Between Vienne and Valence

Geologically and climatically, the northern part of the Côtes du Rhône differs significantly from the southern. Between Vienne in the north and Valence in the south, the river flows through a valley bordered by the foothills of the Massif Central in the west and the Alps in the east.

On the sometimes very steep, often terraced slopes, Syrah is mainly grown as the only red wine variety permitted in the various appellations. The share of white wines has increased in recent years and is now almost 20 percent. The main grape variety here is Viognier. However, Marsanne Blanche and Roussanne are also gaining some importance.

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The soils of the northern Rhône are characterised by volcanic granite rock from the Massif Central, partly covered by slate, gneiss, limestone, loess or various sediments.

The Syrahs of the individual appellations are difficult to compare with each other. The interplay of different soils and microclimates is too complex to be able to speak of a uniform style of wine. However, the high-quality red wines of the region have one thing in common: they need at least a few years to mature, sometimes considerably more than a decade.

The white wines, on the other hand, are said to have a limited ageing potential of no more than five years.

We took a look around the northern Rhône and tasted four white wines, including two Viogniers, in addition to a broader selection of Syrahs.

In the following overview, we present the eight appellations of the growing region in a little more detail.

The wines of the Côte-Rôtie were already known for their high quality in ancient times. The appellation includes the communes of Saint-Cyr-sur-Rhône, Ampuis and Tupin-Semons on the orographically right bank of the river. Geologically, a distinction is made between the Côte blonde (steep granite terraces with light sandy limestone soils) and the Côte brune (iron oxide, darker clay soils). The appellation's Syrahs can contain between ten and 20 per cent Viognier. The wines develop slowly and usually reach drinking maturity after five to ten years, but sometimes much later. Two of the best three Syrahs in our tasting came from the Côte-Rôtie: Étienne Guigal's Château d'Ampuis and Stéphane Ogier's “La Belle Hélène”.

South of the Côte-Rôtie lies the Condrieu appellation, which is known for its white wines. The only authorised grape variety here is Viognier. The vines are grown on steep granite slopes that cannot be worked by machine. Condrieus are very low in acidity and have a full body. Due to their subtle fruit of field flowers, violets and pineapple, they are well suited as a food accompaniment, for example to foie gras, but also to shellfish and fish dishes. Condrieus should rather be drunk young, within five years.

Château-Grillet is undoubtedly a curiosity. The enclave of the Condrieu appellation belongs exclusively to the vineyard of the same name. The contiguous, steep, terraced vineyard is partly on the territory of Saint-Michel sur Rhône, partly belongs to the commune of Vérin. It consists of weathered granite rock. Only Viognier is permitted. The wines of Château-Grillet fetch very high prices. The annual production is only 10000 bottles.

With a cultivated area of around 1000 hectares, Saint-Joseph is the second largest appellation in the northern Rhône. It stretches over a length of 50 kilometres and includes 23 communes in the department of Ardèche and three in the department of Loire. The vines are planted on black mica or, in the centre of the appellation, gneiss. Marsanne and Roussanne, but not Viognier, are permitted for white wine production. The Syrahs can contain a white wine share of ten percent. The wines reach their peak relatively quickly: the white after two years, the red after five.

Crozes-Hermitage has only a young winemaking tradition. Until recently, only fruit was grown in the south of the appellation. The area under vines in Crozes-Hermitage has now been expanded to over 1200 hectares. This makes Crozes-Hermitage the largest appellation in the northern Rhône. Vineyards are predominantly grown on more or less siliceous alluvial soils, some of which contain calcareous loam and clay. Occasionally there is also loess, and on the slopes sandy weathered granite soils. Syrah may be blended with up to 15 percent Marsanne and Roussanne, the only grape varieties permitted for white wine production.

Alongside the Côte-Rôtie, the Hermitage appellation produces probably the best Syrahs in the northern Rhône. The soils consist of weathered granite, covered with mica and gneiss, and occasionally alluvial detritus. As in the neighbouring Crozes-Hermitage appellation, there are also white wines from Marsanne and Roussanne, which may be blended with up to 15 percent into Syrah. The white wines are surprisingly storable and sometimes almost reach the ageing potential of the red wines, which not infrequently need ten or even 20 years until they are ready to drink.

The Cornas appellation is limited to the commune of the same name. On the terraces, which are held up by stone walls, exclusively Syrah grows on siliceous, partly also calcareous sedimentary soils. A Cornas should mature for at least five years, but in individual cases it can be much longer. The winemaking tradition in Cornas dates back to the Middle Ages. In the 19^th century, the red wines enjoyed a similarly high esteem as the growths from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

In the extreme south of the wine-growing region, the Saint-Péray appellation, which covers only 62 hectares, produces exclusively white wines from Marsanne and Roussanne. The soils on the plain and at the foot of the slopes are alluvial, while the slopes to the west and northwest are dominated by stony loess and light layers of soil with limestone chips. Only on the steep slopes facing east and southeast granite with black mica appears. In addition to still wines, which are mostly drunk young, the appellation also produces remarkable sparkling wines.