Côtes du Rhône

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An overview of the individual appellations in the Rhône wine-growing region . Zoom A shows the appellations to the south of Avignon and Zoom B shows the wine-growing regions near Lyon .
  • Côtes du Rhône (AOC)

    • The Côtes du Rhône ("slopes of the Rhône") is the name for a supraregional important wine-growing area in the southern Rhone valley . The area is part of the Rhône wine-growing region (which corresponds to the Côtes du Rhône landscape , the eastern Alpine foothills and slopes of the Cevennes of the central Rhone Valley), more precisely, the southern Côtes du Rhône Meridionales , and extends around Orange and Avignon .

    The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée Côtes du Rhône is part of this wine-growing region, provided with the legal status of an AOC .

    Typical

    In the narrower southern AOC Côtes du Rhône, 97% red and rosé wines are produced, but on some wineries only white wines are produced . Due to the very mild internal climate, the grapes thrive almost every year and develop a high degree of fruit sweetness, which usually makes chaptalizing (enriching the must with sugar) unnecessary. The wines of the appellation are made "dry"; Sweet wines or wines with residual sugar are practically unknown. The only exceptions to this are Beaumes-de-Venise and Rasteau , well-known sweet wines, and a few other specialties.

    The annual production on the 49,000 hectare acreage is around 400 million liters. 7,000 production companies in 171 municipalities belong to the AOC Côtes du Rhône, 2,000 of which have their own winery, the other companies are grouped together in cooperatives.

    Characteristics

    The wines of the southern Rhône are usually blends ( cuvées ) of different grape varieties; The red wines of the AOC Côtes du Rhône, for example, must consist of at least 40% Grenache Noir and at least 15% Syrah and / or Mourvèdre. The wines are first grown in batches of one grape variety, then harvested according to the variety and vinified separately , and finally the individual wines are later blended together in the cellar to form a cuvée.

    The typical CdR wine is good value for money. There are sometimes good qualities available, for which you pay several times more further north in Burgundy .

    Alcohol levels above 12 percent by volume are the rule, around 14 percent by no means rare. The trend is towards fruity, flowery and berry wines. The complexity and elegance of Burgundy wines is alien to the wine of the Côtes. It is usually not necessary to decant (or "ventilate") the wines of the Côtes long before they are consumed. That makes enjoyment uncomplicated. The wine is strong without tasting too alcoholic or even bubbly. These are simple, fresh and fruity wines, soft, round and pleasantly warming on the palate, with a lower alcohol content also drinkable chilled. The red wines of the Appelation CdR have developed positively in recent years.

    Grape varieties

    The following grape varieties are essentially prescribed in the Southern Rhône region:

    red wine

    Main grape variety: Grenache .

    Secondary grape varieties: Mourvèdre and Syrah . Other permitted grape varieties include : Carignan , Cinsault , Counoise , Clairette, Muscardin , Terret Noir , and Vaccarèse .

    At least 70% of the main and secondary grape varieties must be planted. The main grape variety Grenache must be at least 40%, the grape varieties Mourvèdre and Syrah at least 15%. White grape varieties may be used up to a maximum of 5%.

    rose

    Main grape variety: Grenache .

    Secondary grape varieties: Mourvèdre and Syrah . Other permitted grape varieties include : Carignan , Cinsault , Counoise , Clairette, Muscardin , Terret Noir , and Vaccarèse .

    At least 70% of the main and secondary grape varieties must be planted. The main grape variety Grenache must be at least 40%, the grape varieties Mourvèdre and Syrah at least 15%. White grape varieties may be used up to a maximum of 20%.

    White wine

    Main grape varieties: Bourboulenc , Clairette Blanche , Grenache Blanc , Marsanne blanche , Roussanne and Viognier .

    Secondary grape varieties: Piquepoul Blanc and Ugni Blanc. At least 80% of the main grape varieties must be used.

    Legal

    The AOC Côtes du Rhône (CdR) was formed by decree on November 19, 1937 . It covers 73,000 hectares of production area in six departments : Rhône , Loire , Drôme , Ardèche , Vaucluse and Gard . The last update was made by Regulation No. 2011–1463 of November 7, 2011.

    Effects on qualities and prices

    An area AOC (like CdR) is further subdivided into location-based appellations, sometimes more finely into location-related appellations. The AOC Côtes du Rhône is thus the most general legally formulated wine region designation for the southern Rhone Valley between Valence and Avignon , and the "least valuable" for wines from this area. In other words: a wine that did not "make it" into the higher-quality local or vineyard appellations because it did not appear typical enough for a more narrowly defined area can still be marketed by the producer as AOC Rhône.

    As a rule, for high-class wine, the aim is to obtain a site or single-vineyard test, as it can then be sold much more expensively. An example: a wine labeled Vacqueyras AOC is “better” than a Côtes-du-Rhône AOC due to the local appellation ; Vacqueyras is a local AOC "Villages" in the large AOC, and the award of local typicality enhances the wine.

