Rhone
Rhone is the second largest appellation in France, after Bordeaux. It is divided into two main areas; Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone. In the Northern Rhone single varietal Syrah is the focus along with very small plantings of Viognier, this area has the best Syrah vineyards in the world! The most prestigious Cru villages are Cote Rotie, Hermitage and Cornas. The wines are big and bold with high tannin and acidity with flavours of olive, dark fruits, black pepper and dried herbs. In the Southern Rhone the main varieties used are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. The climate is warmer here so the wines display a more rustic richer, riper fruit character with spice and dried herb (Garrigue) notes with high levels of alcohol. There are 9 Cru Villages in the Southern Rhone, the most notable being Chateauneuf-du Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras.
