Côtes du Rhône

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Varieties of interest

Terroir

• The appellation area extends between Vienne and Avignon across 6 départements, on both the west and east banks of the Rhône.
• The Mistral blows for approximately 120 days per year, drying the air and generating more than 2,500 hours of sunshine annually.
• The Venturi effect of the Rhône corridor: the mountains and hills flanking the valley amplify the force of the Mistral.

• As early as 1737, barrels were marked with CDR and the vintage year to combat fraud regarding origin.
• Grenache N, the dominant grape variety, was already described in 1806 as giving red wines 'colour, fragrance, finesse, and suppleness.'

• Reds: fruity, generous, and tannic on stony/clay soils, lighter in style on sandy soils.
• Whites are floral and round on the palate, sometimes with exotic notes; rosés are fruity or floral.

• The Mistral, a violent, cold, and dry wind, protects the vines from fungal diseases and concentrates grape ripeness, leading to red wines that are generous, deeply coloured, and well structured.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 12 décembre 2024
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Inter Rhône