About this WINE
Andre Romero
André Romero has been dubbed the `Superstar of Rasteau' by no less a figure than Robert Parker, and is equally passionate about his wines and his beloved Marseilles football club. On current form, his wines are in far better shape.
Self-taught and adhering to the virtues of low yields and extended fermentation, Romero has invested in an automatic pigeage system along Burgundian lines which ensures maximum extraction. The resulting wine is soft, yet sturdy, with berry flavours and a whiff of wood-smoke betraying its provenance.
Côtes du Rhône
Côtes du Rhône, located in southern France’s Rhône Valley, is one of the country’s largest and most well-known wine appellations. The region is renowned for producing a wide range of high-quality wines, with vineyards extending from just south of Lyon in the north to Avignon in the south, covering both banks of the Rhône River.
Côtes du Rhône is celebrated for its wide array of red and white grape varieties. The primary red grape varieties include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, while the main white grape varieties consist of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne.
The region is divided into several appellations, each with distinct characteristics and regulations. The hierarchy ranges from the broad Côtes du Rhône appellation to more specific and prestigious sub-appellations like Côtes du Rhône Villages and Crus such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Hermitage.
The region benefits from a diverse terroir, contributing to the different wine styles. The northern part has a continental climate, while the southern portion enjoys a Mediterranean climate, which plays a vital role in grape ripening and flavour development.
The red wines are highly regarded for their rich and robust flavours. They often exhibit notes of dark fruits, herbs, spices, and distinctive peppery quality, especially in the Syrah-dominated wines from the northern Rhône.
The white wines are typically aromatic and elegant, with flavours of stone fruits, floral notes, and hints of mineral complexity.
Côtes du Rhône also produces excellent rosé wines, which are refreshing and perfect for warm weather enjoyment.
Winemaking in Côtes du Rhône has a long history from ancient times. The region preserves a combination of traditional methods and modern techniques, allowing winemakers to express the unique characteristics of their terroir.
Côtes du Rhône wines are versatile and pair well with a wide range of dishes, including roasted meats, hearty stews, grilled vegetables, and cheeses.
Southern Rhône Blend
The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhône are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Châteauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhône - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend. Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhône have risen dramatically in the last decade and it is an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds colour, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.
The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add colour, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-coloured wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends. Finally, Mourvèdre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhône blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends.
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Description
A classic Ctes-du-Rhne, many say the classic Ctes-du-Rhne, its only sin being the fact that it is far too good for such a lowly appellation. The wine is tank aged, its component being 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah. A beautiful nose of hedgerow fruit and violets and a very concentrated palate with blackberry, damson and plum and a pleasingly peppery kick on the finish.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012
Our pilgrimage to Romeros pre et fils was more difficult than usual this year; there was a route barre sign at one end of the only approach roadfair enough.but then 10 minutes later there was another one at the other end of the same road. The detour was worth it, of course. The unique clay-based terroir is now given more expression as the barriques have been removed, probably at significant expense, and replaced by larger upright foudres, which allow the full aromatic potential of these low-yielding vines full and eloquent expression.
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