Walls: top northern Rhône reds under £30

In preparation for this column I tasted 46 reds in total, and – taking both quality and value into account – I can recommend 33 of them. Overall, the reds were less consistent than the whites , and although the lows were lower, the highs were higher. This tasting confirmed that it’s still possible to buy genuinely excellent northern Rhône reds for under £30 in the UK. That being said, it’s virtually impossible to find any Cornas, Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage for under £30 a bottle these days, but there are plenty of entries from St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. I also tasted wines labelled as Côtes-du-Rhône, IGP and Vin de France, as long as the grapes were grown in the northern Rhône. St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage did tend to show their class, but there are bargains to be found at lower levels if you know where to look. Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for 33 great value northern Rhône reds [subscriber-content]The St-Josephs performed particularly strongly, and although some producers such as Gonon and Gangloff are priced well above the limit for this tasting, there are many other excellent producers whose wines aren’t yet quite so punchy. And £30 goes a long way in Crozes-Hermitage; it’s enough to access the top cuvées from some of the best producers, including Laurent Fayolle, Yann Chave and Natacha Chave. [caption id="attachment_488943" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Laurent Fayolle. Credit: Matt Walls.[/caption] See also: 22 northern Rhône whites under £30 There was a fairly close correlation between price and quality, but there were four wines under £20 that really shone: Lionel Faury’s St-Joseph Les Ribaudes 2020, Domaine Verzier’s IGP Collines Rhodaniennes Connivence 2021, André Perret’s St-Joseph 2018 and Domaine des Amphores’ St-Joseph Les 7 Lieux 2020. For sheer quality however, the best wines of the tasting were Domaine Marsanne’s St-Joseph 2018 and Lionel Faury’s St-Joseph La Gloriette 2020. [caption id="attachment_488944" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Lionel Faury's best St-Joseph parcels in Chavanay. Credit: Matt Walls.[/caption] Comparing recent vintages I tasted from youngest to oldest. With only a couple of preliminary 2021s, the tasting really began with the 2020s. And what a start – a vintage of great consistency, quality and balance. It’s hard to go wrong it seems in 2020, even with relatively inexpensive northern Rhônes. Around a third of the 2020s weren’t quite ready to drink, but they won’t need much longer. It might be an early-drinking vintage, but it’s also one that will age well, even at this level. The 2019s were very different. Perhaps they’re entering an awkward stage, but many appeared overripe, with high alcohol. Some winemakers tried to create balance by ramping up the acidity, but often the result is wines that feel aggressive. Texture was problematic with some 2019s too; some wines were over-extracted, others had drying tannins from excessive oak. It’s not the most balanced vintage in the northern Rhône, but certain wines did perform very well. I was expecting to enjoy the 2019s more than the 2018s, but in fact the reverse was true. Both were hot vintages, and both featured a number of wines with excessive alcohol. Those that managed to avoid this pitfall in 2018 were often delicious, particularly those using a proportion of whole bunch, which helps to bring freshness and structure to what can be a soft and sunny year. A few older wines were submitted too: a 2017, two 2016s and even a 2014. Even at this fairly inexpensive level, northern Rhône reds will typically age for 8 years or more in a good vintage. Some simply last rather than improve, but others can take on further interest and complexity on their journey. I’ve no doubt several of the 2020s recommended below will do just that. [/subscriber-content] 33 value northern Rhône reds to seek out: [wine-collection] Related content Walls: top northern Rhône whites under £30 Best South American wines: Great value picks Behind Rasteau’s renaissance plus 10 ‘new look’ bottles to seek out Willamette Valley rising stars: eight names to know

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Walls: top northern Rhône reds under £30

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for 33 great value northern Rhône reds

33 value northern Rhône reds to seek out:

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