The popularity of and interest in red blends continues to grow.
It is often said that blends are greater than any one of their parts. Indeed, some of the world’s greatest wines are blends. While each varietal has the potential to stand on its own, more times than not they seem to shine best when blended with other varietals.
The two most common red blends both originated in Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley in France. For this column, we will focus on the big wines of the southern Rhone Valley.
These wines are known as the big, bold, ripe and spicy wines of France. They are incredibly versatile, making both great cocktail wines and outstanding food wines.
The dominant variety, grenache, typically is the foundation for all wines from this region. Other varietals used to make these blends include syrah, mourvèdre, carignan and cinsault.
The wines typically possess aromatics of raspberry, white or black pepper, herbs de la garrigue, licorice and lavender. Depending their classification, they range from light and juicy to full-bodied, rich and structured.
The greatest wine from the southern Rhone Valley is Chateauneuf du Pape, or “new castle of the Pope,” which dates back to the 14th century.
These are spicy and powerful reds that, because of their concentration and higher alcohol content, drink well relatively young. Their higher alcohol content makes them considerably lower in acidity, which shortens their aging potential but conversely offers earlier approachability.
Although some producers’ wines can hold for up to 20 years, most are best consumed around their 10-year mark, and most drink well within a few years of bottling. These wines, which are great values compared to the famous chateaus of Bordeaux, start in the $50 range.
Over the past 20 years, a new style of wine has emerged. This new-school ideology produces young wines of greater finesse and elegance by de-stemming the grapes prior to fermentation, resulting in more feminine, earlier-drinking wines with lower tannins.
Traditionalists may de-stem half of the grapes or not de-stem at all, resulting in wines that are darker, earthier and more structured tannins with greater ability to age.
If you are intimidated by the price tags of the great wines of Chateauneuf du Pape, fear not, because there are several less-expensive alternatives. Wines from Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Lirac are made from the same grape varieties grown in similar soils and can be found in both styles. Often, you can find wines on par with those of Chateauneuf du Pape from one of these lesser known villages at a fraction of the cost. Prices range from $20-$50.
Take another step back and you will find lighter and juicer wines labeled Cotes du Rhone or Cotes du Rhone Village. Both classifications are similar to the great villages above, but they are even more affordable – typically in the $10-$20 range – and make for great everyday wines.
Alan Cuenca is an accredited oenophile and owner of Put a Cork in It, a Durango wine store. Reach him at info@putacorkinit.org.
