Rhone Valley Wine On Sale

Arnoux Père's "White Label" Vacqueyras "Seigneur de Lauris," a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, sees new oak, and offers excellent structure and aging potential.

This utterly charming red Rhône cuvée is from CW's "Man in France," master blender Alain Corcia. Named after Alain's wife Patricia, it is made from old vines grown on the rolling limestone hills of Ventoux, where grape growing has been shown to date back to at least 30 AD.  Made from a traditional Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan, the 2011 Cuvée Patricia bursts with bright, vibrant notes of black cherry, boysenberry, and framboise, gently seasoned with a hint of new oak from barrel aging. Drink now and over the next 1 to 2 years. -- Ben Giliberti

Made from 100% certified organic grapes, predominantly Grenache with a little Syrah, the 2009 La Grand Ribe Cotes du Rhone Villages Centenaire comes from a conscientiously tended small estate in the southern Rhône village of Sainte-Cecile des Vignes. Led by prominent organic (and biodynamic) growers such as Château de Beaucastel and Chapoutier, the Rhône has been in the forefront of the organic movement, not simply for health and environmental reasons, but because these methods produced better-tasting wines. Centenaire, La Grand Ribe’s premium tier Cotes du Rhone Villages, has received a rave 91-93 point review from Robert Parker.

?Bright purple. This looks like a much younger wine. Heady aromas of candied black and blue fruits, garrigue and licorice, with a smoky overtone. Rich but lively, offering vibrant cherry and boysenberry flavors that gain energy and sweetness with air. Quite showy, with excellent finishing clarity, soft tannins and lingering sweetness. Demonstrates the best attributes of this ripe vintage.?

"As Guigal says, the 2004 Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis is "very Burgundian." Forest floor, herb, underbrush, red currant, and sweet cherry notes dominate the aromatics and flavors of this medium-weight, peppery, slightly herbaceous wine. It has turned out to be outstanding, no easy task in a year with record-setting yields and many overly vegetal northern Rhones. This is a sexy, seductive 2004 to enjoy over the next 7-8 years. "