Red wine

Côtes du Rhône

Robe — Bright to deep ruby

  • red plum
  • blackberry
  • pepper
  • garrigue
  • liquorice
Palate
Warm, round and juicy — the southern Rhône's generous everyday red
Ageing
2–6 years
Serving
15–17 °C

The vast regional appellation that underpins the whole southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône is the warm, juicy, Grenache-led red that fills carafes across France — peppery, generous and built for the table. It spans a huge area from Vienne to Avignon, and its named Villages and Cru sites climb steadily in ambition.

At the everyday level it is simply one of the world's great value reds; from a good grower it can punch far above its price. It is the generous, sun- warmed foundation on which the region's famous names are built.

The blend

A typical modern composition

Where it is made

Producers

A few estates working in this style today — a sample, not a ranking

Through time

Indicative presence index, 0–100Origins & Antiquity — 10The Monastic Middle Ages — 30Exploration & the Fortified Age — 40Classifications & the Golden Age — 45Phylloxera & the World Crises — 40The Modern & New World Era — 70Antiquity10500150017001875195070