You can find several value gems among the wines of southern Rhone. Some 'Village' wines offer really good value and among the Cru's there are still some real bargains to be had. Unfortunately Gigondas has gone through the roof as of lately, but look for the lesser known Cru's like Cairanne, Lirac, Rasteau, Beaume de Venise and Vacquerays. Most of the wines are good quality and you will often find wines that are exceptional quality - at less than half the price of comparable CDPs.
Fantastic blind tasting. 94 points for a 20 buck wine is mind blowing and dont let anyone dismiss this just as grade inflation! Cairanne QPR is phenomenal. Fully deserved that it got it's own AOC label, the identity should help the producers build brand and reputation. More sales, more investment, better products (hopefully).
@@drmatthewhorkey This is what I admire most about you, just finding the wine that honestly tastes the best, in affordable prices, for most people. Bias does seem to be a giant obstacle, when trying to find wines that taste good, versus wines "with good taste," to borrow a line from an old tuna fish commercial. I am not one to just randomly subscribe to channels. I like to see what people are about, before I subscribe, and have been watching yours, as I have the chance, the past few days, so I'm subbing now.
Another informative video, thank you Dr. Matt. I haven't tried these wines, but certainly will seek them out. I'm curious about the significance of crest on some bottles. When I hear some refer to Cotes du Rhone it brings me back to the South African marketing genius with Goats Do Roam.
I tasted Domaine Fond Croze after a recommendation from Bob Paulinski, I am always impressed by those blends and how well they can integrate the high alcohol levels found in these hotter climates. Very affordable as well for the quality, I think I paid in the low to mid 20s, similar to the Cru Bourgeois you find in Bordeaux, it seems to be the perfect sweet spot for quality per $ spent.
Love to see you doing some videos focusing on other areas of CdR, I haven't come across a lot of Cairanne in my area. But still great to learn more about this area. For me personally one area I've had some pretty good luck in getting nice CdR at decent prices is Beaumes de Venise.
@@drmatthewhorkey yes! I'm not much if a sweet wine person. So I was surprised to find that out afterwards lol. Although the CdR I've come across there haven't been sweet.
Great video! I need to go out and get me some Cairanne ASAP. I see I can get a Domaine de la Presidente (not vielles vignes though) for 10,80€ here in Germany.
Great stuff! Need to pick up one or two of these.. There is baumes de venice AOC - I think they are really underrated. Great value red wines next to the whites.
i really want to try CDF but a $35 bottle being ‘entry level’ is just not in my budget, super helpful video! i’ll keep an eye out for one of these alternatives
Thanks Matthew - I love CdP but can't indulge in it often. I've enjoyed some Cote du Rhone wines that were nice - and relatively inexpensive - but not in the same league as a good CdP. I'll look for that Dom. de la Presidente: sounds like the answer to a poor man's prayers.
A fun video idea could be a tasting of Brézème that is the extreme south of the northern Rhône and is predominantly Syrah. Affordable and robust wines.
I like all southern Rhone wines and some of the best appellations besides Chateauneuf du pape and Gigondas is Cairanne and Rasteau. I especially like Domaine Alary from Cairanne. I have some of their wines in my cellar. I like fond de Estevanasmost. 50% Syrah and 50 Grenache. It's an amazing value. I tasted the 2019 recently. A really great wine.
fantastic tasting! i see these wines at wine shop and especially the brusset. wondering if they age as well as the C du PAPE? ive aged the gigondas and thry dont age so well.
I think that region was in Star Wars 😂. Seriously, never heard about until this video. I like southern Rhône wines but I really wish the abv was lower.
As a fellow CDP lover, I wonder what style of CDP you are comparing these to, considering CDP producers can be quite diverse in terms of blend mix and amount of fruit versus spicy earthy tones. I guess it would be fair to compare to similar price range CDPs, since there are a few within the $20-40 price range that’s decent.
