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Rhône Week: Introduction

And so, following Bordeaux and Champagne, it is the turn of the Rhône Valley. All new notes this week, although humbly I confess I have been tardy in publishing them. They mostly concern wines tasted in Spring last year.

Quite why I've been so tardy I am unsure. The first two profiles concern two very significant Châteauneuf estates, Fortia and Font de Michelle. These are not minor producers. The former, the profile for which will be published on Wednesday, was home to Baron Le Roy, an instrumental figure in the development of France's Appellation Contrôlée system. Font de Michelle is home to the Gonnet family, and although they lack the great history of the Le Roy family, what really matters is the quality of the wines, which I feel is very good.

My third profile this week concerns the north rather than the south; Rene Rostaing. Perhaps the amateur psychologists will wonder whether there isn't a reason, lingering in my subconscious, for why it has taken so long to publish these notes and this profile. My experience of Rostaing is not the greatest by any stretch of the imagination, but I have tried most cuvées from his portfolio except the pricy Côte Rôtie La Landonne. My opinion does differ from that held my many other critics, in that I have frequently found the wines disappointing, with only the 2001 Cuvée Classique giving the sort of pleasure that one would expect from such an exalted producer. I'm quite happy to state this, though, despite what other writers may say. After all, I can only tell it as I see it.

Next week, I move on to look at Port, although with just two new articles I have stopped short of labelling it Port Week. So I guess normal service will be resumed. (22/3/05)

Rhône Week 2005:
A series of new Rhône profiles to complete my 2005 regional features.