SOUTHERN RHONE

 

Pascal Chalon (Tulette)                                                                                                                                                   BIO

Our colleague Ai Watanabe had spotted something interesting on a geeky Japanese blog. So we hunted him down - a young man called Pascal Chalon, making biodynamic Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages in his Grandmother's garage. We clambered around, amongst the tools and apples, squeezed ourselves around her beaten-up Renault and, as soon as we had tasted his two wines, "La Petite Ourse" and "La Grande Ourse", were quick to back the van up and load the last 9 cases he had. La Petite Ourse is 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache. Meaty nose, then really pure fruit and supple tannins. La Grande Ourse has some old-vine Mourvedre  in the mix.

 

red
	La Grande Ourse	2006	15.99

 

Domaine de Cascavel (Ventoux)

We have been circling Domaine de Cascavel for almost a decade. Highly-strung Olivier Baguet has left to do his own thing and the urbane Raphael Trouiller continues with delicious, herbal reds from the lower slopes of Mont Ventoux, the snow-capped peak which towers over the southern Rhone valley. Le Cascavel is a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah and evocative of the “garrigue”, the local brushy scrubland thick with lavender, rosemary and thyme.

 

white
	In Fine Blanc	2007	8.99
red
	In Fine Rouge	2007	8.99
	Le Cascavel	2006	11.99
	Les Amidyves	2004	15.99

 

Francois Vallot – Domaine Coriancon (Vinsobres)                                                                                   BIO

We called-in on François Vallot late last year. The heavily moustachioed François is a fourth-generation wine-maker and owns one of the smallest, oldest domaines in the Cotes-du-Rhone, an area where much of the wine is bottled by the big co-operatives. Since our previous visit he has turned “Bio”. Excellent. So everything from 2007 is officially biodynamic. The previous 5 years were “in conversion”, which is the transitional period before you can be certified as organic. His domaine is in Vinsobres, one of the named Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages, like Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Cairanne, all satellites of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It’s a beautiful, warm, windswept setting with the jagged Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux as a backdrop. His Grenache and Syrah vines are twisted and beaten-up (rather than caressed) by Le Mistral.

 

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	Vinsobres	2006	11.50

 

Jean-Louis Canto – Domaine de la Ronciere (Chateauneuf-du-Pape)

The small town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape near Orange in the hot windswept south of France is the epicentre of the southern Rhone and well-known for its big, bold, sometimes dusty reds. Jean-Louis and Martine Canto make Chateauneuf-du-Pape in both colours, a breezy Cotes du Rhone and a deep, more serious Reserve, a blend of Grenache and Syrah with a splash of Mourvedre for an added dark twist.

 

red
	Chateauneuf-du-Pape	2006	19.99