Rhone Red Blends from Cotes du Rhone Villages, Rhone, France

Grenache 60%, Syrah 40%

Purchase Price $14.99

James Suckling 90, ElsBob 91

ABV 14.5%

A medium purple with tawny rim and slightly opaque. A medium-full bodied wine with aromas plums, chocolate, and a whiff of tobacco. On the palate the tannins are easy and very well balanced with the acidity. A very nice finish. We enjoyed this with soft cheese and hard salami. Delicious.

An excellent fine wine at a very comfortable price. Current prices range from about $15-18.

Trivia: The Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation was officially established in 1967 to recognize superior-quality wines from select villages in the southern Rhone Valley. These wines rank above standard Cotes du Rhone but below Cotes du Rhone Crus (such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape).

The idea of distinguishing higher-quality Rhone valley wines began circulating in the 1950s. By 1953, five communes: Cairanne, Gigondas, Chusclan, Laudun, and Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues were identified for their exemplary potential. Wineries could append their village name to the label if they met strict production standards, minimum alcohol levels of 12.5%, and grape composition of at least 50% Grenache, and 20% Syrah.

Today, 21 villages are allowed to include their name on the label, while others use the generic “Côtes du Rhône Villages” designation. Bieler Pere et Fils chose not to list their village, but their La Jassine Cotes du Rhone Villages Rouge 2022 originates from Valreas, located in the northern reaches of the Southern Rhone Valley.

On the label is rooster or classic French coq: a symbol of traditional farming, terroir authenticity and rural pride.