Earlier this week I tasted the 2012 La Ferme du Mont Côte du Rhône “Première Côte”. I’ve long been a fan of the Côte du Rhône style: medium-bodied, good red and black fruits, well-structured but drinkable. Côte du Rhône’s are typically made from a blend of grenache, syrah and a smattering of other grapes. The Rhône Valley is split up into two primary regions: Northern and Southern Rhône. Côte du Rhône’s come from the southern part, an area that sprawls out from the town of Avignon near the Mediterranean Sea. It can be very hot and dry here so the grapes need to be able to survive with a lot of heat and little rain. Grenache works well for this and so is the primary grape for most of the wine made in the Southern Rhône.
Côte du Rhône is by far the Rhône Valley’s largest appellation and can be made anywhere in the wine-producing areas of the Valley. However, because it’s much easier to farm the vineyards in the Southern Rhône, almost all Côte du Rhône comes from there. This one from La Ferme du Mont is thoroughly enjoyable and may be my new go-to Côte du Rhône. It had just enough fruit to be pleasant, but not too much that it felt sweet. There was enough structure (tannin and oak) that it didn’t taste like grape juice but not so much that I couldn’t taste anything. And it felt fairly versatile, meaning I think it would do well in a number of situations. We drank it with sausage and peppers and it worked very well. I could see it working equally well with most major proteins (chicken, pork, beef, etc.). The only thing I probably wouldn’t try it with is Asian and tomato based dishes. And, at around $13, it is well worth it.
Côte du Rhône is by far the Rhône Valley’s largest appellation and can be made anywhere in the wine-producing areas of the Valley. However, because it’s much easier to farm the vineyards in the Southern Rhône, almost all Côte du Rhône comes from there. This one from La Ferme du Mont is thoroughly enjoyable and may be my new go-to Côte du Rhône. It had just enough fruit to be pleasant, but not too much that it felt sweet. There was enough structure (tannin and oak) that it didn’t taste like grape juice but not so much that I couldn’t taste anything. And it felt fairly versatile, meaning I think it would do well in a number of situations. We drank it with sausage and peppers and it worked very well. I could see it working equally well with most major proteins (chicken, pork, beef, etc.). The only thing I probably wouldn’t try it with is Asian and tomato based dishes. And, at around $13, it is well worth it.