Sunday Magazine – August 11, 2019

S MAGAZINE ★ 11 AUGUST 2019 49

Jamie Goode

WINE

Our expert says à votre santé to France’s Rhone Valley vintages

T

he Rhône Valley in the

South of France is a

large and wonderful

wine region that’s

currently making some

of the country’s best-value wines.

Quality has leapt in recent

decades, and large wineries that

used to turn out plonk are now

making some delicious bottles.

Most are supple reds but there

are some tasty whites, too.

Château Le Devoy Martine Lirac

Via Secreta 2017 Rhône

£14.99, virginwines.co.uk (0333

259 6785), 13.5% alcohol

White Rhône wines are often

overlooked but this is delightful,

with appealing soft pear, apple

and peach fruit and a smooth

texture in the mouth. Soft,

luxurious fruits are the key here.

Les Closiers Lirac 2017

Rhône £10, Marks & Spencer,

14.5% alcohol

From Lirac, one of the 16 special

subregions of the southern

Rhône, this wine brings together

grenache, syrah, mourvedre and

cinsault grape varieties. It’s a

lovely fresh, floral wine with red

and some sleek black cherries

and bright acidity. It tastes

like a summer pudding with

an autumnal twist and it’s

very quaffable.

Domaine de la Combe Dieu

Rasteau 2015 Rhône £8.99,

Lidl, 15% alcohol

Rasteau is one of the villages

that put their names to wines in

the southern Rhône. This is an

expressive red with sweet plums,

cherries and raspberries. It’s very

satisfying with a nice freshness,

a bit of peppery complexity and

notes of warm herbs.

Clement V Côtes du Rhône

2018 £12.99, Virgin Wines

(as before), 14.5% alcohol

Blending together grenache,

syrah, carignan and cinsault

grape varieties, this is a

delicious, silky, luxurious red

with meaty, peppery depth to

the concentrated black fruits.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Crozes-Hermitage 2017

Northern Rhône £12, Asda,

13% alcohol

The northern Rhône is the home

of the syrah grape, and this

example is peppery and vivid with

sleek, slightly meaty cherry and

berry fruits. It’s nicely savoury

and would go well with food.

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Viognier

2017 Rhône £11.99 a bottle

and £8.99 each for six, Majestic,

12.5% alcohol

Here’s a bright, expressive

white with a keen citrussy edge

to the peach and apricot fruit,

and a slightly saline finish.

This is a very attractive tipple.

Palais St Vigni Côtes du

Rhône Villages 2017

£8, Tesco, 13.5% alcohol

This is fresh and supple with

mouthwatering blackberry and

black cherry fruit. There’s a good

balance here between the lush,

sweet fruit and a peppery,

meaty savouriness. It’s highly

drinkable stuff.

* Ts&Cs Apply: Offer available to new Discovery Club members only. Important – your future cases: Every three months and at Christmas, you will be notified in advance of the next

Discovery Club selection. You will receive this unless you request otherwise, and the appropriate sum (currently £89.99 + £7.99 p&p) will be charged to your credit/debit card. You

have no commitment whatsoever and may opt out from the Discovery Club at any time. All wines supplied by Virgin Wines. Company registration number 03800762. You must be

18 or over to purchase alcohol. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full Ts&Cs please visit http://www.virginwines.co.uk/ex2038

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