Digging for gold in the Rhône

There’s a golden rule when buying internationally renowned wines: one third is good, one third is just ok and a third is pretty dire. The trouble is, it’s not necessarily obvious from the price, which of these three you might be faced with.

Wines which fall into this category include Rioja, Sancerre and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Anyone who’s ever spent twenty quid or more on a lacklustre Meursault from Burgundy has fallen foul of this golden rule. Its corollary is that, on restaurant wine lists, such wines are almost never good value.

The trouble is that such a recognizable name on the label enables lacklustre wines to sell at a price which far outstrips the quality of what’s actually in the bottle.

There are two ways to deal with this situation: one is to keep on buying the big names until you strike gold in the search for quality to match the price you’re paying – a long and possibly expensive process – though not unpleasant. The other is to do a bit of digging and experimentation and find the over achievers who live in the shadows of their more famous neighbours, but over deliver in terms of quality.

Actually there is a third way, which is just to carry on buying the big names, spending big bucks, but not worrying about it because you’re absolutely loaded. But somehow I don’t think you’d be reading this column if this is you – but hey, if you are, please get in touch, I’d love to come round and help you get through your extensive and well-stocked wine cellar.

But back to the more creative approach – how do you get to know who are the star Championship teams who could give many a Premiership side a run for their money?

Let’s take Châteauneuf-du-Pape as an example. At their best, these Grenache-based blends produce wonderfully weighty, intense wines of silky power – but at a price. In order to find value it pays to know a bit about how the French appellation system in the Rhône works. Look, It might be yawnworthy, but it could save you money…

There is a hierarchy of wines in the southern Rhône, a bit like a pyramid. At the bottom layer are wines labelled Côtes du Rhône, which can be made anywhere within the designated vineyard area. These are mostly fairly simple, easy drinking wines.

The next level up is Côtes du Rhône Villages, made from selected areas deemed to make higher quality wines. Often there is quite a step up in quality in such wines – an extra couple of quid will get you plenty more wine for your money.

After this come wines where specific villages are allowed to append their names to the Villages appellation, eg Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet. There are currently 18 such villages and they generally represent a sweet spot in terms of value for money, with ambitious and high quality producers making wine under such labels.

At the very top of the quality pyramid are the individual villages which have the right to use their name alone on the label. Châteauneuf is of course the most famous, but there are 15 more of these across the entire Rhône valley, 7 of them in the southern Rhône: Rasteau, Vinsobres, Lirac, Tavel (for rosé only), Beaumes de Venise, Gigondas and Vacqueyras.

Now I’m not saying that all the wines from all of these villages are every bit as good as Châteauneuf, or are even necessarily made in the same style. I don’t know about you, but I am innately suspicious of wine merchants who talk about wines made from grapes a “mere stone’s throw” from a more famous neighbour, implying that you can get Châteauneuf quality at Côtes du Rhône prices.

Gigondas is probably the best known village after Châteauneuf  and quality has been rising here for some years. Grenache Noir can make up up to 80% of the blend, with a minimum of 15% of Syrah and/or Mourvèdre.

In Châteauneuf, there are famously 13 different permitted varieties; though most wines are Grenache-dominated blends, with Syrah and/or Mourvèdre in support, but also frequently with Cinsault, which is light in colour but adds lift and perfume.

On paper these two villages make broadly similar wine, but if you were to visit the area (and I strongly recommend you do) you would see a dramatic difference in the terroir. Châteauneuf is broadly a flattish plateau close to the river Rhône, characterised by “galets roulés” or pudding stones; large, rounded stones formed by the action of rivers. 

Gigondas, meanwhile, hugs the side of the Dentelles de Montmirail, jagged outcrops of limestone which loom above the village, like the plates along the spine of a vast stegosaurus. Altitude and aspect clearly have a vital role in determining the style of wines made here. If Châteauneuf is all about suave power, Gigondas is more defined by density of fruit and a definite freshness.

Recommended southern Rhône wines

Domaine Maby, La Fermade, Lirac 2012 - £9.95 from The Wine Society

Unbeatable value for money, from a conscientious producer in a village across the Rhône from Châteauneuf. It conveys warmth and ripeness combined with refreshment.

Domaine Martin 2013, Rasteau - £13.49 from Laithwaite’s

Rasteau was elevated to village/cru status only in 2010, so now is a good time to find wines whose quality is on an upward trajectory, but where the lower profile means prices reflect good value for money. Full, rich and savoury.

