We’ve covered the mighty Rhône Valley extensively over on our earlier blog here, but for those that are reaching the end of their cup of reading-coffee, we’ll summarise a bit for you.Not only is Côtes du Rhône one of the most productive appellations in all of France, but it’s also one of the oldest and the second-largest appellation in France. Only Bordeaux has more hectares planted with vines. The entire region is about 44,000 hectares with 31,926 hectares under vine. Producing over 400 million litres of wine in the region annually. Translating to close to 200 Million dollars’ worth of wine being produced here every year.

Although we often talk about the wines of the Rhône Valley as a single entity, the Northern and Southern regions are very different. The immensity of this celebrated wine region in reality, has meant it has always been divided both geographically and stylistically. The North is separated from the South by a 30-kilometre stretch from Valence to Montelimar of green lush countryside where there are no vines at all.

Not only is the North (known as ‘septrionale’ in French) much smaller and more densely planted than the South, but also its climate is continental, hot summers and very cold winters. Northern Rhône is also deeply terroir-driven which could be seen as a natural extension of Burgundian philosophies and so is largely responsible for the most prestigious crus meanwhile the south (with some exceptions) is most important in terms of volume.

Whilst Paul Jaboulet Aîné is primarily situated in the north and the Ogier domaine in the south, both work with growers from around the region to makes up their unique styles of Côtes du Rhône wines.

The ‘Parallele 45’ (or P45 as we affectionately call it,) Côtes du Rhône is named for the 45th Parallel. The 45th parallel is a latitudinal ‘line’ around the planet, 45 degrees north of the Equator. It’s significant as it runs through a number of renowned wine regions including Burgundy, Piedmont and Oregon and also runs two kilometres from the domaine’s cellars.

Paul Jaboulet Aîne is a storied producer dating back nearly two centuries. It was established by Antoine Jaboulet and is now run by the wine-famous Frey family. When the family acquired Paul Jaboulet Ainé in 2006, Caroline Frey took up the role of winemaker and viticulturist there. Caroline is fast becoming one of the top winemakers in France, admired for her persistence for quality. Under her leadership, the Paul Jaboulet Ainé vineyards were certified for Sustainable Farming and she now follows organic and biodynamic practices. In initiating this, Caroline also wanted to extend this philosophy to their CdR wines. “The hot and dry climate of the Côtes du Rhône and the Mistral are ideal for organic viticulture. Partnerships have been forged with carefully selected winegrowers to draw up a harmonious blending true to Parallèle 45’ origins,” she explains.

Paul Jaboulet Aîné owns the famed La Chapelle Vineyard. An icon, the chapel, after which it is named, was built in 1235 and sits at the top of the hill. It is small and simple, yet one of the most powerful images in the world of wine. The region Hermitage is so called after the hermit that used to live there alone on the hill.

From Southern Rhône comes our Maison Ogier (“Oh-jee-eer”) Héritages Côtes du Rhône. Founded in 1859 in the centre of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Maison Ogier’s aim today is quite simply to grow the best grapes and make the best wines possible: a commitment to quality and to the region and its heritage.

Ogier’s expertise has grown over 150 years, during which time it has brought back into use traditional forms of cask that had fallen into disuse and introduced new ones.

Ogier is behind the famous Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes A.O.C Châteauneuf-duPape. With its distinctive label, unchanged since it was designed in 1928 and undisputed quality, it is recognised by wine writers and wine lovers from all over the world and is a true testament to the quality this house is known for.

Their Héritages range is their more accessible line, offering supremely easy drinkability and accessibility. An established brand for 20 years, it draws back to the Ogier heritage and is a reflection of the house’s know-how. The wines in the Héritages collection are based on long-term partnerships with winegrowers spread over all the Rhône Valley crus. Every year, they organise a blind tasting of all the partners’ wines, with the growers and partners invited to join, taste and grade the wines with them, so they are included in all aspects of the process, and it’s very collaborative but closely overseen by Ogier, with quality being of utmost importance.

Characterful dramatic reds, from affordable to rare, intriguingly unique, and exotic whites – The Rhône Valley is a veritable goldmine for wine lovers of every ilk and budget. If you’re seeking stuffy, elitist wine, this may not be quite right. Yes, we get it, some Northern Rhône big boys are powerful, dense, and dripping in luxury, which is just grand for the collectors, but the joyous beauty of this whole wine region is that there’s a gem for everyone – collectors with deep cellars, terroir geeks, BBQ bargain hunters. The Côtes du Rhône is the region to explore! Happy hunting and drinking fellow imbibers.