Northern Rhône: Geography and climate

In the northern part of the Rhône Valley, the river meanders through a very narrow and very steep valley. Most of the vineyards are located on extremely steep slopes close to the river and generally face due south. This allows the sun to have its full effect, especially on summer afternoons. And that's a good thing. Because the climate in the northern Rhône region tends to be continental – with bitterly cold winters and warm summer days.

The fact that sun and heat are particularly welcome in summer is thanks to the northern Rhône's flagship grape variety: Syrah. This red grape has a thick skin, which means it needs plenty of sun and warmth to ripen properly. Sometimes this is made a little more difficult by the cold north wind, the mistral. But that's exactly why the vineyards face south. Should the mistral blow a little too hard (which, fortunately, doesn't happen that often in the northern Rhône region), the vines are reasonably protected.

Southern Rhône: Geography and climate

The vines in the southern Rhône can only dream of this protection. Where the steep slopes are missing, the mistral can blow strongly over the gentle hills of the southern Rhône. Fortunately, it is not quite as bad as it sounds at first, because the southern Rhône does not have a continental climate, but a Mediterranean one. The Mediterranean is no longer so far away here. This makes the winters significantly milder. Except on days when the Mistral is really raging here. And that happens quite regularly.

In summer, on the other hand, the grapes sizzle in the sun – always consistently ventilated by a strong wind. For the Syrah grape variety, this very constant wind is a bit too much of a good thing. The grape can also be found in the southern Rhône, but only in the appellations that are somewhat sheltered from the wind. The top variety here is undoubtedly Grenache, which thrives in the wind and heat. To be fair, however, the winegrowers have deliberately planted trees and bushes to provide some protection against storms for the Grenache as well. Geography, climate and the two different main grape varieties are truly not all that separates the two wine region siblings. So let's take a look at the soils.

Soils and wines of the northern Rhône

To do that, we first have to take a quick look at the general geography. The Rhône carves its way between the Massif Central on one side and the foothills of the Alps on the other. This also has an impact on the soils. The northern Rhône is characterised by a granite bedrock of volcanic origin, which it owes to the Massif Central. This soil ensures very good drainage, which is not unimportant, because many vineyards here are terraced. In the event of heavy rain, the water could accumulate. But thanks to the permeable soil, this is not the case.

Incidentally, the volcanic granite soil gives the wines many mineral and smoky notes. This is precisely what makes a Syrah from the northern Rhône so distinctive, expressed by for example the Northern Rhone wines of Chapoutier. Although these wines also have fruity notes of dark plums or black cherries, there is always something very mineral and vegetal about them. Black olives on the finish, for example, are also very typical. Not to mention that a young Syrah from the northern Rhône can still be a real rebel in the glass: stormy, rough and quite wild. On the other hand, it can ripen perfectly and, as a rule, develops a very elegant and refined character with age.

Soils and wines of the southern Rhône

The valley is much wider in the southern Rhône. Here, the Alps shape the soils, which are somewhat more diverse. They include everything from limestone to sand and clay. In addition, the former glaciers left many stones in the topsoil. These stones aid drainage and are excellent at retaining heat. The effect of these stones can be clearly seen in the southern Rhône in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, where they come to the surface in many places.

Grenache develops very intense and fruity aromas in the different soils, expressed by for example the wines of Domaine du Pegau. However, because cuvées are particularly common in the southern Rhône, it is difficult to reduce the wines from here to a single style. But since it is much warmer in the southern Rhône than in the north, it is fair to say that the wines are much stronger and also have more alcohol. But let's take a closer look at the appellations and crus from the north and south to better explore the different styles.

Northern Rhone: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu

When it comes to prestige, the north of the Rhône is clearly ahead. After all, we find venerable appellations such as Côte-Rôtie (with a large array of the finest producers like Guigal), Condrieu (Domaine Barge) and, of course, Crozes-Hermitage (Dard et Ribo) and Hermitage (Chave) here. All of these wines have already achieved world fame, but they are also delightfully different.

The Syrah from Côte-Rôtie (which translates as ‘roasted hillside’ because the sun shines so intensely on the slope here), for example, is very full-bodied and spicy, but also has a floral freshness and a very elegant texture. Incidentally, these wines are traditionally not made from 100% Syrah. This is because it is common practice to add up to 20% Viognier to a Côte-Rôtie. The powerful white grape balances the red grapes in a delightfully sophisticated way. If we travel a little further south from the northernmost tip of the growing area, Condrieu is worth a closer look. Here, the white wine made from pure Viognier is the star. In particular, the wines produced from old vines regularly amaze with their power and profound complexity.

Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage

Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage are a small peculiarity of the northern Rhône. These two appellations are the only ones on the right bank of the Rhône. Crozes-Hermitage nestles against Hermitage to the north and south, with very heterogeneous soils. Syrah dominates in both crus, and up to 15% Marsanne or Roussnne may be blended with it. So a dash of white wine is also allowed here. In Crozes-Hermitage, however, pure white wines may also be produced.

But the star is Syrah, which can be very concentrated, complex and firm here. The red wines of Hermitage, however, are the most full-bodied wines of the entire northern Rhône - with a gigantic aging potential. What is special here: producers in the Hermitage region have begun to vinify the wines according to individual lieux-dits, i.e. plots or mini-sites. This makes the origin even more noticeable in the taste.

Southern Rhone: Châteauneuf-du-Pape

In contrast to the north, the appellations in the southern Rhône are spread out to the right and left of the river bank – and also extend further inland. However, the most famous appellations are found on the right bank. Which brings us seamlessly to the great prestige appellation of the south: Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Here, where popes once had their summer residence (hence the name), some of the most famous wines in the entire Rhône Valley are produced.

Winegrowers are allowed to use up to 13 grape varieties for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is why there is no uniform style. However, the cuvées are usually characterised by Grenache – mostly in combination with Syrah and Mourvèdre. The grape varieties give the wines an extra-long ageing potential and a fruity opulence that has made the wines famous all over the world.

Gigondas

The red wines from the Gigondas appellation, from producers such as Domaine Santa Duc, are no less impressive. Until a few years ago, Gigondas was only known to a few insiders in the wine world. But now word has spread that the wines from here have a very similar potential to those from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In fact, the Gigondas wines are usually found to have even a little more charm and sophistication.

Since the wines of the southern Rhône cannot be reduced to a common denominator of taste due to their diversity, as is the case in the northern Rhône with its various appellations and crus, we will not try to pigeonhole the wines here either, as the categories are much too small for them. The wines from the south of the Rhône are actually so different and diverse that extensive tours of discovery in the glass are more than worthwhile.

Côtes du Rhône connects north and south

As different as the northern and southern Rhône may be as vinophile siblings, there is something that unites them as a wine family. Namely, the generic appellation Côtes du Rhône, which can be found in both the north and the south. In the southern Rhône alone, almost half of the total vineyard area is reserved exclusively for Côtes-du-Rhône wines. Most of the wines are simple and fruity, and have a charming drinkability.

The Côtes du Rhône Villages are of a slightly higher quality and more serious, with even stricter production rules. A Côtes du Rhône Village must contain a mandatory blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes. The wines are somewhat deeper and more complex, but not yet as opulent or multi-layered as a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, for example. They are therefore the ideal introduction to the world of Rhône wines. However, the truly great qualities all come from the different appellations and crus of the northern and southern Rhône.