Previously better known for truffles than wine, this 2,400-hectare appellation produces increasingly good quality, with mostly red and rosé wines. The higher altitudes and more northerly situation is best-suited to Cinsault – alongside Syrah, Grenache, Picpoul Noir and Carignan. The dark, peppery Syrah-dominated wines from standard-bearers like Domaine de Grangeneuve are the best examples.
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While Ch. Mouton-Rothschild was finally being elevated to First Growth status in 1973, another great change was also taking place in the wine firmament: Côteaux du Tricastin was being upgraded from a VDQS (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure) to an AOC in Rhone.
Previously better known for truffles than wine, this 2,400-hectare appellation produces increasingly good quality, with mostly red and rosé wines alongside a tiny quantity of white. The higher altitudes and more northerly situation mean that it is not warm enough for Mourvèdre to ripen, so it is Cinsault that combines with Syrah and Grenache – and sometimes Picpoul Noir and Carignan.
The dark, peppery Syrah-dominated wines from standard-bearers like Domaine de Grangeneuve are the best examples, and can age up to and beyond five years. Most other wines tend to be relatively light with fresh acidity underpinning classic, spicy, southern Rhône fruit. The wines resemble those of Côtes du Ventoux to the south, which, as it happens, also received AC status in 1973. The rosés are fresh, fruity and dry, and are generally very good indeed.
Recommended producer: Domaine de Grangeneuve
