I drink a lot of different wines, from different countries and regions, but I collect only a few, and the wines of Chateauneuf du Pape in France’s Southern Rhone Valley are a favorite. Paul Autard is one of the premier winemakers in the Rhone region in part because, unlike many of France’s winemakers, he’s using modern techniques like new oak aging. Still, his wines end up staying true to tradition with fruit focused favors that made the region famous.

Outside of Bordeaux, Chateauneuf du Pape is arguably France’s most prestigious wine regions and that fact isn’t lost on the importers and wholesalers, which is to say, these wines aren’t cheap. Anything rated 90 points or above starts at $30 and goes all the way past the $500 mark. So when a potential 94 point CdP from a highly collectible label comes along for under $40, I pay attention.

Though Autard’s techniques are modern, his wines are classic CdP.  Oak only subtly influences the overall flavor which is dark and brooding, likely due to the 50% Syrah component – a higher percentage than most wines of this region.  Still the Grenache brightness, which focuses through the lengthy finish, adds lift to this age-worthy wine.

If you enjoy the wines of Southern Rhone, I would highly recommend this one.  Paul Autard’s wines are proven classics and at a price that’s nearly $5 lower than the next lowest price in the country (according to Wine Searcher), the deal is literally unbeatable!

Buy Here: 2009 Domaine Paul Autard Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee La Cote Ronde $39.95

Robert Parker 93 points

“Autard’s quasi-modern-styled offering is the dense plum/purple-colored 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee La Cote Ronde, a blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah from relatively old vines (60 plus years) that sees some new oak barrels. However, the 2009 shows only subtle evidence of vanillin and toast. It is a seductive, full-bodied, opulent effort displaying notes of caramelized red and black fruits, herbs, licorice and a hint of ink. This full-bodied, rich 2009 is ideal for drinking over the next 12+ years.

The 2010s all reveal deeper colors, higher acids, and more focus and precision.”

Wine Spectator 93 points

“This is beautifully rendered, with sleek, polished layers of black- berry, cassis and boysenberry fruit inlaid with toasty spice and sweet anise notes. The long, ganache-coated finish glides along despite its heft, with a great roasted mesquite note that lingers on and on. Drink now through 2013.”

The wines of Southern Rhone’s Chateauneuf du Pape region are possibly the purest expression of fruit the wine world has to offer.  Mostly uninfluenced by oak, these wines are all about the soil in which they are grown and the vines that produce the grapes.

This wine, by world-renowned Domaine Pierre Usseglio, is defined by the finish, something oak barrels can’t produce.  A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault, it’s fantastically long with strong tannins that will likely integrate over the next few years to create a wine of spectacular balance and finesse.  This is a 2009 and, as such, is showing a little of its youth.  But after three hours of air, the wine started to blossom with the initially thin mid-palate filling out nicely and the nose blooming into a superb combination of strawberry and earth aromas. 2009 has been touted as a great year in Southern Rhone, and based on this wine I have no reason to doubt that statement.

The more wine I drink, the more I’m starting to believe that Rhone varietals, especially Grenache, are the best grapes in the world.  Spain, the U.S., Australia and of course France, excel at Rhone style wines and their versatility and value are, in my opinion, unmatched.  Rhone varietal wines can range from light to incredibly dense and work well with or without oak.  Most importantly, these wines are great with food.  My cellar is getting more and more of these wines every day.

Buy Here: 2009 Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf-du-Pape $41.95

Robert Parker 90-92 points

“The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape (80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault) is another top-notch effort. The wine is aged in tank (60%), foudre (30%) and 1- to 4-year-old small barrels (10%). Sweet raspberry, black currant, and cherry fruit intermixed with licorice, lavender and tobacco leaf jump from the glass of this perfumed 2009. With outstanding ripeness, a plush, evolved mouthfeel and sweet tannins, this beauty is already complex and delicious. It should age well for 7-8 years.

One of my favorite stops on my trips to the southern Rhone is at Domaine Pierre Usseglio where brothers Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio have accomplished special things. A new state-of-the-art tasting room has been added, somewhat unusual in Chateauneuf du Pape where little has changed in the three decades I have been tasting there. However, the small, discrete Usseglio tasting room would never be compared with tasting rooms that exist in Bordeaux and California.”

