Rhône

Rhône

The Rhône valley runs for 200km through south-eastern France, from Lyon down to the Mediterranean. In the north, on steep terraces of granite, Syrah gives noble reds scented with pepper and violets, and Viognier gives whites of heady perfume. In the sun-blessed south, blends built around Grenache weave together generous fruit and a warmth you can feel.

From the great hills of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage to the stone-strewn vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Rhône is a treasury of wines quite unlike Bourgogne or Bordeaux — wines in which power and delicacy live side by side.

Cépages selects Rhône wines in which you can sense the character of the grower and the way they look at their vines. Superb with substantial meat dishes, of course, and every bit as good with spiced Japanese cooking.