Côtes du Rhône at London Double Header, Twickenham

Yesterday, I spent a very pleasant couple of hours as a guest in the company of Olivier le Grand, export marketing manager for Inter Rhône, and the chaps from ad agency Breakfast, sampling some Côtes du Rhône wines over lunch at Twickenham rugby ground before watching a couple of matches.

As it was a sit-down meal rather than a tasting, note-taking was not so easy, but Olivier brought round a couple of special bottles and I managed to scribble down a few impressions (with price and availability where indicated).

Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Villages 2011, £7.99 / £5.99 Waitrose - good entry-level Rhone; dark berry fruit and sweet vanilla spice.

Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2011, £11.50 / £14.00 Bibendum - a blend of the usual Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne with - unusually - some Picpoul; a touch of Picpoul seashell aromas on the nose, white stone fruit; fresh and lively on the palate, good fresh acidity, good depth, peachy texture

Cave de Tain l'Hermitage Epsilon 2005 - complex nose with dark berry fruit, spice and eathiness, no signs of age in the glass, elderberry fruit, leatheriness, mintiness and firm, structured grip, attack on the senses, good balanced acidity, long on the palate, long persistent and grippy finish; really superb and still young

Domaine Jaume Côtes du Rhône Villages Vinsobres 2009,  - peppery, spicy, dark berry fruit and inkiness, good long palate, pleasant finish; very good

Gigondas '09 - earthy woodsy nose, dark berry fruit, spice - spicy, elderberry fruit palate, dense and inky, minty, grippy, lively and muscular

Cave de Tain Gambert de Loche 2007 - Hermitage; inky, dark berry fruit, spice, sweet vanilla, great texture, lovely grippy finish

Recommended Wine

All the wines here were good, but the Epsilon 2005 was utterly superb - a really great wine.

Links

Côtes du Rhône - http://www.vins-rhone.com/en/
Olivier Le Grand on Twitter - https://twitter.com/O_Legrand_IR
Breakfast - http://www.breakfastagency.com/