Best value Southern Rhône 2018 – Top buys
There has always been value to be found in the southern Rhône as Matt Walls discovered as he compiled his 2018 Rhône report. He selects 21 southern Rhône stunners which offer great quality and brilliant value…
2018 was a mixed vintage in the Southern Rhône but those who avoided the devastating spring mildew enjoyed a long and hot summer which saw tremendous ripeness across the region resulting in generous, bold wines, both red and white.
Quick link: Southern Rhône 2018 – full vintage report plus top scoring wines
Appellations which prospered when it came to offering great quality at keen prices in 2018 include Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas for reds and Lirac for whites, but there are pockets of value to be found right across the region with Vacqueyras, Beaumes de Venise and Rasteau all offering something special.
Below Matt Walls picks out his top 21 value wines of the vintage – all wines are likely to be priced below £25/$40 when released, bench-marked on 2016 and 2017 vintages of the same wine.
It’s well worth adding the wines below to the ‘My Wines’ section of the website as a reference point for when they are released.
See Matt’s best value Southern Rhône 2018 wines:
See also
Northern Rhône 2018 report: The top scorersSouthern Rhône 2018 report: The top scorers
Moulin de la Gardette, Tradition, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2018
This 2018 is much more open and ready to drink compared to the 2019 vintage of this cuvée. The stemmy element is more marked than...
2018
Moulin de la GardetteGigondas
Domaine de Font-Sane, Tradition, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2018
This is very full-bodied, broad and traditional - almost an old-fashioned style of Gigondas with a lovely lifted peppery and herbal streak to the nose....
2018
Domaine de Font-SaneGigondas
Vignobles Mayard, Clos du Calvaire, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2018
<p>This has a distinct spicy vein running through the aromas alongside nutmeg and potpourri. It’s soft, but vibrant on the palate, not overly full-bodied or...
2018
Vignobles MayardChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de Ferrand, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2018
Floral, pretty and pure, both on the nose and the palate. This is ripe, flowing, generous and well balanced with a lovely silky texture on...
2018
Domaine de FerrandChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine du Terme, Réserve, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2018
This is deep and concentrated with dark plum, damson, bay and juniper. It’s powerful on the palate, dense but fresh with good balancing acidity and...
2018
Domaine du TermeGigondas
Gigondas la Cave, Terre Blonde, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2018
Light aroma of sugared almond, jasmine and pineapple - a highly perfumed style. Medium to full-bodied, it's unctuous but fresh. Perfectly pitched acidity and a...
2018
Gigondas la CaveMuscat de Beaumes de Venise
Domaine des Carabiniers, Lirac, Rhône, France, 2018
<p>This is interesting – it has a touch of white pepper and violet to the pear fruit. It’s full but not overly full-bodied with a...
2018
Domaine des CarabiniersLirac
Domaine des Sénéchaux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2018
Fresh and floral on the nose and on the palate. This is a lively, drinkable and contemporary style - not trying too hard, not over-oaked,...
2018
Domaine des SénéchauxChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Mas Isabelle, Blanc Roc, Lirac, Rhône, France, 2018
A lovely freshness on the nose here with a touch of almond nougat added to the apple compote aromas. This is full-bodied and full of...
2018
Mas IsabelleLirac
Domaine La Fourmone, Le Fleurantine, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2018
Very full-bodied, plenty of puppy fat. Acidity is low, but the wine nonetheless has a good sense of freshness. Fairly long finish. Could do with...
2018
Domaine La FourmoneVacqueyras
Domaine Font du Vent, Le Penchant, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2018
<p>Meadow flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, but with good energy, some subtle citrus notes to the floral fruits. Not over the top, very well balanced...
2018
Domaine Font du VentVacqueyras
Domaine des Maravilhas, Pradau, Lirac, Rhône, France, 2018
Very curious aromatic profile - blanched almond and fleur du sel. Very full-bodied with a salty palate - a strange but oddly pleasing combination. Long...
2018
Domaine des MaravilhasLirac
Domaine Giraud, Les Sables d'Arène, Lirac, Rhône, France, 2018
This is ripe and spicy with an inviting nose of cedar and raspberry. It’s lively and brisk on the palate with a good sense of...
2018
Domaine GiraudLirac
Château de Montfaucon, Baron Louis, Lirac, Rhône, France, 2018
There’s a touch of pepper and juniper here, it’s full-bodied, very savoury style. The tannins are just-ripe and it’s well balanced with a long finish...
2018
Château de MontfauconLirac
Domaine Jaume, Altitude 420, Vinsobres, Rhône, France, 2018
This is good with fruit that is ripe, gentle, smooth and fresh. The tannins are quite strict and serrated which give a robust structure to...
2018
Domaine JaumeVinsobres
Domaine La Luminaille, Luminaris, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2018
This is rounded and smooth, elegant and fruity. It’s ripe with remarkable persistence of fruit for the vintage alongside touches of lavender and liquorice to...
2018
Domaine La LuminailleRasteau
Domaine des Martinelles, Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2018
This is very good; densely black fruited but with a real sense of freshness. Everything in balance with a sense of focus and a distinctly...
2018
Domaine des MartinellesBeaumes de Venise
Domaine les Sibu, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2018
This is lovely - has freshness and depth from the Mourvèdre with acidity that is vibrant but not aggressive, and the general feel is harmonious...
2018
Domaine les SibuGigondas
Domaine Constant Duquesnoy, Confidence, Vinsobres, Rhône, France, 2018
This is interesting - very well managed with well-judged use of oak (8 months in third-use barriques), just adding a touch of juniper to the...
2018
Domaine Constant DuquesnoyVinsobres
Domaine la Ligière, Le Mourre de la Caille, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2018
This is much better than most this year with a decent concentration of mentholated berry and damson fruit. The acidity is well-balanced, and there's some...
2018
Domaine la LigièreVacqueyras
