Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Intense Cotes du Rhone Villages

It’s back and it’s better…and it’s more intense! There’s no place like Rhône so click your heels three times and read on for a seriously good value French red for a snip over $20.

These guys were the ones responsible for sending shockwaves around the wine world for their $20 red a couple of years ago that went Platinum and 97/100 at the last Decanter World Wine Awards (just 0.8% of wines from over 17,000 entered went Platinum!). Their Cotes du Rhone VILLAGES is the next step up in class, or as they like to say it’s a little bit more intense. And it’s only a few bucks more!

If you’re new to the world of Rhone Valley and all its rules, let’s bring you up to speed. Wines labelled as Cotes du Rhone AOC (or just Cotes du Rhone) are the entry level wines to the Rhone valley wine system in terms of value and consistency. Wines labelled as Cotes du Rhone Villages are the next level up. The overall area and production is much lower with restrictions on yields. In short, the fewer grapes left to grow the better quality and more complex the wine.

A blend of Grenache (60%), Syrah (30%) and Mourvedre (10%) this is a sun-kissed Rhone valley red that looks and tastes the part of a wine worth a lot more. It’s silky and laden with rich, vanilla aromas and cherry and black berry fruit flavours and a touch of peppery spice. Seriously, what on earth are you waiting for? Yet again, there are very limited stocks available in the NZ market so get in now or miss out for good!