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The wines > Côtes du Rhône

• CAVE CÉCILIA, SAINTE-CÉCILE-LES-VIGNES
  

  LVT 2006 r

• 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 DE MONTFAUCON
  

  LVT 2009 r 2008 wh Flourishing, very drinkable wines. The lesser wines have caught up the main Baron Louis, and are good value. The Baron Louis is a wine that takes its time, is classically structured.

• 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.

• CLOS DES CÎMES
  

  LVT 2007 r Young couple, both oenologues, with Elodie Aubert`s family Co-operateurs. First wine 2007

• DAUVERGNE ET RANVIER
  

  LVT 2006 Also known as R&D Vins, located next to the Château Saint Maurice at Laudun in the Gard. A reputable merchant business.

• DOMAINE BONETTO FABROL
  

  LVT 2007 r

• 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 CROIX BLANCHE
  

  LVT 2006 r

• DOMAINE DE LA GRAVEIRETTE
  

  LVT 2007 r Started in 2005, ex viticulteur, now making his own wine

• 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 DES ROMARINS
  

  LVT 2008 r Long been a good, secure source for robust Gardois Côtes du Rhône

• DOMAINE DU BOIS DES MÈGES
  

  LVT 2008 r Also make a Plan de Dieu, and small amounts of Gigondas. Extraction an issue. Ghislain Guige started career as caviste at Château Mont-Redon.

• DOMAINE GRAMENON
  

  LVT 2008 r wh A longstanding organic domaine, a real pace setter for refined quality in the 1980s. Now biodynamic. Great fruit purity when the wines are in good condition. Very little sulphur use. Good amount of w.o.w. wines.

• 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.

• DOMAINE SAINT ETIENNE
  

  LVT 2008 r Sound leading red Les Albizzias, local quality

• DOMAINE SAINT-PIERRE D`ESCARVAILLAC
  

  LVT 2007 r Near Avignon, a domaine in tis family since 1889. Correct fruit in the classic Côtes du Rhône

• LEPLAN VERMEERSCH
  

  LVT 2008 r Dirk Vermeersch is an ex racing driver, and it shows! The titles of the wines are petrol head related, and at times the feeling is that the extraction is, too. These are deliberately big wines, with the cellar and the marketing prominent. Allow time for oak to settle. Interesting Carignan vin de pays, GT-C.

• MAISON ROUGE
  

  LVT 2006 r Recent merchant business, with wines from Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape as well. Oak cask raising in the Aveyron, central France, near the cheese area of Roquefort.

• 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.

• MAXIME-FRANÇOIS LAURENT
  

  LVT 2008 r First vintage 2006. Maxime-Francois is the son of the owner of Domaine Gramenon, a leading light in organic Côtes du Rhône.

• 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.

• RAVOIRE ET FILS, OLIVIER RAVOIRE
  

  LVT 2008 r Négociant business started late 1987, lot of sales to cavistes in Paris. Olivier Ravoire is the Rhône wine name. Half of all their wine is Provence rosé. Stout style in the main reds such as Gigondas.

• 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.