Rhône leads for fine wine recommendations

Our third piece of analysis on UK press recommendations has shown that the Rhône is the most popular source of good value fine wines from France.

The river Rhône from the top of the Hermitage hill

Following yesterday’s look at wines put forward by wine writers in the £8-£15 price band, today we’ve picked through the labels endorsed in the £15-£30 category.

Of the 34 wines recommended in this band for the Absolutely Cracking Wines from France tasting on 15 October, seven labels were from the Rhône Valley.

Two of these were from Côte Rôtie, a further two from Crozes-Hermitage, one from Saint-Péray, one from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and then a further two non-AOC wines from the area.

Some of the recommendations can be viewed over the following pages, including endorsements from famous commentators, such as Jancis Robinson MW.

Finally, it was The Wine Society that was listed as the retail source for the most wines in the tasting within this price band – just as it was for the previous two lower priced categories.

However, while the retailer accounted for four of the wines, it was closely followed by the Vine Trail, which was the source of three labels in the tasting of £15-£30 wines.

For a list of those who put forward wines for the tasting click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Meanwhile, to view the trends within the £8-£15 price band click here, and to see the recommendations for French wines under £8 click here.

Both db and William Lyons recommended Côte Rôtie:

Domaine du Monteillet
Fortis
AOC Côte Rôtie
2008
13%
Syrah

£26.48, Goedhuis

“Exciting producer, exciting wine. One of the discoveries of the year.” William Lyons

Domaine Jamet
AOC Côte Rôtie
2008
12.5%
Syrah

£30, Bibendum

“Lovely, smooth, peppery, and only 12.5% alcohol.” Patrick Schmitt

Both Richard Hemming and Jamie Goode recommended the same wine, although from different vintages:

M. Chapoutier
Les Meysonniers
AOC Crozes-Hermitage
2009 & 2010
12.5%
Syrah

£15.50, Wine Direct, Sainsbury’s

“Forget turkey, buy the best joint of beef you can find and this will be the perfect match – top class Syrah at a keen price.” Richard Hemming

“Such a stunning expression of Syrah. Pure, perfumed, floral, enticing.” Jamie Goode.

And finally, moving on from the Rhône, Jancis Robinson MW recommended:

Domaine Patrick Javillier
Cuvée Oligocène
AOC Bourgogne
2009
13.4%
Chardonnay

£14.40, Goedhuis, Four Walls Wine, James Nicholson

“A fine, long-living Meursault in everything but name and price, from an impeccable address.”