The Crus: Northern Rhône

Château-Grillet

As its name suggests, this appellation consists of a single Château – one producer gets the appellation all to itself. Château-Grillet certainly deserves a place apart: This is Viognier at its finest. Condrieu is perhaps the only region in the world that even approaches the rarefied level of Château-Grillet’s brilliant winemaking.

Condrieu

In the early 1970s, Viognier was in trouble. And if it weren’t for the Condrieu AOC, this intensely aromatic white grape might have disappeared entirely. Back then, Viognier was extremely hard to find, but the winemakers in the tiny Condrieu AOC (along with the even tinier Château-Grillet) kept producing their rich, viscous, exotic Viognier wines. Luckily for all of us, the international market took an interest in Condrieu – and Viognier has now gained a foothold in nearly every wine-producing area in the world. No other region has yet made a Viognier that approaches the Old World charm of Condrieu.

Cornas

Typical aromas include leather, bacon fat, and cigar ash. Now, if you read the previous sentence and thought, “Sounds like a great wine,” then you’ll appreciate the exquisite machismo of Cornas. These brawny reds will go perfectly with the game you captured on your latest hunt (or the hunk of red meat you just captured at the store). Uncompromising to the last, Cornas produces no white wine – and no white grapes are used to soften the red blends. The opaque, nearly black wines of Cornas are always 100% Syrah.

Côte-Rôtie

Here on Côte-Rôtie, or the “roasted slope,” the sun’s intense heat can produce huge red wines. In order to avoid over-the-top jamminess, the Côte-Rôtie vignerons use a technique that has been copied in warm climates the world over: They spike their Syrah with Viognier. By law, up to 20% of these prized red wines may be made of white Viognier grapes; in practice, much less is often used. The resulting blends are some of the most complex, exotic, and mysterious wines on the planet.

Crozes-Hermitage

Their names may be similar, but Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage are very different wine regions. Whereas Hermitage is often a cellar-worthy, long-lived wine, Crozes-Hermitage is meant for early consumption. A solid Rhône appellation known for consistent quality, Crozes-Hermitage makes reds that are always approachable and often more modern than the wines of other Rhône Crus; some round, brilliant whites are made here as well.

Hermitage

Some of the most highly sought-after wines in the Rhône, and indeed the world, come from Hermitage. The reds are based on Syrah, but up to 15% of the juice can be white Marsanne or Roussanne. Naturally tannic and extremely long-lived, Hermitage reds have never needed much oak to make an impression. According to legend, the area is named after a knight who came here to heal from wounds received in the Crusades – and never left. He built a chapel atop what would, centuries later, be one of the most prized slopes in the world of wine.

St-Joseph

The densely hued red wines of St-Joseph will have you expecting a much bigger wine than you’re likely to get: tasters are often surprised that these wines stay so buoyant and fresh, despite their abundant, opulent fruit. The same restrained pleasure can be had in the whites, which still represent phenomenal values.

St-Péray

That’s right: a sparkling wine appellation, right here in the Rhône. Ever since a winemaker from Champagne relocated to St-Péray in 1825, bringing the “Champagne method” with him, St-Péray has produced fun, festive bubbly. No reds are made here, but St-Péray does produce some still white wines. Often weighty and substantial, both the sparkling and still wines of St-Péray are made from Marsanne and/or Roussanne grapes.