Côtes du Rhône AOC

• Côtes du Rhône ( AOC)

The Côtes du Rhône ( " slopes of the Rhône " ) is a nationwide wine region in the southern Rhône Valley. The area is part of the Rhône wine region ( the landscape of Cotes du Rhone meets the eastern Alpine foothills and slopes of the Cevennes of the middle Rhône Valley ), or more precisely, the southern Côtes du Rhône méridionales, and extends around Orange and Avignon.

The Appellation d' Origine Cotes du Rhone is a part of this vineyard, provided with the legal status of an AOC.

• 6.1 Département de l' Ardèche
• 6.2 Département de la Drôme
• 6.3 Département du Gard
• 6.4 Département de la Loire
• 6.5 Département du Rhône
• 6.6 Département de Vaucluse

Typical

In the narrower southern Côtes du Rhône red wines are mostly produced on some wineries but only white wines. Due to the mild climate, the inland grapes thrive in almost every year very well and develop a high fruit sweetness, making a chaptalisation ( enrichment of the must with sugar ) mostly unnecessary. The wines of the appellation "dry " expanded; Sweet wines or wines with residual sugar are virtually unknown. The only exception is the Beaumes -de- Venise, a well-known dessert wine and some other specialties.

The annual production is around 400 million liters. 7,000 manufacturing companies belong to the AOC Cotes du Rhone, 2,000 of which have their own winery, the other companies are organized in cooperatives.

Characteristics

In the wines of the southern Rhone is usually around Outtakes ( cuvées ) of different varieties; the red wines of the AOC Côtes du Rhône example must be made of at least 40 % Grenache Noir and a minimum of 15 % Syrah and / or Mourvèdre. The wines are only grown in varietal batches, then read sorted and vinified separately, finally blended the individual wines later in the basement together to blend.

The typical CdR wine offers good value for money. There are some good qualities available for one further north in Burgundy pays many times over.

The wine is strong without tasting overly alcoholic or even sprittig. Alcohol content of more than 12 percent by volume are the rule, about 14 percent by no means rare. The tendency is to fruity- floral- berry wines. The complexity and elegance of the wines of Burgundy is the wine of the Côtes alien. It is usually not necessary to decant the wines of the Côtes long before serving (or to " ventilate "). This makes the enjoyment uncomplicated.

Varieties

In the Southern Rhône region, the following varieties are commonly used:

Red wine

Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache, Mourvedre, Muscardin, Syrah, Terret Noir, and Vaccarese. Here are Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvedre to name first and foremost.

White wine

Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Picardan, Piquepoul Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier. The latter is the most well-known for high quality.

Legal

The AOC Côtes du Rhône ( CdR ) was formed by a decree on 19 November 1937. It covers 73,000 hectares of production area in six départements: Rhône, Loire, Drôme, Ardèche, Vaucluse and Gard.

Effects on qualities and prices

An area - AOC ( as CdR ) is further divided into local -related appellations, partly in layers of fine -related appellations. The AOC Côtes du Rhône is therefore the common law combined vineyard designation for the southern Rhône Valley, between Valence and Avignon, and for wines of this area " wenigst valuable ". In other words, a wine that has not "made it" in the most significant local or documents appellations, because he does not have enough appeared typical for a close -cut area is nevertheless still market them as AOC Rhône from the producer.

In general, is targeted for high-class wine to give it a local or single-layer test since he can then sell significantly more expensive. An example: a wine with labeling Vacqueyras AOC is due to the local appellation "better" than a Côtes -du -Rhône AOC; Vacqueyras is a local AOC " Villages " in big AOC, and the granting of local typicality evaluates the wine on.

Again important, however, as in France to know the individual reputation of the individual vineyard when one has it in top quality. In particular, in the large local appellations, there are many companies that " average ", while each are the best, only a few shops with high workload. The prospective for high-class CdR wine is so have no choice but to make themselves knowledgeable about the producer plants.

Approved communities

Since August 31, 2001 171 communes in the appellation Côtes du Rhône are allowed.

