Southern Rhone Blends

Wine Style:
Full-bodied reds which are rich warm and have spicy, raspberry flavors. Their whites are usually crisp with good fruit flavors and enjoyment.

Flavors:
Reds:

Whites:

Origin:
The appellation of Chateauneuf du Pape in Southern Rhone, France

Found:
Australia, Southern France, and United States
Red Rhone Blends: The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhone are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Chateauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhone - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend.

Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhone have risen dramatically over the last 10 years and it is becoming an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds color, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.

The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add color, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-colored wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends.

Finally, Mourvedre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhone blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends. Wines with the papal coat of arms embossed on the bottle above the label are an indication and statement of being Estate Bottled.

White Rhone Blends: With the exception of the wines from Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet virtually all Rhone Valley whites are made from blends. In the north, the white wines of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and St-Péray are produced from blends of Marsanne and Roussanne. Generally Marsanne is the dominant partner and it lends colour, body and weight to the blend, as well as richly scented fruit. Roussanne, a notoriously low yielder and pernickety to grow, produces intensely aromatic wines which contribute bouquet, delicacy and finesse to the blend.

Until about 15 years ago there was very little interest in southern Rhone whites as it was widely believed that the combination of dull non aromatic grapes and the baking summer heat meant quality wine production was nigh impossible. Since then the quality has improved markedly through the introduction of cool fermentation techniques and increased plantings of northern Rhône white grapes.

The base of many blends is still Grenache Blanc, a widely planted variety producing fresh wines with apple-like fruits, often with hints of aniseed. Ugni Blanc is still found in many blends, as is Clairette though their general lack of character and definition has led to a reduction in plantings. The future for southern Rhone whites appears to lie with Roussanne, Marsanne, and, increasingly, Viognier.
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Further Reading:
CDP Online
Epicurious
French Food
International Herald Tribune
Terroir France
Wine.com
Wikipedia

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紅色羅納共混物：絕大多數的葡萄酒從南部羅納是共混物。有5個主要的黑色品種，雖然他人使用和最有名的葡萄酒的地區， chateauneuf杜帕普，可以從多達13個不同的品種。 grenache是最重要的葡萄在該國南部羅納-它有助於酒精，溫暖和溫柔多汁的水果，是一個理想的基地，葡萄酒在共混物。

種植的西拉在該國南部羅納有急劇上升超過過去10年中它正成為一個日益重要的組成部分，在共混物。它很少達到的高度，它在北部地區，但新增的顏色，骨幹，鞣質和軟成熟的水果，共混物。

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備受maligned carignan一直在後退，最近，但仍包括在許多共混物-最佳歲的藤可以添加顏色，身體和辛辣的成果。 cinsault也是後退，但如果產量受到限制，可產生中度以及色葡萄酒加入愉快的光水果，紅色和rosé共混物。

最後， mourvedre ，葡萄從邦對地中海沿岸，最近已成為日益重要的組成部分，南部羅納共混物-它常常鬥爭，以充分成熟，但可以添加的酸度，成熟的辣漿果水果和暗示煙草共混物。葡萄酒與教皇紋章浮雕上一瓶以上的標籤顯示和聲明，被地產瓶裝。