    Even more important, however, as in all of France, is to know the individual reputation of the individual winegrowing company if one is aiming for top quality. In the large local appellations in particular, there are many companies that are “average”, while only a few companies with a high workload are always the best. Those interested in high-class CdR wine will therefore not be able to avoid getting to know the producers.

    Approved municipalities

    The wine-growing region of the northern Rhône near Tournon-sur-Rhône

    As of August 31, 2001, 171 municipalities are permitted in the Côtes du Rhône appellation.

    Ardèche department

    The following municipalities are permitted: Andance , Ardoix , Arras-sur-Rhône , Bourg-Saint-Andéol , Champagne , Charnas , Châteaubourg , Cornas , Félines , Glun , Guilherand-Granges , Lemps , Limony , Mauves , Ozon , Peyraud , Saint-Désirat , Saint-Étienne-de-Valoux , Saint-Jean-de-Muzols , Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban , Saint-Just-d'Ardèche , Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche , Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche , Saint-Péray , Sarras , Sécheras , Serrières , Talencieux , Toulaud , Tournon-sur-Rhône and Vion .

    Drôme department

    The following municipalities are permitted: Beaumont-Monteux , Bouchet , Chanos-Curson , Crozes-Hermitage , Érôme , Gervans , Larnage , La Roche-de-Glun , Le Pègue , Livron-sur-Drôme , Mercurol , Mérindol-les-Oliviers , Mirabel -aux-Baronnies , Mollans-sur-Ouvèze , Montbrison-sur-Lez , Nyons , Piégon , Pont-de-l'Isère , Rochegude , Rousset-les-Vignes , Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues , Saint-Pantaléon-les -Vignes , Serves-sur-Rhône , Suze-la-Rousse , Tain-l'Hermitage , Taulignan , Tulette , Venterol and Vinsobres .

    The quality of the local AOC Vinsobres stands out here.

    Gard department

    The following municipalities are permitted: Aiguèze , Aramon , Bagnols-sur-Cèze , Carsan , Castillon-du-Gard , Cavillargues , Chusclan , Codolet , Comps , Connaux , Cornillon , Domazan , Estézargues , Fournès , Gaujac , La Roque-sur-Cèze , Laudun-l'Ardoise , Laval-Saint-Roman , Le Pin , Lirac , Montfrin , Orsan , Pont-Saint-Esprit , Pougnadoresse , Pouzilhac , Pujaut , Remoulins , Rochefort-du-Gard , Roquemaure , Sabran , Saint-Alexandre , Saint -André-d'Olérargues , Saint-Étienne-des-Sorts , Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas , Saint-Gervais , Saint-Hilaire-d'Ozilhan , Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas , Saint-Laurent-de-Carnols , Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres , Saint-Marcel-de-Careiret , Saint-Michel-d'Euzet , Saint-Nazaire , Saint-Paul-les-Fonts , Saint-Paulet-de-Caisson , Saint-Pons-la -Calm , Saint-Victor-la-Coste , Sauveterre , Saze , Tavel , Théziers , Tresques , Valliguières , Vénéjan and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon .

    The quality of the local AOC Lirac stands out here.

    Loire department

    The following municipalities are permitted: Chavanay , Malleval , Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône , Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf and Vérin .

    Rhône department

    The following municipalities are permitted: Ampuis , Condrieu , Saint-Cyr-sur-le-Rhône , Tupin-et-Semons .

    Vaucluse department

    The following municipalities are permitted: Avignon , Beaumes-de-Venise , Bédarrides , Bollène , Buisson , Cairanne , Camaret-sur-Aigues , Caumont-sur-Durance , Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne , Châteauneuf-du-Pape , Courthézon , Faucon , Gigondas , Grillon , Jonquerettes , Jonquières , Lafare , Lagarde-Paréol , Mondragon , Morières-lès-Avignon , Mornas , Orange , Piolenc , Puyméras , Rasteau , Richerenches , Roaix , La Roque-Alric , Sablet , Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes , Saint-Marcellin-lès-Vaison , Saint-Romain-en-Viennois , Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde , Saint-Saturnin-lès-Avignon , Sarrians , Séguret , Sérignan-du-Comtat , Sorgues , Suzette , Travaillan , Uchaux , Vacqueyras , Vaison-la-Romaine , Valréas , Vedène , Villedieu , Violès , Visan .

    The local AOC Vacqueyras, Gigondas , Beaumes-de-Venise and the famous wine-growing town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape stand out in terms of quality .

    history

    Viticulture in the southern Rhone Valley has already been proven for pre-Roman antiquity; wine-growing began here in France, starting from Phoenician and Greek trading establishments. The best known: Massilia / Marseille.

    literature

    Web links

    Individual evidence

    1. ↑ Specifications of the AOC Côtes du Rhône (September 3, 2013)
    2. ↑ Wolfgang Staudt, Fifty Red Wines That You Should Know , 2006, p. 179 f.
    3. ↑ Gerd Rindchen, Crashkurs Wein , 2012, p. 108 f.
    4. ↑ Specifications of the AOC Côtes du Rhône . (December 2013)
    5. ↑ Cahier des Charges de l'Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée “Côtes du Rhône”, accessed on April 10, 2015