Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages and Crus wine tasting

Come to discover Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages and Crus (St Peray, Cornas, Beaumes de Venise, Tavel, Crozes Hermitage and Vacqueyras) wines during a self-pouring tasting. Matt Walls will host various masterclass. 

Côtes du Rhône : Along the length of its winding waters and gentle banks, the Côtes du Rhône vineyards flourish across 171 communes with their variety of rich, varied terroirs, all bathed by the same bountiful sun.

The Rhône Valley has always been a convenient link between the Mediterranean sea and Northern or Atlantic Europe. Significant archaeological finds, along with historical studies, have established that the Côtes du Rhône was one of the world’s first winegrowing regions.

Côtes du Rhône Villages:  In the southern part of the Rhône Valley, the vines grow on terraces, on the river’s alluvial plains and on slopes leading up to the region’s iconic hilltop villages.

A separate category has been introduced within the Côtes du Rhône appellation to showcase the quality and character of wines produced in certain villages. 22 of these villages are then permitted to specify the name of the village where the wine was produced – Côtes du Rhône Villages with geographical name, or Côtes du Rhône Villages Communaux. The stricter appellation rules for these villages give them more prominence and a lot of personality.

Saint-Péray: 98 ha of vineyard grow on the gentle slopes leading up to Château de Crussol, a fortress built on a limestone spur. The terroir is diverse, the climate extraordinary, the landscape bold and rugged – all combining to give Saint-Péray’s white wines a unique character. 15% of these wines are sparkling, made with the Traditional Method.

Cornas : The Cornas vineyards grow on the right bank of the Rhône, on the eastern slopes of the Massif Central. The steep, East Southeast-facing slopes form a natural amphitheatre, protecting the vines from cold winds. Syrah is the appellation’s only authorised grape variety, expressing its full strength and power in this terroir.

Beaumes de Venise : Vines and olive groves grow side by side on land lovingly tended by the winegrowers, where sustainable agriculture is a natural extension of their deep love for this unique, fertile, precious land. Beaumes de Venise lies in the foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail and their jagged peaks of Jurassic limestone, a terroir made up of 3 types of soil, notably the rocky outcrop known as Le Trias, exceptional soils which produce a very specific type of wine.

Tavel : Tavel wines are available in rosé only – but what a rosé it is. Novelist Honoré de Balzac described it as one of those unusual rosés that age beautifully. Tavel wines are without equal – complex, full-bodied, dense and aromatic – a wine for foodies, for gourmets… there are no rules. Tavel is one of those rare wines to accompany you from starter to dessert.

Crozes Hermitage: The Crozes-Hermitage vineyards lie on the 45th parallel, on the left bank of the Rhône. This is the largest northern appellations extending across 11 communes in the Drôme. The prestigious wines of Crozes-Hermitage are available in red (made from Syrah) and white (made from Roussanne and Marsanne). Crozes-Hermitage reds are elegant, well-balanced, easy-drinking wines.

Vacqueyras: Steep terraced vineyards, woodland plains, vast bands of garrigue scrubland – the wines of Vacqueyras are shaped by their distinctive terroirs, and are available in red, white and rosé. The soils here are very varied, giving the Vacqueyras wines a wealth of different fragrances and flavours. The wines are powerful and full of character and have a distinctive edge of freshness and finesse. They are often chosen for their reliably high quality, and since 1998 have been the official wines of the Avignon Festival, building up their reputation with a broad international audience.