On Fri, 20 May 2005 20:07:12 +0200, Lionel
wrote:

Same thing I said about Cotes Roties, with the addition of a correct
spelling g.

No problem with the orthograph for me.
Yes everything you have written is correct.

The Grenache appears only in the south of Valence (about
30-40 km). This corresponds in a major geological change and
so to a drastic difference in culture, prune...


And yet, it's still a Rhone varietal. Is this geographic distinction a
subtle diss of Chateauneuf-du-Pape? I guess that the answer is
contained in the next passage, which I have split up.

Not exactly Chateauneu-du-Pape is a little bit more in the
south.
I was speaking of the area between Valence and Orange.

Sorry, it seemed like you were talking about the difference between
North and South Rhone. I guess that the km range refered to where
Grenache is grown, not the line of demarcation.

Now the wine
is mixture (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinseault,
Clairette... in different proportion but usually with a
dominance of Grenache)


And yet, the trio that I cited is a classic blend. Of course, then
there's the mixed bag of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It's similar to the idea
that CabSauv/Merlot/CabFranc/Petit Verdot is the classic blend of
Bordeaux, but you'll also find some vintners thowing Malbec into the
mix. It's just that there are many more permitted varietals in the
Rhone, and so, you can find quite a few combinations. Still, that trio
is known for being a great combination of grapes.


Absolutly true.


From this point the best is often close to the passable and
the mediocre with some gem : Cornas, Gigondas and some
fantastic Villages.


Well, there's no denying that the Southern Rhone generally offers a
lighter style than the steep slopes of the North. Yes, one should
choose a bit more carefully, although I'd note that there are plenty
of mediocre Cotes du Rhones.

True.
It's a little bit difficult to make a recommendation.
Ususally my preference goes to Tavel, Gigondas, Beaume de
Venise and more sentimentaly Saint Hilaire D'Ozilhan a small
village in which I worked when I was studend.

I've only knowingly tried Gigondases, although it seems to me that I
had a Rose from Tavel once (if I'm going to drink a French Rose, which
isn't often, I'm probably going to choose something from Provence).
I've liked everyone Gigondas that I've tried, save one.

Thanks for the recommendations.

And let's not forget that Cornas is
actually NORTH of Valence, if only barely.

That's true I made the confusion with Mornas. :-)