Département de l' Ardèche

The following municipalities are permitted: Andance Ardoix, Arras -sur -Rhône, Bourg -Saint -Andéol, Champagne, Charnas, Château Bourg, Cornas, Félines, Glun, Guilherand -Granges, Lemps, Limony, mauves, ozone, Peyraud, Saint- Désirat, Saint- Etienne -de- Valoux, Saint -Jean -de- Muzols, Saint -Julien -en -Saint -Alban, Saint -Just d'Ardèche, Saint -Marcel d'Ardèche, Saint -Martin d'Ardèche, Saint- Péray, sarras, Sécheras, Serrières, Talencieux, Toulaud, Tournon -sur -Rhône and Vion.

Département de la Drôme

The following municipalities are permitted: Beaumont- Monteux, Bouchet, Chanos Curson -, Crozes -Hermitage, Érôme, Gervans, Larnage, La Roche -de- Glun, Le Pègue, Livron- sur -Drôme, Mercurol, mérindol -les- Oliviers, Mirabel aux- Baronnies, Mollans -sur -Ouvèze, Montbrison- sur -Lez, Nyons, Piégon, Pont -de- l'Isère, Rochegude, Rousset -les -Vignes, Saint- Maurice- sur- Eygues, Saint- Pantaleon -les -Vignes, serves- sur -Rhône, Suze- la- Rousse, Tain l'Hermitage, Taulignan, Tulette, Venterol and Vinsobres.

Here quality stands out the local AOC Vinsobres.

Département du Gard

The following municipalities are permitted: Aiguèze, Aramon, Bagnols -sur -Cèze, Carsan, Castillon- du- Gard, Cavillargues, Chusclan, Codolet, Comps, Connaux, Cornillon, Domazan, Estézargues, Fournès, Gaujac, La Roque- sur -Cèze, Laudun- l'Ardoise, Laval - Saint-Roman, Le Pin, Tavel, Montfrin, Orsan, Pont -Saint -Esprit, Pougnadoresse, Pouzilhac, Pujaut, Remoulins, Rochefort- du- Gard, Roquemaure, Sabran, Saint- Alexandre, Saint -André- d'Olérargues, Saint- Etienne-des -Sorts, Saint -Genies- de -Comolas, Saint- Gervais, Saint- Hilaire- d'Ozilhan, Saint -Julien -de- Peyrolas, Saint -Laurent -de- Carnols, Saint -Laurent -des- Arbres, Saint -Marcel -de- Careiret, Saint -Michel- d'Euzet, Saint- Nazaire, Saint -Paul -les- Fonts, Saint- Paulet -de- caisson, Saint -Pons- la -Calm, Saint -Victor- la- Coste, Sauveterre, Saze Tavel, Théziers, Tresques, Valliguières, Vénéjan and Villeneuve- lès -Avignon.

Here quality stands out the local AOC Tavel.

Département de la Loire

The following municipalities are permitted: Chavanay, Malleval, Saint -Michel- sur -Rhone, Saint- Pierre -de- Boeuf and Vérin.

Département du Rhône

The following municipalities are permitted: Ampuis, Condrieu, Saint- Cyr- sur- le -Rhone, Tupin -et- Semon.

Département de Vaucluse

The following municipalities are permitted: Avignon, Beaumes -de- Venise, Bédarrides, Bollène, Buisson, Cairanne, Camaret -sur -Aigues, Caumont -sur -Durance, Châteauneuf -de- Gadagne, Châteauneuf -du- Pape, Courthézon, Faucon, Gigondas, Grillon, Jonquerettes, Jonquières, Lafare, Lagarde Paréol, Mondragon, Morières- lès -Avignon, Mornas, Orange, Piolenc, Puyméras, Rasteau, Richerenches, Roaix, La Roque- Alric, Sablet, Sainte- Cécile- les- Vignes, Saint- Marcellin- lès- Vaison, Saint- Romain -en- Viennois, Saint- Roman-de - Malegarde, Saint- Saturnin- lès -Avignon, sarrians, Séguret, Sérignan- du- Comtat, Sorgue, Suzette, Travaillan, Uchaux, Vacqueyras, Vaison -la- Romaine, Valréas, vedène, Villedieu, Violès, Visan.

Here quality stand out the local AOC Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes -de -Venise and the famous wine-growing village of Châteauneuf -du -Pape.

History

Viticulture in the southern Rhone Valley has already been demonstrated for the pre-Roman antiquity; Here began the vineyards in France, starting from Phoenician and Greek trading settlements. As well-known: Massilia / Marseille.