By Christine Salins.
You might have heard of Rhône-style wines but what exactly does that mean?
It refers to wine made from varieties typically used in the Rhône region of France. One of the classic French wine regions, the Rhône Valley is in central France, starting just south of Lyon and continuing almost to the Mediterranean Sea.
The region is best known for its elegant, savoury Syrah (Shiraz) and for its Grenache blends.
Aussie winemakers have long enjoyed producing wines in a similar style down under. You might recall our column a few months ago on GSM blends (Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre).
In the Northern Rhône sub-region, red wines made from Syrah are sometimes blended with up to 20% of white wine grapes. This is replicated in Australia too, though generally with just a small percentage of Viognier, a white grape.
One of the pioneers of that style in Australia was Canberra winery, Clonakilla. Its recently released 2021 Shiraz Viognier is 5% Viognier.
Wines made from the white Rhône varieties, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, tend to fly under the radar somewhat, which is a pity because there are many beautiful examples of these being produced in Australia.
If you enjoy fragrant, flavoursome whites, you will really appreciate these Rhône-style wines. They are very versatile with food, another good reason for putting a bottle on the table.
Yalumba 2020 Eden Valley Roussanne, $28: Wonderful texture with intense white peach, citrus and honey notes, and a little nuttiness. Enticing floral/herbal aromas, great natural acidity, and a lovely silky creaminess from being matured in older French oak. Winemaker Louisa Rose suggests you enjoy it with a mezze platter; mushroom and thyme risotto; or pumpkin and ricotta ravioli with burnt butter and sage.
Sevenhill 2021 Spire’s Lament Viognier, $45: Back in April we looked at a range of different Viognier from the Barossa Valley. This luscious Viognier from the Clare Valley has intense apricot and rockmelon aromas. Barrel fermentation has provided toasty, buttery, vanilla and almond notes. Fine tannins, fresh acidity and honeyed stonefruit flavours add delicious complexity. The name is derived from Sevenhill’s St Aloysius Church, which was intended to have a spire but never completed. Now a highly recognised landmark in the Clare Valley, it would be hard to imagine it with a spire now.
