Southern Rhône 2016: ‘Unmissable’ wines and full report
It's mostly even better than the highly praised 2015 crop and this makes it truly a vintage 'not to miss', says Matt Walls in his report on the young Southern Rhône 2016 wines
Southern Rhône 2016
Our expert, Matt Walls, says this vintage could be one of the greats. See Matt’s full vintage report below, including appellation-by-appellation analysis and links to his favourite wines.
‘This is one of the best vintages of the past few decades. Do not miss it.’
For most of France, 2016 got off to a terrible start, as severe spring frosts hit Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, the Languedoc and the Loire. Thankfully the Rhône was spared.It was a fairly early start to the growing cycle, but due to cool, dry conditions, progress was gradual.
The summer was very dry throughout, with just the occasional shower helping to ward off hydric stress. August was sunny and hot, the heat continuing into the following month until welcome rain and cooler temperatures arrived on the 15th September.
Many of the whites had already been picked, with some starting as early as late August. Picking for red varieties started on 12th September and continued into October. Those who waited until after the rain had several weeks of warm, dry weather on hand; producers could wait for optimum ripeness for each parcel and grape variety, picking when they wished.
For Jacky Bernard of Domaine la Ligière and president of AOC Vacqueyras, ‘it’s an exceptional year – lovely quality, healthy, no rot, no degradation, no dried grapes’.
Growers were pleased not only with the quality, but also the quantity, with volumes slightly up on a good-sized 2015. One potential challenge that producers face in hot, dry years with generous yields is achieving full ripeness, which can lead to green flavours and astringent tannins. This wasn’t a problem in 2016.
Get our daily fine wine reviews, latest wine ratings, news and travel guides delivered straight to your inbox.
Rodolphe des Pins of Château de Montfaucon in Lirac says ‘I’m amazed by the softness of the tannins,’ and during harvest he observed ‘lots of berries, not much juice, but amazing balance.’
This concentration has led to notably high acidity in the wines. This component, along with intensity of ripe, fresh fruit and robust tannin structures will give the top wines impressive longevity.
The 2015 vintage in the southern Rhône was broadly very good, but some wines were overly rich and alcoholic. The 2016s are fresher, firmer, with better structure and balance. White wines are also marginally better this year thanks to their increased freshness and acidity, but this is emphatically a year for reds.
All varieties performed well, particularly the Grenache; Mourvèdre and Carignan are juicy and concentrated.
With such a large area, some appellations tend to do better than others, but in 2016 remarkably there are no losers. Each appellation clearly displays its own individual character, whether it’s mineral Lirac, flowing Gigondas or the regal might of Châteauneuf.
This is one of the best vintages of the past few decades. Do not miss it.
See also: Best Rhône 2016 wines: The top scorers
See also: Northern Rhône 2016 vintage report
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
‘Powerful, ripe, dense, but at the same time fresh, drinkable and balanced. It’s an incredible vintage for me,’ says Jean-Paul Daumen of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, and this neatly sums up the vintage throughout the appellation. The wines have real concentration but without heaviness, remarkable density of ripe tannins and fairly high levels of acidity.
The Châteauneuf whites are more variable; there are some exceptional wines at the very best estates, but like the reds they will require many years before they show their best. Some, however, are overly heavy and alcoholic.
Problems with reds centre around unbalanced alcohol, excess oak, tough tannins and occasional overripeness but instances are relatively rare: the standard is high across the board. Daumen compares his 2016s to his stunning 2001s; Vincent Avril at Clos des Papes invokes 2010 and 1990 – vintages of superlative quality.
See all Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016 wines
Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise
The 2015 vintage was exceptional in Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Beaumes de Venise, and the 2016 is at least as good, if not better. There are excellent wines in all three appellations, but of these three it’s Gigondas that has the edge, enjoying amazing freshness, purity and sheer joie de vivre. The key to its success according to Jean-Baptiste Meunier at Moulin de la Gardette is that ‘there was no excess’.
The quality in Vacqueyras is also very promising, despite some high alcohol levels. There are some lovely whites this year, and plantings of white varieties are increasing rapidly as they gain recognition.
This is a dynamic appellation, with more and more small domaines being established as growers leave co-operative wineries and go it alone. Beaumes de Venise is best known for its sweet whites, but don’t overlook its reds. In 2016 they are intense, driving, full-bodied wines that represent good value for money.
See all Gigondas 2016 wines
See all Vacqueyras 2016 wines
See all Beaumes de Venise 2016 wines
Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres
Cairanne is one of the most exciting appellations in the Rhône. It had to reach peak form to achieve its recent promotion to Cru level and it’s still fighting fit. The 2016s are a joy; concentrated, fresh, balanced, and remarkably consistent in quality. Its whites are often amongst the best in the southern Rhône, but this year it’s the reds that excel. Cairanne should be on everyone’s shopping list this year.
The best wines of Rasteau demonstrate that it too enjoyed excellent conditions this year, but it lacks the consistency of Cairanne, with a number of wines let down by unbalanced levels of alcohol or simply lacking complexity. The best wines however are very good, so do buy – but buy with care. Vinsobres was a pleasant surprise. This vintage has really played into their hands with a winning combination of power and freshness. If you’re not yet familiar with the appellation, this is the year to expand your Rhône repertoire, especially since they offer such good value.
See all Rasteau 2016 wines here
See all Cairanne 2016 wines
See all Vinsobres 2016 wines here
Lirac & Tavel
If you’re looking for whites and value refreshment over opulence, look to Lirac rather than Châteauneuf – the characteristic straight, mineral character of the west bank is very much in evidence this year, bringing detailed aromatics and pure drinkability. This trait is also found in the excellent dark rosés of Tavel which are considerably better than the 2015s. Don’t let the global trend for pale pink distract you – some of these are very serious wines indeed, no matter their colour.
Lirac’s reds, too, are often excellent in 2016. They are not as uniformly good as I’d hoped – this is an appellation on the up but it still has some way to go before it reaches its considerable potential. Those who weren’t tempted to overextract have delivered wines with bright fruit, crunchy tannins and a fine, mineral freshness.
See all Lirac 2016 wines here
See all Tavel 2016 wines here
Côtes-du-Rhône & Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages
I tasted more wines this year from the most basic appellation of AOC Côtes-du-Rhône that scored 90 points or above than ever before: a testament to the vintage and to the increasing quality of winemaking in the region. The majority are red, but there are also some whites at this level that really excelled. The next rung of the appellation ladder, AOC Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages, is a mixed bag but there are some smart buys if you know where to look.
Of the Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages who can append the name of their village to the appellation, Visan and Valréas lead the pack with their vivid aromatics, good balance and striking northern freshness. Two newly established names, Sainte-Cécile and Suze la Rousse, are now firing on all cylinders despite some instances of overenthusiastic extraction.
Though more mixed in quality, Plan de Dieu offers some agreeably punchy wines and Sablet expresses its characteristic elegance.
See all Côtes-du-Rhône 2016 wines here
See all Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages 2016 wines here
Related content:
Matt Walls is an award-winning freelance wine writer and consultant, contributing regular articles to various print and online titles including Decanter, where he is a contributing editor. He has particular interest in the Rhône Valley; he is chair of the Rhône panel at the Decanter World Wine Awards and is the owner of travel and events company www.rhoneroots.com.