Tag Archives: Cotes du Rhone

Classic Beginning to end

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Christmas dinner was a good way to share this great white blend. 

Lots of our favourite aromas and flavours come to the forefront. Tropical and Balanced.

Grenache Blanc and Viognier grown in the Gard, blended with Roussanne and Clairette grown in the Vaucluse.

It’s easy not to let this one hang around – best had when fresh as it arrives at your favourite dairy.

Medium-bodied, just dry enough.  There’s not a lot of complexity here … but it’s classic Rhone.

Saint Vincent, born during the 3rd century in Spain, is considered the patron saint of winegrowers. Vincent means triumphant in Latin. 

COTES DU RHONE BLANC – MEFFRE SAINT VINCENT

$15.99 regularly $17.99 

13.5% Alcohol

UPC:03142920026306

In the Pecking Order

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Côtes-du-Rhône Villages is a French Wine Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the southern Rhone wine region of France.

Red, white and rosé wine are all produced within the appellation. The quality is superior to the generic Cotes du Rhone AOC. but below more specific appellations such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and Vacqueyras AOC. Côtes-du-Rhône Villages is the second largest appellation in the Rhône, only surpassed in size by Côtes-du-Rhône AOC.


In the red wines the Grenache grape must be present at not less than 50%, with 20% Syrah and/or Mourvèdre. A maximum of 20% of other authorized varieties is permitted. The rosés must contain a minimum of 50% Grenache with 20% of Syrah and/or Morvèdre and a maximum of 20% of other authorised varieties to comprise not more than 20% of white varieties. Used are Grenache, Clairette, Marsanne, Rousanne, Bouboulenc and Viognier.

The white wines are a blend of Grenache white, Clairette white, Marsanne white, Rousanne white, Bourboulenc white and Viognier. Other varieties are allowed to a maximum of 20%. The minimum required alcoholic strength is fixed at 12% for all three colours.

80 make 4 Million

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A most memorable blend and about 4 million bottles have been produced of this blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre.  

Guigal brings together grapes from 80+ growers in the northern and southern Rhone.


We very much enjoyed the underlying acidity and minerality.  Long on stone fruit flavours, big on pleasing the palate.


This one will be remembered for a long time.


Cotes du Rhone – Guigal 2017

$22.99

14% Alcohol

UPC: 03536650501002

Men are from Mars, Women from Venus and Wine from Jupiter

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This is a lovely blended family.  Stew the first night, and carefully saved enough for a healthy glass with the lamb chops the following night.


The wine is from vineyards situated on remarkable terroirs such as Signargues, Cairanne and Rasteau, This wine is a blend of very old Grenache (85%) & Syrah (15%).

Wine Advocate rates it at 89 points.  I’d go a little higher because of it’s smoothness. It’s a medium to full-bodied combo with a perky finish.

COTES DU RHONE – HALOS DE JUPITER 2017

$21.99 regularly $23.99

15.5% alcohol

UPC: 00690604000447

Lighter and Softer

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COTES DU RHONE – CHAPOUTIER BELLERUCHE 2018

UPC:  03391181110136

14% alcohol

The French don’t have Chateaubriand every night with their wine – and we don’t either, so we did our home made chilli to have with a little Cote du Rhone.

This one seems a little softer and lighter than some, which was a bit of a surprise considering the 14% alcohol content. But that also, generally, means that you can put it down for a few years to savour in the future.

James Suckling says “bright, simple and easygoing style”  We agree.

The anticipated blend of Syrah and Grenache but the % of each we don’t know.

Soil is made up of several major types of terroirs including pebbly clay soils, soils with layers of stones, stony clay terraces, and stony, silty-sand… All these soils provide the vine with a constant water supply and, at night, release the heat stored up by the pebbles during the day.

Classic Dinner

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Code: 589432

$16.49

Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone

It’s a lovely blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne and Viognier.


Very well balanced.  It’s not one of the mystery case offerings. But, this is one of our favourite white blends and a standard ‘go-to’ if the mind hits a blank when wandering the isles.  Always good to have one in reserve.


Teamed up with an easy one pan dinner:  An omelette. The Treehouse Twist is to melt a little Feta/Kashkaval cheese mix on top.  We like the sheep variety of the Kashkaval and our’s is a Bulgarian import.


Home stewed rhubarb on top of Frozen Yogurt was a refreshing dessert.

Real Men eat Quiche

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Could have gone with either Red or White with what we were planning.
Looked at what had been prepped on the counter and decided on a Red.
Wanted something medium bodied, spicy but light and smooth at the end
Balance is what I was after and that’s what we got …


Code 535849

$17.99


Was a little surprised that the alcohol content was 14%

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The quiche was a little on the experimental side – but generally you can do just about anything you want with the mix.  Bron decided on leek, red and yellow pepper, green onion, bacon (of course) and some mushrooms.  Cheeses were cheddar and asiago.
Ended up being a great combo with some small fresh tomatoes on the side.