its lesser-known and less expensive neighbors. It imposes strict yield limits and mandates laborious quality measures like hand harvesting. This designation proves both a reward and challenge to winegrowers. Cru wines, labeled solely by their appellation, are the elite they’re positioned above wider regional classifications like Côtes du Rhône or Côtes du Rhône Villages. The most dynamic generally hail from the region’s mighty crus.Ī cru, which translates to “growth” in French, designates a legally demarcated region that’s recognized for its quality and distinctive terroir. As a whole, they share a lusciousness of fruit, fiery spice and earth characteristics. From Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the wine of popes and kings, to the easy-drinking bottlings of Côtes du Rhône found in bistros worldwide, the hedonistic wines of the Southern Rhône are familiar friends.