The Rhône splits cleanly in two. In the north, near-vertical granite terraces at Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage grow Syrah alone — smoky, olive-tinged, violet-scented. Fifty kilometres south the valley opens out, the mistral blows, and Grenache leads warm, generous blends over galets roulés, the round river stones that hold the day's heat into the night.
Sub-regions & terroir
Northern Rhône
Côte-Rôtie
- Principal grapes
- Syrah · Viognier
- Soil
- Mica-schist (Côte Brune) and granite-gneiss (Côte Blonde) on steep terraces.
- Drainage
- Excellent on stone-walled terraces (chaillées).
- Microclimate
- 'Roasted slope' — south-east aspect, mistral-cooled.
Appellation guide
Côte-Rôtie
- What the name means
- Northern Rhône. Steep, terraced vineyards producing some of the most elegant Syrah in France, sometimes co-fermented with a little Viognier.
- Quality ladder
- Single appellation. Two main slopes: Côte Brune and Côte Blonde.
- Key grapes & style
- Syrah (maximum 20% Viognier allowed). Floral notes, red and black fruit, bacon fat, white pepper and fine tannins.
- What to expect
- More aromatic and elegant than Hermitage or Cornas. Can be approachable earlier than its neighbours but the best wines still age for decades.
- On the label
- “Côte Brune” and “Côte Blonde” on the label indicate which of the two main soil types the wine comes from.
Classification & origin
Vallée du Rhône: its own classification system
The Côtes du Rhône family has its own geographic hierarchy; separate Rhône appellations should not all be forced into it.
Côtes du Rhône geographic hierarchy
Regional origins, villages and individual cru appellations.
Hierarchy · highest first
- 01Individual cru appellations
- Northern crus: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Péray. Southern crus: Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Laudun, Lirac, Rasteau, Tavel, Vacqueyras and Vinsobres.
- 02Côtes du Rhône Villages + named village
- Eligible villages may add their approved geographic name.
- 03Côtes du Rhône Villages
- A more restricted production area and rules than Côtes du Rhône.
- 04Côtes du Rhône
- The broad regional appellation.
On the label: Cru means an appellation here, not a Bordeaux-style estate rank or Burgundy vineyard rank. The crus are not numbered or ranked against each other.
Other Rhône origins & styles
Independent appellations and wine designations outside a single cru ladder.
Distinct designations · not a ranking
- Other dry-wine appellations
- Ventoux, Luberon, Costières de Nîmes, Grignan-les-Adhémar and Côtes du Vivarais have their own boundaries and specifications; they are not extra Côtes du Rhône Villages ranks.
- Diois sparkling origins
- Clairette de Die and Crémant de Die identify distinct sparkling production rules. Coteaux de Die and Châtillon-en-Diois are separate still-wine origins.
- Vins doux naturels
- Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and fortified Rasteau have separate rules from the dry red crus of Beaumes-de-Venise and Rasteau.
Appellations to know
For each one: the bottle that defines it, and the bottle that over-delivers. Indicative retail prices, not an offer to sell.
Côte-Rôtie
Syrah with a splash of Viognier; bacon fat and violets
Best wine
€500
Guigal La Mouline
Syrah with Viognier co-fermented; bacon fat, apricot and violets.
Best value
€30
Domaine Jamet Côtes du Rhône Syrah
Côte-Rôtie's greatest family, declassified fruit, same peppery signature.
Hermitage
The great hill — dense, ageless, mineral Syrah
Best wine
€400
Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
A blend of the hill's climats; ageless, mineral, endlessly complex.
Best value
€25
Chave Sélection Offerus Saint-Joseph
Chave's négociant Syrah — the cheapest way into the house style.
Condrieu
Viognier at its most opulent: apricot and honeysuckle
Best wine
€150
Georges Vernay Coteau de Vernon
Old-vine Viognier of rare tension; apricot without heaviness.
Best value
€45
Domaine Faury Condrieu
Honeysuckle and peach at the appellation's entry price.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Up to 13 varieties over heat-holding stones
Best wine
€800
Château Rayas
Pure Grenache on cool sand; ethereal, more Burgundy than Rhône.
Best value
€18
Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Villages
Châteauneuf-adjacent vines from a top estate.
Gigondas
Grenache with alpine lift from the Dentelles de Montmirail
Best wine
€90
Château de Saint Cosme Le Claux
Old-vine Grenache with alpine lift from the Dentelles.
Best value
€28
Domaine Les Pallières Terrasse du Diable
Vieille Julienne and Brunier-owned; serious Gigondas at Côtes du Rhône money.
The most expensive areas
Typical retail
Where land, scarcity and reputation push prices highest in Vallée du Rhône. Indicative bottle prices for benchmark producers, not an offer to sell.
- 01
Hermitage
€120–900
The 136-hectare hill; Chave and Chapoutier's Ermitage cuvées lead.
- 02
Côte-Rôtie (La Landonne, La Mouline)
€150–600
Guigal's single-terrace 'La La' bottlings.
- 03
Châteauneuf-du-Pape (top cuvées)
€100–800
Rayas, Beaucastel Hommage and Pégaü Da Capo.
- 04
Cornas
€60–250
Steep granite, tiny yields, and a Clape cult following.
- 05
Condrieu (Château-Grillet)
€90–200
A 3.5 ha monopole appellation of its own.
What's produced
At the table
- Daube provençale
- Grilled lamb chops
- Peppered steak
- Cassoulet