By Dwight Casimere
Cotes du Rhone in France is one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world and one of the largest yet, in the immortal words of the great Rodney Dangerfield, it “don’t get no respect!”
Wine snobs rail on about every other region and have largely left the Cotes du Rhone out of the conversation. That may be changing, in these inflationary times, wise consumers are carefully eyeing the shelves and the online shopping carts and clicking on more value priced wines. If they are lucky enough to stumble upon a Cotes du Rhone, they’ve learned that they can obtain wines that satisfy a sophisticated palate at a very reasonable price.
Cotes du Rhone wines are not one-dimensional. They represent a wide array of flavors and textures, dictated by the extraordinary array of native grape varieties and the various climate and soil influences that differentiate from Villages or Communes to the next.
Southern Rhone wines, for example, are distinguished by the Mediterranean climate and striations of sandstone, sand and rocks intermixed with red clay, Pliocene and marl that line the river terraces and gently rolling hills of the Mediterranean coast.
Signargues is an appellation of Cotes du Rhone Villages known for its rich, full-bodied red wines. Located in the extreme south of the Rhone, the wines are made primarily from native Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grape varieties.
Domaine du Fournier Signargues Cotes du Rhone Villages-$17
A red blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache, this is an elegant example of southern Rhone winemaking. From vineyards grown at the foot of an ancient chapel belonging to the cellar master, the juice is allowed to macerate on the skins for five weeks before cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks for three weeks. The wine is then aged in concrete vats, as has been done with wine in the region for two centuries.
The dazzling color of precious garnet stones greets the eye as subtle aromas of crushed rose hips, dark plums and blackberries mingle with dark cherries and a hint of tangy dried apricots linger on the palate. Soft tannins provide a smooth finish. This is terrific wine with a flank steak grilled over hot coals and brandy-soaked wood chips. Ribs marinated overnight in wine vinegar or butterflied leg of lamb with tarragon and rosemary and garlic-infused olive oil will bring out all of the complex flavors of this wine. Serve an endive and watercress salad, grilled asparagus and Gorgonzola stuffed giant Portobello mushrooms on the side for a spectacular summer’s eve meal that no one will forget. Visit vignerons-castelas.fr for more.