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Top five Southern Rhône vintages ready to drink now

Matt Walls evaluates recent tastings of Southern Rhône wines and identifies the five vintages worth opening and drinking at the moment...

What does a red wine need in order to age? Some say acidity; others, tannin. Grenache proves you don’t need a great deal of either of these elements to ensure longevity. Grape varieties can offer a clue as to how long a wine will age, but really it’s the terroir that counts.

With such a variety of terroir in the Southern Rhône – diverse soil types, grape varieties, microclimates and winemaking approaches – it’s not always easy to generalise about which are the best vintages to drink now.

Most reds are drinkable on release and a generic Côtes-du-Rhône typically lasts for four years or so. Good wines from ambitious estates, even from relatively lowly appellations, should develop steadily for around eight years.


Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top Southern Rhône wines from vintages ready to drink now



See Matt Walls’ top Southern Rhône wines from vintages ready to drink now


Other ‘ready to drink’ vintage guides

Anson: Top five Bordeaux vintages ready to drink now
Five Tuscan vintages to drink now

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