FRENCH CIVILISATION

RHONE VALLEY WINE TASTING

Introduced by Alan Nordberg on 10 December 1999

This tasting of Rhône wines was generously sponsored by Great Western Wines, and the delicious accompanying snacks were donated by Jean-Pierre Augé of Le Beaujolais.

The better Rhône red wines have a lot of tannin in them which needs time to soften. They are usually sold too young for immediate drinking and should be kept for several years, but if this is not possible open them two days before drinking. Many of the appellations are very small, which can account for the high price.

The white wines of the Rhône, on the other hand, should be drunk young. There are far fewer of them than the reds, but they deserve to be better known.

We started the tasting with a white Saint Joseph 1997, a very attractive wine which makes a persuasive case for sampling others. We then tried a 1998 Côtes du Rhône Villages from the Southern Rhône, this one designed to be drunk young and already soft and very drinkable. It represents very good value at its relatively low price. After this came a 1996 Crozes Hermitage, now drinking particularly well, even though the 1995 is not yet ready. The last of the reds in this tasting was a Châteauneuf du Pape from a domaine making classic Châteauneuf with a combination of traditional wine-making and modern flair. We sampled a 1996 bottle with the rich and complex wine showing its potential for ageing 10-15 years. In complete contrast to the other wines the tasting ended, appropriately, with a sweet white wine: a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 1998. Unlike many examples of the appellation this avoids being too alcoholic and heavy. It is delightfully well balanced and refreshing.

We are most grateful to Alan Nordberg and Great Western Wines for giving us such an enjoyable and instructive evening.

Anne Whitmarsh