Here comes the fun part of every regional focus—the tasting. As always, make sure to read through the Rhone Valley Overview, Northern Rhone, and Southern Rhone articles before jumping in here. It’ll help put all the tasting and technical notes into perspective.
Cheers and enjoy.
This is part deux in a two-part series featuring Tablas Creek Vineyards new (Summer 2020) releases. If you didn’t get a chance to read the winery’s background story and reviews of their red wines, hop over to Tablas Creek Newest Releases: 2018 Counoise, Grenache, and Mourvédre.
Did you know: Tablas Creek Vineyard is certified both organic and biodynamic? I think it’s a testament to the integrity of both certifications that they don’t flaunt these facts. Indeed, many folks I speak to who are familiar with the name and wines don’t realize these amazing efforts. Fun Fact: In February of 2019, Tablas Creek began taking part part in a pilot program of yet another, new farming practice called Regenerative Organic.
Did you join us for a tour of the Northern Rhône? Well here’s part deux as we explore the slightly more intricate Southern Rhône region…
[Information based on WSET Level 3 material]
I’ve talked about France’s Rhône region in a few previous posts—rosé winemaking, carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration, and of course Southern Rhône red blends. So I think it’s time for an overview of the Rhône and it is, in my mind, easier to do so by separating out the North and South. So, let’s start at the top and work our way down of this very narrow French wine region. Here we go…
[Information based on WSET Level 3 material]
Red wines from the Southern Rhône are often a blend of grape varieties. State the stylistic and practical reasons why a winemaker in this region might choose to blend.
[Answer(s) based on WSET Level 3 material]