The Rhone Valley stretches from the south of Lyon to Avignon. The vineyard conceals a great variety of grape varieties: syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, marsanne, roussanne, viognier. The red wines are colorful, rich, fruity and greedy.
The northern vineyard is mainly planted on hillsides, on the left and right banks of the Rhône. While the north contains many well-delineated growths, often with a qualitative production, the south is largely covered by the AOC Côtes-du-Rhône giving simple wines, with nevertheless some nice exceptions. The southern crus - Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Tavel, Lirac, and Vinsobres - are often heterogeneous, with a few great wines for laying down, especially in Châteauneuf, compared to many unspecified vintages.
There are two regional appellations :
Côtes du Rhône: the basic appellation, in red wine, which is exclusively produced in the south of the region.
Côtes du Rhône-Villages: this appellation covers 16 villages in the Gard, Vaucluse and Drôme, with stricter production rules than in the Côtes du Rhône. The quality can be remarkable and the prices often interesting, especially in Cairanne, Rasteau, Sablet, Vinsobres, and Laudun.
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