International Wine Cellar 89 points

“Ruby-red. Subdued aromas of blackberry, cherry and licorice accented by white pepper. Sweet and round on entry, displaying dark fruit flavors given definition by firm acidity and complicated by slowly emerging suggestions of bitter cherry and candied anise. The firmly tannic finish features enticing floral lift and echoes the licorice note. Showing a serious side right now.”

I wrote about what makes L’Aventure Winery’s wines so unique last May, but since barely anyone read this blog back then, I think I’ll revisit.  My hope is that our thousands of weekly readers can get to know these wines and will come to enjoy them as much as I do.

Stephan Asseo, the French winemaker and owner of L’Aventure, is leading the Paso Robles charge as the Rhone style capital of the United States.  Though some of Asseo’s wines feature Cabernet, Rhone varietals are his focus – the “special sauce” for his wines and the Paso Robles AVA as a whole.  A Paso wine earned Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year honor, with Justin Smith’s 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard, but luckily for those of us who aren’t on their mailing list, Saxum isn’t the only game in town.

How L’Aventure is still available in retail stores (vs. mailing list only) is somewhat beyond me, considering that they are favorites of Parker and Tanzer.  Not only are they still available, but the prices of their top wines have actually dropped below the $60 mark this year, having been as high as $80.  I wouldn’t expect that trend to continue, but plan to get while the gettin’s good as this is by far the lowest price I can find anywhere.

L’Aventure makes two top tier wines, the Estate Cuvee and the Cote a Cote.  If you are just getting in to Paso Rhone blends I would recommend the Estate Cuvee, which is 50% Bordeaux varietals and 50% Syrah.  It’s a spectacular and unique blend that usually tastes more Cabernet than Rhone.  For those that are already sold on the Rhone blends, the Cote a Cote is 40% each of Syrah and Grenache, with 20% Mourvedre, and more indicative of what is making Paso such a hot wine region.  Even within Paso, L’Aventure has found a totally unique piece of land (pictured above), which has enabled Stephen Asseo and his team to grow some of the region’s premier wines.

Buy Here: 2008 L’Aventure Estate Cuvee $59.95

2008 L’Aventure Cote a Cote $59.95

Estate Cuvee: International Wine Cellars 94 points

“($85; 50% syrah, 36% cabernet sauvignon and 14% petit verdot; 15.9% alcohol) Inky purple. Cassis, blueberry and smoky Indian spices on the expansive, heady nose, with a sexy floral quality that gains strength with air. Deep, sappy and palate-coating dark fruit compote flavors show unlikely energy and become spicier with air. Strikingly expressive, potent and compellingly fragrant wine that finishes with remarkable clarity and sweet persistence. This was raised in 100% new French oak, but I’d never have guessed it.”

Cote a Cote: International Wine Cellar 94 points

“($85; 40% each of syrah and grenache, with 20% mourvedre; 15.9% alcohol) Opaque ruby. Very sexy aromas of black raspberry, blueberry, apricot pit, licorice and violet. Wonderfully precise and vibrant, with terrific cut to its creamy flavors of dark berry compote and candied violet. Round and sweet on the back end, finishing with excellent clarity, length and a lingering note of floral pastilles. Asseo called this wine “a bit of a prostitute, but a very nice one.”

It’s rare to see non-varietal designated wines coming out of the United States.  For some reason we love to know that we’re drinking Syrah rather than a “Paso Robles red”.  In the rest of the world, wines are designated with admittedly complex naming conventions usually combining the region in which the grapes were grown and the quality standards of the production.  That’s partially because a wider range of varietals thrive in the U.S.  But that same tendency can preclude us from enjoying blends because we’re used to wine tasting like a specific grape.

Enter the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape, makers of $80-350 wines, all of which are blends.  In collaboration with Robert Haas, they are on a mission to bring the spectacular blends of the Rhone Valley to the United States, with their organically farmed estate vineyards in Paso Robles.  Pouring a beautiful deep straw color, the nose is floral with hints of popcorn.  On the palate this wine is full bodied with tons of citrus and minerals and a little wheat beer.

The grapes (Roussanne, Grenache blanc and Picpoul) may not be familiar but the complex flavors of a well made white wine are.  This is fantastic wine that all Rhone fans should really try.  I’m looking forward to trying their red soon, so watch for it on these pages.

As usual, L.A. Wine Co. has the lowest price in the country on both half bottles and fulls.

