The wines > Côtes du Rhône

  • CHÂTEAU DE FONSALETTE

    LVT 2008 r wh A quite extraordinary estate owned by the Reynaud family of Château Rayas. Natural, wonderfully long-lived, complex wines, red and white.

  • CHÂTEAU LA BORIE

    LVT 2008 r Jérome Margnat took over this old domaine in 2000. I remember it as a progressive estate in its infancy, under Jérome`s uncle Emile Bories, in the early 1970s, then it wandered off the radar. It is near Suze-la-Rousse, where there is plenty of woodland. Its production is all bottled – average of 1,500 hl of Côtes du Rhône and the same of Villages each year. Agreeably fruited wines that deliver pleasure.

  • CHÂTEAU SAINT JEAN

    LVT 2006 r Owned by Christian Meffre from Gigondas, vineyards at Travaillan on the Plan de Dieu. Sound wines.

  • DOMAINE COULANGE

    LVT 2009 r wh Young grower whose father was part of the Cave Co-operative of Bourg Saint-Andéol. The first wine was made in 1996. Reasoned working of the vineyard. 30% is bottled. Sound quality, some local feel. All the 2008s were sold in bulk.

  • DOMAINE DE GIGOGNAN

    LVT 2007 r Young woman who has made local headlines from promoting the cause of young winegrowers - President of the Young Agriculteurs of the Vaucluse in 2008. Newcomer to wine.

  • DOMAINE DE GIVAUDAN

    LVT 2006 r Unusual position west of Laudun in the Tave Valley, with altitude to help freshness in the wines. Extraction appears present in the Côtes du Rhône Léa red, but worth keeping an eye on this 21-hectare domaine that was started by M Givaudan, an ex Co-operateur at Cavillargues, in 2000. Oldest Grenache (1920s) planted by his grandfather. trt

  • DOMAINE DE LA BERTHÈTE

    LVT 2007 r Easy drinking wines, drink young for the most part

  • DOMAINE DE LA ROUETTE

    LVT 2007 r Attractive 2007 red. Bottlings done upon demand, so several per annum. Have been bottling since 1970s.

  • DOMAINE DE SERVANS

    LVT 2007 r Philippe Granier is fourth generation at this domaine.

  • DOMAINE DENIS TARDIEU

    LVT 2006 r Organic. Also produces Olive oil from Nyons from the Tanche variety, planted after the 1956 frosts by his grandfather

  • DOMAINE DU BOIS DES MÈGES

    LVT 2007 r Also make a Plan de Dieu, and small amounts of Gigondas. Extraction an issue.

  • DOMAINE GRIS DES BAURIES

    LVT 2007 r Recent collaboration between four people; Patrick Bernard, formerly a stone mason, is the son of a vigneron.

  • DOMAINE LES ASSEYRAS

    LVT 2006 r Long-time bottler of good, authentic, punchy Côtes du Rhône at Tulette, in the southern Drôme near Visan

  • DOMAINE ROUGE-BLEU

    LVT 2008 r rosé Jean-Marc Espinasse used to work in wine sales for 15 years. His uncle is Monsieur Jean-Claude Vidal of the very traditional Domaine du Banneret at Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The first vintage was 2007, and the approach is organic. His wife Kristin is American, and is a writer. The wines are made in a relaxed manner - the portents are good. There are many sales already to the USA.

  • MAS DE LIBIAN

    LVT 2009 r wh Organic right bank domaine, high profile due to the stylish Hélenet being red-hot on marketing, and the wines offering full flavours, They have eased off the extraction recently, a good move. Low yields, all bottled.

  • MATTHIEU DUMARCHER

    LVT 2007 r 2006 rosé Matthieu was 30 in 2007. He made his first wine in 2006. He works organically, and is awaiting a full certificate on that. In 2007, his total production in bottle was 13,000.

  • PATRICK LESEC

    LVT 2007 r Patrick Lesec is a merchant living west of Avignon. He selects and raises wines, and thse are sold under the title Patrick Lesec Selections in the southern Rhône. The Côtes du Rhône and Villages category wines are good. In the northern Rhône, he works with Coursodon at Saint-Joseph and Domaine des Remizières at Crozes-Hermitage. He favours plenty of oak use and low sulphur vinifications. There are no sales direct to the public, and he is a big name in the USA.

  • VIGNOBLES DAVID

    Ex Co-operateur from Saint-Hilaire d’Ozilhan. Alain came to the Rhône in the early 1980s and bought the domaine, then with 32 hectares, in 1992. His son Frédéric joined the domaine in 2000, having had his own Public Relations company in Paris. Alain sorted out the vineyard, and said to his son, “you do the rest.” Also have 3 hectares of olives. 40% is bottled (2007). The wines are cleanly-fruited.