Côtes du Rhône Villages

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Varieties of interest

Terroir

• The geographical area of Côtes du Rhône Villages extends, between Montélimar and Avignon, across the territory of 95 communes bordering the Rhône on its western and eastern banks.
• During the Tertiary era, the Rhône valley was a Mediterranean fjord stretching as far as Vienne, with sedimentary basins open to the south and framed by relief dating from the Secondary era.
• The soils encountered are of very different types, developed on fluvial terraces, on marls and soft limestones, or derived from erosion in the form of marls, sands, sandstones, or molasse.
• During the vegetative period of the vine, evapotranspiration is offset only by infrequent summer storm rainfall, which progressively exhausts the soil's water reserves and leads to a slowing and then a halt in vegetative growth.
• The Mistral, a northerly wind that is often violent and consistently drying, blows on average 120 days per year, clearing the sky and promoting sunshine that consistently exceeds 2,500 hours per year, amplified by a Venturi effect in the Rhône corridor.

• In 1966 the possibility of appending the name of certain communes to the name of the Côtes du Rhône appellation was recognised, and then in 1967 the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation d'origine contrôlée was recognised.
• This pyramidal organisation of production has supported the recognition of around twenty complementary geographical designations that may be appended to the name of the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation.

• The red and rosé wines, which account for the great majority of production, are full and generous with good depth of colour and a keeping potential that varies according to soil type.
• Wines from gravelly or clay soils are richer and more tannic, while those from sandy or sandy-silty soils are lighter.
• The white wines, which account for 2% of production, are round on the palate with occasional notes of spice and vanilla.

• The Mistral, a violent, cold, and dry wind, protects the vines from fungal disease through a beneficial drying effect while also ensuring, by its consistency, a concentration of the grapes that is conducive to their ripening.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Côtes du Rhône Villages Chusclan AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Gadagne AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Massif d'Uchaux AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Nyons AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Puyméras AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Roaix AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Rochegude AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Rousset-les-Vignes AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Saint-Andéol AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Saint-Gervais AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Saint-Maurice AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Sainte-Cécile AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Suze-la-Rousse AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Vaison-la-Romaine AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas AOC (PDO)
• Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 21 novembre 2024, JORF 23 novembre 2024
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Inter Rhône