We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
About This Wine
Frédéric and François Alary bottle this biodynamic value from their 15-20 year old Grenache (80% of the blend) and Syrah vines. Even at this humble level the Oratoire vines yield just 30 hectolitres per hectare, an astonishingly low return given that Cotes de Rhône villages are entitled to be made from vines cropped at 50 hectolitres per hectare. Naturally fermented and raised entirely in concrete, this release struts with the deep, dark, inky power of the year - it's packed with dark cherry, bitter chocolate and cola fruit and there are loads of pippy tannins to balance the fruit power. Surprisingly powerful and structured for this money, it's a full throttle Grenache and a superb release. P'tit dollars, beaucoup qualité!
Type | Red Wine |
---|---|
Varietal(s) | Grenache Shiraz |
Country | France |
Region | Rhone |
Appellation | Cotes du Rhone |
Brand | Domain de l'Oratoire St-Martin |
Vintage | 2022 |
Wines of Rhone Valley
The Rhone wine region is situation in the south of France in the Rhone Valley. The region is split into north and south with distinctively different winemaking styles. In the north, the main grape used is Syrah and is sometimes blended with white varietals. In the south however, reds are a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. You may be familiar with this sort of blend; in Australia it is labelled GSM.
Wines are produced under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designations. The most prestigious of which is Chateauneuf-du-Pape. You may also have heard of other AOC names such as Gigondas, Hermitage, Lirac, St Joseph. Wines coming from these and other AOCs are all on the higher end of the market.
On the value end we have wines produced in Cotes-du-Rhone AOC. Cotes-du-Rhone often refers to wines made in the Rhone Valley that do not fall under any other AOC, often from the flatter areas around Southern Rhone. However, it also does include the fringes of well-respected northern appellations as well. In terms of volume, a majority of Rhone wine falls under the Cotes-du-Rhone AOC and it offers some of the best value in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds.
Full-bodied and flavourful white wine blends are also made in the region. These are typically a combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier.