• Jancis Robinson

  Rated wine : 16.5/20

• Parker

  Rated wine : 89-91/100

Philippe Guigal, a third-generation winemaker, carries on the family business by juxtaposing its own vines - such as legendary Côtes-Rôties - with a business in which rigorous selection has led to remarkable regularity in the quality of the wines. The very long ageing process gives them a unique balance.

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The Rhône Valley takes its name from the river that winds through the winemaking region over almost 200 km and is made up of two distinct parts: the northern Côtes du Rhône and southern Côtes du Rhône. The grape varieties, winemaking methods, and soil types but also the climates are relatively different. The region is the second biggest producer of AOC wine after the Bordeaux wine region.

The northern Rhône is one of the oldest wine-making regions in France. 65-km long, it stretches from Vienne (in the north) to Valence (in the south). This almost uninterrupted expanse of vineyards covers the appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Cornas and Saint-Péray. All these appellations are planted in terraces on steep slopes that run down to the river from the west. As for the vineyards of Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage, they can be found on the east bank.

The climate of the northern Rhône is continental in nature. The summers are hot and very sunny whilst the winters are quite harsh.

The soils are mainly made up of porous granites and shale covered with a fine layer of earth.

Syrah is the only grape variety used for red wines in these northern vineyards, producing dark robed, tannin-rich wines that are generous in body. The majority are excellently suited to ageing. As for the white wines, several grape varieties are grown: viognier, roussanne and marsanne, which are among the rarest and most original whites.

Like most French wines, those of the Rhône Valley bear the name of the place where they come from, but are not subject to a classification system.