Domaine du Grapillon d’Or 2012 Gigondas - £19.99 from Waitrose

A rich mix of Quink and black fruit, with good freshness, even at 14.5% alcohol.

Domaine Richaud 2013 Côtes du Rhône Cairanne – £22.99 from The Wine Reserve in Cobham

The highest price wine here is, in theory, a lower quality level than the others. Purity of fruit, intensity of flavour and elegant structure make this worth the price tag.

Grouse-ing about wine

Last Sunday was the Glorious Twelfth, when the grouse shooting season opens.

I don’t know about you, but the closest I’ve come to a live grouse is when picking up a bottle of a certain brand of Scotch whisky.

The red grouse, the bird in question, is native to the British Isles and can legally be shot from now until 10^th December.  As young heather forms an essential part of the grouse’s diet, the hunting takes place predominantly on the heather-rich moors found in the north of England and in Scotland.  Unlike pheasant, which are commercially reared in huge numbers, grouse are truly wild birds, whose population will vary from year to year, hence they are harder to come by.  Additionally they are apparently fast and unpredictable flyers, making them the ultimate challenge for a game bird shooter.

A day’s grouse shooting is not a pleasure that everyman (or woman) can indulge, with the cost involved making it primarily a rich man’s game.  If you wanted to go shooting a few brace this week, you could be looking at in excess of £20,000 per person for a day. 

Having your own grouse moor is, of course, one way to ensure access to a few days’ shooting.  A brief perusal of Country Life a few years ago enlightened me on the importance of such things in upper class mating rituals:  apparently a key question when assessing a potential bride was, “How many acres of grouse moor does she come with?” 

And what wine to serve with your bird?

If you are heading north to bag a few dozen brace of grouse yourself, then clearly money is no object and you will doubtless be plucking a fine mature Burgundy or 1982 claret laid down by your father in your capacious wine cellar.  Or you’d get the butler to get it for you, obviously.

If, on the other hand, you have more modest means, there are plenty of restaurants who will be serving up special grouse and other game menus from now on.  Grouse is the first game to come into season, but will be joined by partridge in September and woodcock and pheasant from October.  A game dealer advised me that the best way to enjoy grouse is when someone else has cooked it for you - sound advice that will resonate with many a cook.

Buying from a game dealer will cost you around £10-12 per bird for grouse around now, with prices dropping as the season progresses.  Remember they are small creatures and you need to allow one per person.

And to drink:

The traditional match for anything labelled game is red Burgundy.  Pinot Noir, the red grape of Burgundy, develops what are politely called gamey (sometimes even farmyardy) aromas as it ages.  It is also relatively low in tannin and light in colour, making it a good match for game, which falls somewhere between the traditional white and red meat divisions.

All game is not identical of course and even the same species will taste different as the season progresses.  A young grouse shot in August with little or no hanging time is going to be a very different beast to one you eat later in the Autumn.  The older bird will have more flavour, but also be more chewy.  Similarly, young pheasants are tender enough to make suitable roasting birds early on, but by the time you’ve got to Christmas, a slow-cooked stew is the best option.

If you have access to mature Burgundy or claret, then I would heartily recommend uncorking it with your game.  If not, then try one of these:

Beaujolais

Beaujolais-Villages, Château de Souzy 2010/11 - £10.70 from slurp.co.uk

If the sun is still shining when you tuck in to your game, then a lightly chilled Beaujolais, made from the Gamay grape, could be just the ticket.  Get hold of the 2011 if you can:  a hint of savoury animality along with juicy, cranberry fruit and a hint of bitterness give a palate-cleansing feel to the finish.

Côtes du Rhône

Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône-Villages 2011 - £7.99 from Waitrose

Southern Rhône reds have the right combination of peppery, weighty dark fruit and a herbal dimension to get along nicely with game – roast pheasant would be fine with this.  This one also has a definite mineral grip to give the palate a wash and brush up between mouthfuls.

Claret

Diane de Belgrave Haut-Médoc 2008 - £15 from Oddbins

Not a 1982 classed growth, but a charming and refined claret that is just beginning to show some maturity.  Enticing aromas of blackcurrant, plum and pencil shavings (enticing to me anyway) lead onto a smooth palate of dense black fruit with a hint of twiggy bramble.  The tannins in this are a definite step up from the previous two, making it a match for later season game birds or the darker meat of wood pigeon, which is always in season, as it’s regarded as a pest.