The World in a Glass - Rhône Valley Whites
WORDS: Ange Seddon
Rhône Valley Whites
A few weeks ago, I had the joy of attending a wine tasting exploring the white wines of the Rhône Valley. More typically known for its reds, ‘think red, think Rhône’ and most famously Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But there is a lot more to the Rhône than big gutsy reds. With a region that stretches from Lyon to Marseille, it has a wide range of contrasting geography, terroir, climate, and grape varieties all linked by the king of rivers, the Rhône. The valleys and slopes have soils consisting of four quite distinct types of rock. Limestone, granite, sand, and clay each play a hugely influential role in the way in which the vines grow, affecting the diverse aromas and flavours of the wines from this region. It truly is a land of contrasts, but it is also a region where blending is its superpower, harnessing those contrasts in a harmonious way. With 37 different grape varieties grown here, the winemaking team gets the most out of each one by skilfully blending to make wines that are truly greater than the sum of their parts.
The wine tasting concentrated on the fabulous whites this region has to offer. Often lesser well known, these wines offer excellent value and punch way above their price point, making them worth seeking out.
We had three masterclasses led by the Rhône Ranger himself, Mr Matt Walls, a contributing editor for Decanter Magazine and expert on the Rhône Valley and its wines. He talked us through the history and geography of the region, from its picturesque landscape to its amazing biodiversity. He also took us through a detailed tasting of some of his specially selected wines, guiding us from North to the South exploring how nature shapes the wines.
So, I thought I would share with you some of my standouts, and while some of these specific wines may not be available in the UK just yet, the style, grape varieties and appellations are worth adding to your shopping list. With demand for white wines continuing to grow, they are becoming more important commercially for producers, so hopefully we will see more of them on the shop shelves.
Hermitage Blanc Les Miaux – Ferraton Pére & Fils 2021
The Wine Society, RRP £47, thewinesociety.com
For an area that is better known for its reds comes this beautiful white made with 100% Marsanne. This generous, deep and rich wine had lots going on. Aromas and flavours of mango and dried apricot, with noble bitter notes (which works in a comparable way to acidity), giving the wine energy. Aged in both barrel and oak, the impact of the oak is gentle, but extends the finish. There is also a bit of an almond/marzipan feel to it. It also has the ability to age well.
Domaine des Bernadins – Muscat-de-Beaumes-de-Venise 2024
The Wine Society, RRP £21, thewinesociety.com
I have said it before, but a good, sweet wine goes great with cheese as an alternative to port. This rich and honeyed-smelling wine made from the Muscat grape has a beautiful coppery pink colour and tastes intense and luscious at the same time. It enjoys a great history, with Pliny the Elder talking about this wine.
Other supermarkets do have this, so look for it where the sweet wines are.
The Wine Society requires a membership to be able to buy its wine, but at £40 with £20 off your first order, and free UK delivery on all orders, I think it's worth it, as they have an incredible treasure trove of wines on offer.
Another of the wines that I tried (from different producers) was Condrieu, coming from a small appellation in the Northern part of the Rhône Valley, made from the Viognier grape. Each one stood out, tasting them side by side with other wines, and I would encourage you to try them. These fragrant, aromatic wines have flavours of apricot and mango with freshness, but also richness.
So, give the whites of the Rhône a try, I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised and hopefully you can find a new favourite.
Cin cin et salute a tutti,
Ange
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