Buy Here: 2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc $31.95

2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 375ml $16.95

Wine Advocate 94 points

“The flagship white is the 2008 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, a blend of 65% Roussanne, 30% Grenache blanc, and a rarity of 5% Picpoul. This is really great stuff in 2008. The wine displays plenty of honeyed citrus, spring flowers, white peach, apricot, quince, and loads of wet rocks, giving a steely definition to its opulent, full-bodied, yet fresh flavors. This is a tour de force in dry white and Rhone Ranger blends. It’s impossible to know how long it will last, but I would drink it sooner rather than later.

Robert Haas, the iconic French wine importer, who was one of the first to bring estate-bottled French wines into the United States, continues to go from strength to strength at Tablas Creek. His partner remains the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape. They have had three tiny vintages in a row, all producing very small yields, but the quality of their 2007s is the best in the history of the winery, and 2008 is certainly a strong vintage as well. These are wonderful, food-friendly wines with considerable complexity. While they do some varietal naming, the strength of Tablas Creek is their extraordinary Rhone Ranger blends, whether white or red. The 2009 vintage turned out to be an even smaller crop than 2008 and 2007 as a result of spring frost.”

Everyone has a bottle that really turned them on to wine.  For me it was a Nickel & Nickel Syrah that was ordered at a business dinner right after I graduated from college.  Now that I’m way past the point of being turned on to wine, I’ve found that certain bottles turn me on to regions or styles of wine.  Since that first special bottle, I’ve started to love Priorat after drinking a Mas Doix Salanques, Chardonnay after first trying Cakebread and so on.

I’ve always liked Rhone wines, especially Chateauneuf du Pape, but I never “got it” until last week (by “getting it” I mean that I would seek out these wines to collect).  I was on vacation in Charleston, SC (you could probably tell by my total lack of posts) where we had a veritable wine extravaganza.  While dining at our favorite restaurant, Samos Taverna, our wine guy, Adam, brought out some off menu choices for us as he always does.  We ended up going with a fantastic blend of native grapes from Portugal, a Napa Cabernet and a bottle of 2006 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape.  While I expected the highly rated Napa Cabernet to be my favorite, the Beaucastel was the clear winner and to make it taste even better, Adam sold it to us at an ungodly low price.

The 2006 Beaucastel isn’t available anymore but the 2007, which is supposed to be even better (RP96 vs. RP95) is available.  It’s not cheap at $89.95 but as usual, LA Wine Co. has the lowest price in the country.  If you love CdP as I now do, pick some up before the historic 2007 vintage is gone.

2007 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape $89.95

Robert Parker 96 points

“Beaucastel’s 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape has turned out even better out of bottle than I predicted. An inky/ruby/purple color is followed by a glorious nose of blue and black fruits, truffles, pen ink, licorice, and meat juices as well as glorious levels of acidity and sweet tannin, buttressing the fruit’s fabulous freshness and vibrancy. This full-bodied effort still displays considerable tannin, no doubt because of the relatively high Mourvedre content. It should resolve its tannins in 2-4 years, and last for 25 or more.

One of the great estates of the Rhone Valley, Chateau Beaucastel has been run by several generations of the Perrin family, beginning with the late Jacques Perrin (who died in 1978), then the brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois, and now their sons Thomas, Marc, Pierre, and Mathieu. Beaucastel has nearly 200 acres in vine in Chateauneuf du Pape, and they have branched out with an impressive operation under the Perrin et Fils label, purchasing grapes and acquiring land (in Vinsobres and Gigondas, for example). Their goal is to become the most recognized name for high quality wines in the southern Rhone. As shrewd consumers know, one of the best values in under $10 a bottle wine is La Vieille Ferme. The Perrin et Fils cuvees include wines made from purchased grapes as well as their new acquisitions in Vinsobres, Gigondas (25 acres), and the Cotes du Rhone village of Cairanne (35 acres). The Perrins enjoyed tremendous success with their 2008 red wines, largely because yields ranged between 18 hectoliters per hectare for Beaucastel, to only 20 hectoliters per hectare for Coudoulet. The mildew that affected everyone was the culprit. The entire family acknowledged there was an extraordinary triage and culling out of the grapes at the sorting tables.”

With the hyped 2007 vintage still on the shelves, the 2008 Rhone vintage is starting to hit the market and, in a less hyped vintage, there are often some serious values to be had.  The latest vintage of Domaine Paul Autard Cotes-du-Rhone Rogue might just prove to be the best value of the vintage. There’s just a special pleasure about drinking a great tasting wine for under $10.  In some respects it can be more fun than drinking a $100 bottle because it’s all pleasure with no pain.  That is unless someone else is paying for that $100 bottle of course.

