Rhône Valley
Driving south on the Autoroute du Soleil south of Lyon, the motorway takes the mighty Rhône River for its guide. Leading past the steep vineyard slopes of the upper Rhône Valley and continuing on to the ancient citadel of Avignon, you cannot be anything but impressed by the sheer scale of this river that has been the main artery and lifeblood of the region for centuries.
This part of France offers such a rich panoply of treasures and pleasures, and of heritage and history, that it’s difficult to know where to begin. I’ll choose Avignon, the great city of the popes of the 14th century whose medieval crenellated walls are some of the most impressive in Europe and enclose spectacular monuments, buildings and museums. As a major tourist location, Avignon can become very crowded in the summer so I’d recommend staying outside the city and journeying in for a day to explore (our recommended hotel, the Montmirail at Vacqueyras, is forty minutes drive from the city and there are plenty of car parks just outside the ancient city walls).
Avignon was home to one of the richest courts in the 14th century, attracting princes, dignitaries and poets who came to pay tribute to the popes. These were in turn followed by vagabonds and thieves, who came to beg, steal and extort money from the wealthy courtiers. Originally built as a fortress, the most imposing monument is the ancient papal palace, the Palais des Papes, which overlooks the famous pont d’Avignon (pont St-Bénézet). The massive stone vaults, battlements and sluices for pouring hot oil evoke a turbulent history, and make up for the sparseness of the interior, where little remains of the original decoration and furnishings. The pont d’Avignon lies just behind the palace - keeping the bridge in repair from the ravages of the river Rhône was abandoned in 1660 and today only four of the 22 arches remain.
Returning to the countryside, the most impressive feature of the region are the Dentelles - an outcrop of jagged limestone pinnacles surrounding exceptional vineyards (including Montirius). Although they appear to have taken their name the French word for teeth (dents), it actually refers to lace (dentelle), as the limestone protrusions resemble the pins on a lacemaking board. Whichever you prefer, these mountains are not as inaccessible as they look and offer delightful walks (some of them challenging!) and ideal picnicking country with spectacular views.
The entire area is overlooked by Mont Ventoux, the last Alpine mountain ridge before the Rhône plain which can be seen from almost everywhere in Provence. Its isolated position gives it a dominating presence that creates extraordinary and dramatic climate conditions - winds can accelerate to 250km per hour around the meteorological, TV and military masts and dishes on the summit. A road, leading all the way to the top (1909 meters above sea level), passes attractive picnic spots with lovely views. You will see keen cyclists here - as a milestone on the Tour de France, Mont Ventoux is a popular cyclists’ challenge, but not for the faint-hearted. There is a memorial to the British cyclist Tommy Simpson, who died here from heart failure on one of the hottest days ever recorded in the race. It is said his last words were “Put me back on the bloody bike.”
Further north, one of the gems of the region is Vaison-la-Romaine (30 minutes south of Domaine des Grands Devers), a lovely town with an ancient roman bridge, which made headlines when it survived a severe flood in 1992. Wandering amongst the narrow streets of the medieval upper town towards the castle is a delightful way to pass an hour or two, before descending to the town square where a bustling market makes a pleasant spot for lunch. Behind the market lie the excavated remains of a Roman city, complete with theatre, and a small but excellent museum on Roman times.
Romanophiles will find more of interest in Orange, which has one of the best preserved Roman theatres anywhere allowing 9,000 people to hear perfectly; or further afield by Nîmes where the greatest surviving roman aqueduct, the Pont du Gard - built to supply fresh water to the city - shows the achievement and longevity of Roman engineering.
Ascending up from the Rhône plain, and further south from our vineyards, you will experience the wildness of the provençal ‘garrigue’ - where many brave men and women of the resistance hid during the Second World War. A drive to Gordes, one of the most picturesque provençal medieval hilltop towns, will take you past the lovely Abbaye de Sénanque with its rows of lavender, and the Village les Bories, an interesting collection of primitive stone houses. But don’t miss Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (30 minutes south of Montirius), the source of the Sorgue River, where the 14th-century poet Petrarch pined for his Laura. It is one of the most powerful natural springs in the world and can be admired after a short walk that leads you to a deep tapering fissure in the cliffs.
Wines and Vines of Southern Rhône
Rocky, barren soils with a scattering of straggling bush vines and herbs bake in the hot southern sun, the air is scented with aromas of thyme and lavender - this is the southern Rhône, home of some of the greatest and best value wines in France. The hot, dry climate is ideal for grape growing, and nowhere boasts a more interesting range of varietals than the Rhône. The flagship Appellation is Châteauneuf-du-Pape where 13 different grape varieties are permitted, and this is surrounded by a number of satellite Appellations using the same varietals.
