Wine Portfolio : Rhone Valley

Côtes du Rhône Villages with Village Name

Only 16 villages of this appellation are allowed to feature the village name on the label. The named Villages have better terroir than the Villages wines without name. All of the named Villages are on the summit of a small hill and the vines are on slopes of hills. This means that there is little or no soil or clay, but there is better drainage and better exposure.

J et R imports several excellent Cotes du Rhone estates in Carianne, Rasteau, Valreas, and Vinsobres:

Domaine de l'Oratoire Saint-Martin (Cairanne)

Les Vins Féraud-Brunel (Carianne & Rasteau)

Domaine des Girasols (Rasteau)

Domaine du Val des Rois (Valreas)

Domaine Chaume-Arnaud (Vinsobres)

Domaine de l'Oratoire Saint-Martin

Robert Parker, Wines of the Rhone Valley, says "Domaine de l'Oratoire St-Martin is one of the southern Rhone's most conspicuous overachievers. They are qualitatively equivalent to wines selling at two or three times the price." J et R Selections is one of several US importers.

Cairanne rouge cuvée Prestige 2001

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate [89-91 rating]: "Blackberry notes, a sweet texture, concentration, and additional uplift in its medium- to full-bodied personality."

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [91 rating]: "Bright, full ruby. Blackberry, bitter chocolate, roasted meat, baking spices, flint, pepper and flowers on the nose, plus a hint of exotic fruits. Dense and thick but sappy, with urgent, sweet black fruit and pepper flavors and excellent vinosity. Finishes very long and strong, with chewy, slightly rough tannins. This boasts very strong material."

Cairanne rouge Réserve des Seigneurs 2001

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate [87 rating]: "Offers abundant peppery, garrigue, and earthy notes as well as loamy soil, dried Provencal herb, cherry, and currant aromas and flavors."

Cairanne rouge Haut Coustias 2000

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [91 rating]: "Ruby-red. Reticent aromas of black cherry and licorice. Sweet flavors of blackberry, cracked pepper, gunflint and menthol. Creamy. Firm tannic finish."

Les Vins Féraud-Brunel

Cairanne rouge 2000

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate [88 rating]: "The 2000 Cairanne reveals that terroir's earthy, dusty, and mineral characteristics, along with red cherry fruit, balsam wood, garrigue, and spice. This elegant, stylish Cairanne should drink well for 4-5 years."

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar [89 rating]: "Dark red. Roasted currant, meat, pepper and spice cake on the nose. Spicy, peppery and sharply delineated, with suggestions of exotic fruits and garrigue. Rather suave on the palate. Finishes with dusty, firm, slightly dry-edged tannins and good length."

Wine Spectator [90 rating]: "This full-bodied Rhone red has creamy texture, with lovely rich fruit and silky tannins. A gamy, leathery complexity mingling with plum and lead pencil character makes this very special, especially with the balanced finish. Drink now through 2010."

Rasteau rouge 2000

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate [89 rating]: "Readers looking for a monster Cotes du Rhone with rustic tannin, huge fruit, and abundant body as well as power should check out the 2000 Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau. Its deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by copious aromas of chocolate and scorched earth as well as high tannin, huge body, and a chewy, spicy personality." Available in Indiana and Michigan from J et R Selections; in other states from Martine's Wines.

Rasteau rouge 1999

A dark purple effort exhibiting ripe aromas of black fruits intermixed with licorice and resiny notes. It posseses serious concentration, full body, powerful, concentrated finish with noticeable tannin.

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Domaine des Girasols

Rasteau rouge 1998

Brilliant red purple robe; bouquet of raspberries and red currants; good fruit, round and full, well-balanced. It has all of the five major red grapes of the Southern Rhone.

Guide Hachette one star [* rating]. J et R is the primary US importer.

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Domaine du Val des Rois

In Wines of the Rhone Valley and Provence, Robert Parker says the Domaine du Val des Rois is "the top private domaine of Valreas, among the most elegant of the Cotes du Rhone Villages wines."

Valreas is the northernmost, highest, and coolest appellation in the southern Rhone, so more burgundian in style than the Rhones of the Vaucluse. Of course, the owner is Emmanuel Bouchard, an 8th generation of the Burgundy Bouchards lineage! J et R Selections is one of several importers of this domaine.

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Valreas rouge 1997

Reaching maturity, this drinks superbly now. Full bodied, soft, with considerable red cherry fruit.

Domaine Chaume-Arnaud

A great wine from one of the 16 named Villages, but a Village AOC almost unknown in the U.S. With old vines on 7 hectares on the southward slopes of the hills rising to the north from the Aigue river, the best of Vinsobres, an elegance, vitality, and charm in contrast to the typically robust Vinsobres. J et R Selections is the primary US importer of this domaine. The wines are biologique.

Vinsobres rouge 2000

Clear dark ruby; violets in the fragrance; soft, full and smooth, with a cherry/raspberry fruit. A sweet, soft spice follow-through. 1600 cases made.

Vinsobres blanc 2000

Very clear with a slight tint of straw. Delicious passion fruit bouquet. Crisp fruit on the tongue, with a touch of tropical fruit. Light spice, long aftertaste. Viognier 67%; Marsanne 33%. Guide Hachette citation.