More Rhone Tasting Notes

Ok, by now you may be getting sick of listening to me as I spout off about my current favorite region, but off I go again. This week I tasted two “new to me” wines, one a Cotes du Rhone, and the other a smaller appellation called Cotes du Ventoux. A gift, the 2003 Paul Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45 is available at Kroger and elsewhere and is value priced (~$10). Typical for the region, with some additional tannin that might bring the errant cab drinker into the Rhone fold. Plum, fig and black cherry abound in the mouth. Equal parts Grenache and Syrah.
The 2004 Vielle Ferme (the Old farm) Cotes du Ventoux is an effort by the Perrin family, of Chateau de Beaucastel fame. This blend of Grenache and Syrah is supplemented with Carignan and Cinsault. When you see carignan added in a blend, you can suspect some tannin and spice to be the goal of the winemaker, adding depth to other lighter style grapes. Chock full of fruit, this effort belies it’s high hillside location with deep flavors of it’s neighbor, Chateauneuf du Pape. I believe I bought this at Wine Lover’s, and recommend it.
The smaller regions of the Rhone Valley offer great values in French tasting. Look for Cotes du Ventoux, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Lirac to make your Rhone dollar go farther. For higher quality at a price, Chateauneuf du Pape and Cotes du Rhone-Villages are the “go to” regions.