Northern Rhone whites are some of the unheralded stars of the wineworld. There’s a good story to this wine, too. Before around 1995, Jaboulet were one of the top producers…
Northern Rhone series 15, Dard et Ribo Karriere
Now this is something a bit different. It’s a white Crozes Hermitage from old vine Marsanne on white clay soil. As with all the Dard & Ribo wines, it is…
Northern Rhone series 12, Saint Peray time
Saint-Péray is a tiny appellation in the south of the northern Rhône, consisting of some 62 hectares of vines planted on granite overlaid by limestone, silt and loess soils. It’s…
Northern Rhone series 2, Chapoutier Chante Alouette Hermitage Blanc 2007
Continuing my exploration of the Northern Rhone, wine number two is also a white Hermitage. It may seem an odd choice. Shouldn’t I have gone to Syrah? But I want…
Northern Rhone series 1, Cave de Tain Hermitage Blanc Au Coeur des Siecles 2007
I have decided to start a short series of posts on the wines of the northern Rhone, a splendid and unique place for growing wine grapes. Not only is it…
Exploring the Hermitage hill
Just back from an amazing mini-trip to the northern Rhone to visit Chapoutier, who are the largest vineyard holders in Hermitage, one of the world’s great wine appellations. Hermitage is…
Sweet wine season, 7: Chapoutier Hermitage Vin de Paille 1995
This is quite serious. It’s a sweet white wine made from the Marsanne variety, picked ripe, sorted and then dried on straw mats for two months. The must typically has…