The 2008 Domaine Paul Autard is juicy, smooth and delicious.  The 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Counoise blend has a nose of rock candy followed up by the signature Rhone pepper.  It tastes juicy with nice cherry flavors and a surprisingly lengthy, focused finish.  This wine is aged in vats rather than barrels, so there is no oak to distract from the pure fruit.

Vintner Jean-Paul Autard (how’s that for a French name?) makes an $85 Chateauneuf-du-Pape and, while this might not be of that pedigree, the winemaking skill shows through.  Until further notice, this will be my house Rhone- guilt free!

Buy Here: Domaine Paul Autard Cotes-du-Rhone Rogue $9.95

Wine Spectator- 88 points

“This has good ripeness for the vintage, with juicy plum and blackberry fruit laced with mesquite and graphite notes. Fine length. Drink now. 4,000 cases made.” (WS)

In the United States, Rosé’s thorn has been White Zinfandel.  Unfortunately, Sutter Home ruined the Rosé style of wine by introducing white Zinfandel (which curiously isn’t white) to the U. S. market, in the 1970′s.  According to the Wine Business Insider, white Zinfandel still accounts for a shocking 10% of wine sales in the U.S.  Well, erase white Zin from your mind because that is the last time it will be mentioned on this blog.

Most true Rosé is dry and if tasted blind, would more likely be confused with a red wine than a sweet white.  It’s the perfect start to any summer picnic or barbecue and a great alternative to a Sauvignon Blanc.  Rosé is made by leaving the skins in contact with the grapes (in the case Grenache and Syrah for a few days so they impart the beautiful pink color and light tannin.  It’s literally half way between a white and red wine.  Wildly popular in France, Rosé is beginning to grow in popularity in the U.S.  Whether you are a long time Rosé drinker or this is your first experience, Chateau Mas Guiot is a great place to start.

Chateau Mas Guiot Rosé from the Rhone Valley, is a dry, fresh wine with a beautiful deep pink/ruby color with a hint of orange.  It’s rich and full bodied with a crisp, lingering finish.

At $7.99, this Rhone Rosé is an incredible value.  Buy it for your next barbecue and show your friends what real pink wine is all about!

Buy Here: Chateau Mas Guiot Rosé ’09- $7.99

Memorial Day weekend started early for us today (okay really early), with an awesome Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  Much has been said about second wines on these pages. Telegramme is the second wine from Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe- one of the most famous wineries from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CdP) appellation of the southern Rhone Valley.  The top wine, “La Crau”, was rated 96 points by Robert Parker in this 2007 vintage.  2007, by the way, has been widely reviewed as one of the best southern Rhone vintages of all time.

Telegramme pours a slightly translucent ruby with an ever-so-slight brick tinge.  The nose hints of good things to come with fantastic red raspberry and dessert scents that remind me of warm apple pie with cinnamon and a hint of smoke.  The fruit theme continues as the wine tastes exceptionally smooth, with tart cherry flavors and a mineral finish, making it clear that this wine came from a top vineyard.

Speaking of vineyards, this wine is made from the same grapes as Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe’s $70 example- just the “young” vines.  Young in this case average 25 years old, which by new world standards is almost ancient.

If you are looking for an elegant, classic, well made CdP, buy this before the 2007 vintage is gone.  I’ve found something else to enjoy about this wine with every sip and, to me, that’s the true definition of a great wine.

P.S. LA Wine Co has the lowest price in the country.  Again…

Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe “Telegramme”- $29.95

90 points- WA, IWC and WS

“A fresh, pure, silky style, with red currant, licorice and shiso leaf notes gliding over the long, supple, minerally finish. Textbook for the vintage, with the fruit and minerality stretching out at the end. Drink now through 2017. 4,000 cases made.” (WS)

“The outstanding 2007 Telegramme Chateauneuf du Pape (15.8% alcohol) offers notes of kirsch liqueur, spring flowers, and framboise, medium to full body, good acidity, a beautiful texture, and a luscious, heady finish. It is best drunk over the next 5-6 years.” (WA)

“Deep red. Captivating aromas of black raspberry, wild rose, Asian spices and smoked meat. Brighter red fruits on the palate, with notes of cola and candied flowers gaining strength with air. Showing more depth, richness and warmth than last year. Finishes with very good grip and an echo of smoke.” (IWC)