From the archive: Crozes-Hermitage & St-Joseph panel tasting results
A tough tasting, said our experts...
Since first visiting the Rhône in 1973, John Livingstone-Learmonth has dedicated most of his life to writing and talking about the region’s wines. A principal contributor to the book Gigondas, Its Wines, Its Land, Its People, published in English and French, Livingstone-Learmonth is also the author of four books on the Rhône, including The Wines of the Northern Rhône, which won the Louis Roederer International Book Prize in 2006, and runs the website drinkrhone.com. In 2006, Livingstone-Learmonth was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, and he is an honorary citizen of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Livingstone-Learmonth is also a close follower of the Turf, having been the Daily Telegraph Racing Hero of the Year 2000.
A tough tasting, said our experts...
This southern Rhône region makes an array of quality wines, with dynamic producers showing what the area is capable of
These wines are now coming into their drinking windows...
John Livingstone-Learmonth catches up with Rhône royalty, Jean-Louis Chave...
See the top wines and read our overview...
Read our review and see our top wines...
Great value wines from this top vintage....
This vintage lives up to the hype - see the best...
The best of the best from an exciting vintage...
Early tastings suggest exciting things ahead, says our expert...
One of the most renowned Châteauneuf winemakers...
Top whites from the panel tasting...
Find out who won the regional trophy for over £10. And the winner is...
Find out who won the regional trophy for under £10. And the winner is...
An excellent crop of generous and ageworthy reds and rich whites
John Livingstone-Learmonth’s natural habitat is the Rhône. So how would McLaren Vale, Australia’s closest replica, compare? The grapes were familiar, but the attitude was a step removed – and not in the way you might think…
As Châteauneuf-du-Pape hurtles to embrace Prestige wines, you’d think a domaine bold enough to expand to Lebanon would be first in the queue. But Vieux Télégraphe has been bottling wine since before World War I, and values tradition over fashion, says John Livingstone-Learmonth
The Southern Rhône’s seductive 2007 vintage has been rapturously received, with merchants trumpeting its wares. The wines are good, but do they have the structure to age, asks JOHN LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH
How did French insurance giant AXA build such a varied wine portfolio, including Suduiraut and Quinta do Noval? And why did they put an Englishman at the helm? JOHN LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH finds out
2005 isn’t just about Bordeaux and Burgundy – the Rhône has yielded some truly magnificent wines, says JOHN LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH
Two former Côtes-de-Rhône Villages have been granted their own appellations. John Livingstone-Learmonth looks at what makes them so special
Keeping up with the neighbours. John Livingstone-Learmonth visits two of the best value villages in the Northern Rhône...
Many Rhône lovers looking for affordable wines get no further than Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But, says JOHN LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH, those getting to know nearby Gigondas & Vacqueyras will be well rewarded
Value for money in the Rhône can be found – if you know where to look. Our expert tasters plot a map, as they select their favourite reds between £5 and £15.
The 2000 vintage in the Rhône offers fantastic promise, provided you know which producers to make a beeline for. John Livingstone-LearmontH looks back at the vintage and recommends the top wines of the year
The fabulous 1999 vintage in the northern Rhône has surpassed even 1947 in producers' minds. JOHN LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH looks at what made this year so great
Buyers ignoring Beaujolais are missing out on a classic summer drinking red, says JOHN LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH
Confidence and hard cash have transformed the Costières de Nîmes from a mere drop in the southern French bulk-wine lake into a vibrant region. JOHN LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH charts the quake that has shaken the Gard