We decided to crack a bottle of fine wine from Rhône vineyards and found a surprising flavour.
Despite the continuing advancement of Chilean reds into British supermarkets, it seems we still can’t quite shake our nation’s long and admittedly tempestuous love affair with French wine.
Côtes du Rhône Villages 2007. Photo courtesy of Balise42
The Rhône valley’s Mediterranean climate has since the 1960s produced decent reds, whites and rosés. While Côtes du Rhone Villages is no Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it’s a decent wine with a modest £6.99 price-tag.
Côtes du Rhone Villages sits in the middle between a heavy Merlot and lighter wines from Avignon.
Full bodied with a smooth flavour and a hint of tobacco and chocolate, its well-rounded flavour would makes it a great accompaniment for meat or pasta dishes.
Just be prepared, your evening may see you foray into more than one bottle.
Côtes du Rhone Villages is quite rich as well as being surprisingly sweet for a red wine. You’d be better off going with a Bordeaux or Merlot, or switching to something a little lighter, but otherwise this versatile wine lives up to the impressive reputation of Rhône vineyards.
Available in most supermarkets, Côtes du Rhone Villages is a reliable choice that will never disappoint.