The dominant grape throughout the region is Grenache, which is a lightish variety that produces high alcohol, but not much in the way of colour - however it does bring some interesting flavours to the party, such as hints of tobacco, coffee and spice. The other major grape variety is Syrah, which is crucial as a blending partner to Grenache, as it gives the body and weight that Grenache lacks. It adds dark-fruit character, powerful tannins and the velvety-smooth texture synonymous with the Rhône - it is also a variety that produces wines that age well.
Of the other eleven permitted varietals, by far the most interesting is Mourvèdre. This is another powerful dark grape that brings weight and body to the mix, but has lovely soft, fruit flavours with hints of chocolate, coffee and a curious leatheryness. Unfortunately it is an exceptionally difficult variety to ripen - even in the extreme heat of the Rhône - and it therefore only works in vineyards with particularly hot meso climates.
One such area is the amphitheatre of vines at the foot of the dramatic hills known as the Dentelles de Montmirail. In this suntrap the Mourvedre ripens perfectly and forms an important component in the Appellation wines of Gigondas. At their best the wines of Gigondas can rival those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape as the style is very similar - robust and powerful, packed with intense flavours. These are wines built to last, and many will improve for a decade or more - Partners in the Montirius vineyard will know exactly what I mean.
Eric and Christine Saurel have farmed the domaine according to biodynamic principles since 1996. Biodynamics is a very complex, extreme form of organic farming, which involves treating vines according to changes in the lunar and solar cycles. The system is extremely complicated and is often ridiculed by sceptics, but the proof of the system lies in the taste of the wines. The exclusive 3D cuvée of Gigondas Montirius consists of 85% Grenache and 15% Mourvédre, and it has won plaudits around the globe - it picked up 94 points in the Wine Spectator and was placed 13th in the list of the world’s 100 most exciting wines. One side effect of biodynamics is to reduce yields, and this is evident in the Saurel’s Gigondas which is dark and dense, full of diverse yet complementary flavours of plums, damsons, tobacco and spices. It also has the structure that enables it to mature excellently over eight to ten years.
Eric and Christine also have vines in the neighbouring Appellation of Vacqueyras. This is one of France’s newer Appellation regions, having been elevated to full AOC status in 1990. The same grape varieties predominate here, but the Saurels use a different mix for their Vacqueyras. Their exclusive 3D cuvée consists of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah - the Syrah element changes the structure and flavour of the blend, bringing softer ripe-fruit flavours and a velvety richness. If you visit Montirius you should also look out for their excellent white wine, made from a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne grapes.
Some of the best value wine from the Rhône is sold under the Appellation Côtes-du-Rhône Villages. Of the 95 villages entitled to this AoC status, 16 are permitted to attach their village name to the title. So names such as Rasteau or Cairanne on the label are an indication that this wine comes from a more propitious location. Having said that, there are some superb wines being produced under the Côtes-du-Rhône Villages label and we are very fortunate to have found the Bouchard brothers, Louis-Pascal and Paul-Henri, who now make exclusive wines for us at Domaine des Grands Devers. Their vineyards are typical of the region, largely consisting of rocks with little appreciable soil. These vineyards are very hard to work, but the stones, known as galet are crucial to the production of quality wines, as they reflect heat back up to the vines, increasing the ambient temperature by a few, vital degrees. Those of you who have visited other wine regions may be struck by the slightly ramshackle nature of some of the vineyards. Although some of the brothers’ vines are trained on wires as in Bordeaux or Burgundy, others trail untidily in sprawling bushes - which is the traditional method of pruning in the Rhône, known as Gobelet, and it remains the best method for the production of quality Grenache grapes. The Bouchards make a blend consisting of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, which has a bouquet of strawberries combined with hints of sage and rosemary - the true aromas of the garrigue - and the fruit and spice nature continues onto the palate and results in a delightfully supple and elegant wine.
Louis-Pascal and Paul Henri also make a white wine for us using the traditional local grape varieties Marsanne and Roussanne, but also incorporating a massive percentage of the highly-fashionable Viognier grape. This is very evident in the wine, which has a beautiful aroma of honeysuckle, backed up by flavours of white peach and gentle acidity. It is not a wine for laying down but one to be relished over the hot summer days.
The wild character of the garrigue, the heat, and the amazing aromas are reflected in the wines of the Rhône to an extent unparalleled anywhere else in the world. It is a truly memorable experience to spend a week or two in the untamed landscape of Jean de Florette and Manon de Source - and the experience is recaptured every time you pull the cork on one of these remarkable wines.