Posted by johngl (photos courtesy of George Edwards)
French wine. What images does that phrase bring to your mind?
All too frequently, when someone utters those words, the first thing that pops into a listener’s mind are
the all-too-well-known Bordeaux or Burgundy regions…or dollar signs with big numbers next to them (or even: johngl is going to drone on about wine again — he must have gone to another Wine Salon).
Some people might even conjure up romanticized, soft-focus dreamy visions of being out in the field picking grapes alongside scantily clad French people (muscular boys or voluptuous maidens, your choice), their sweaty bronzed skin glistening in the waning sunlight, but that would be just a little too weird.
Hello? Uhhhh, hel-LOH!
Oh, there you are; I thought I’d lost you.
Now that we have firmly established the character of my audience, perhaps we can move along…
As the subject subtly implies, our focus today is on that region of France that is named for the river that begins way up there in Lake Geneva and meanders through the majestic canyons of the Jura Mountains. Just south of Lyon, the river makes an abrupt turn (see map) and dives southward (where vineyards begin), building up steam for 250 miles until it trickles into the Mediterranean, just west of Marseilles. Just click the map for a larger view.
The wine producing area of the river valley is divided into two parts, North and South. Just south of Lyon there is a town called Vienne which is the northernmost part of the Northern growing region. Arles is about the southernmost point of the Southern growing region. The Drôme River, just south of Valence, is the approximate dividing line between North and South. Break out your GPS, you’ll be fine.
Frankly, I’m not quite sure why these aren’t two separate regions since the wines are vastly different. Lumping these together just seems a bit wrong, but people have been planting grapes here since about 600 BC, so who am I to argue the point.
The origin of the Syrah grapes in the Northern area is still a bit of mystery
with some folks saying the Greeks brought them from the Persian city of Shiraz. Others say the Romans brought Syrah and Viognier from the Sicilian city of Syracuse back around 280 AD. And then there are those that say the Syrah is native to the region. I say it was birds making in-flight deposits on the surface of the countryside.
Regardless, a couple of thousand years ago, when a Roman blogger named Pliney (called historians in those days) rode into the area and noticed the Gauls were hanging out, drinking, and having a good time, he stopped and viewed them with interest. The Gauls, being the friendly sort, not to mention recently conquered and domesticated, offered up some of the local juice. Pliney reported that it was excellent. About 600 years later the Romans packed their bags, headed south, and took with them any interest in the wines from the Rhône river valley.
Resurgence
Things remained pretty dull (historically speaking) until the Pope moved into Avignon during the 13th century. Suddenly, the wine business was going so well in the Rhône that the Duke of Burgundy banned the trade of non-Burgundian wines. The man had absolutely no sense of humor. The folks in Dijon mustered up some courage and publicly stated that the wines were “très petit et pauvres vins” (very small and miserable) and “typique de te” (typical of you), neither very flattering. Obviously, they were a little scared. Protectionism abounded and regional boundaries were established and strictly enforced.
The North
Beginning with Côte-Rôtie, quickly emerging as one of my favorite regions anywhere, the Northern Rhône extends southward about 50 miles down to Cornas and St-Péray. In between are five additional appellations, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, St-Joseph, Hermitage, and Crozes-Hermitage.
The only red varietal allowed in the North is Syrah. The steep,
terraced slopes, composed of granite and slate, seem to work some ethereal magic with the old vines, some pushing the century mark in age. Combined with the cold and wet winters, the icy (le mistral) north winds, and hot summers, it’s a wonder anything can survive there at all. What does survive is a concentrated, meaty, sometimes leathery smelling wine that smacks of white pepper, the North’s signature flavor. Fruit pokes its way through with the essence of super-ripe black plums and blackberries.
The North is also host to some spectacular white wines made from the Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne varietals. The regions of Condrieu and Château-Grillet make produce wines made exclusively from Viongnier and we were lucky enough to sample a great example of the Condrieu. Other regions, Hermitage, St-Joseph, and Grozes-Hermitage produce Blanc wines with Marsanne adding Roussanne for its exotic nose.
Côte-Rôtie
As I stated earlier, wines from the Côte-Rôtie (meaning roasted hillside) are becoming some of my very favorite. Growing upon the 60 degree south-facing slopes, the grapes are drenched in the sunlight they need to ripen, yet cooled by the high altitude and winds which help preserve it’s acidity.
There are two famous slopes, the Blonde and the Brunette (Côte Blonde and Côte Brune). And you thought I was kidding. According to legend, some aristocratic feudal lord, with a lack of imagination, named them for his two daughters. I am guessing the blonde one was sired by a wandering Scandanavian mountain climber. Don’t tell anyone.
I am mentioning Côte-Rôtie specifically not because it is one of my favorites (have I mentioned that?), but that there is some really weird alchemy that takes place there. I can’t resist alchemy. Anyway, we already know that Syrah is the only red grape allowed. However, in many cases there is some Viognier that comes along for the ride. The alchemy comes into play when the white Viognier and the red Syrah are fermented together. Oddly, and counterintuitively, this darkens the red wine. Cool, no? Up to 20% Viognier is allowed by law, but most producers limit it to around 5%. Historically, the Viognier was thought to soften the edgy Syrah, but now the alluring aromas of the Viognier help to make these Côte-Rôties even more interesting.
The South
The best things in life should be shared!
Tags: wine
