Chillable Red Wine From The Rhône Valley

Chillable reds have become a thing now, especially with younger drinkers. In response, the Côtes du Rhône AOC has launched “Refresh Your Wine.” It’s a new campaign dedicated to chilled wines. Along with the expected white and rosé wines that have kept us refreshed through the summertime, the campaign throws a spotlight on the appellation’s celebrated reds, inviting us to chill, for full expression of the wine’s aromas and flavors.

The 2022 Domaine Roche-Audran Visan comes from the Cotes du Rhône Villages, an area just west of the village of Visan. It’s an arid landscape where the soil of the rolling hills is composed of many stones. Vigneron Vincent Rochette crafts this wine from 60% Grenache grapes, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre. The grapes come from vines that are more than 50 years old. Aging takes place over six months, in concrete vats. That accounts for the wine’s freshness and its chillable nature. Alcohol tops out at 12.5% abv and the bottle retails for $24. 

This wine is medium-dark ruby in color. Dark fruit dominates the nose: blackberry, plum, currant. There is a note of earthy minerality, too. The flavors are also dark, as the blackberry takes over. A savory side reveals itself during the sip. The tannins are brisk, but the wine drinks very smoothly. The finish is not as long as we would wish. Typical pairings with meat dishes, stew in particular. Roasted chicken would be nice, and a bottle of Visan on the Thanksgiving table would fit in nicely, chilled or not. 

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A Red From The Rhône

Gabriel Meffre established his winery in the 1930s with his wife, and it is still a family run business. They started in Gigondas and now operate across the realm of the Rhône Valley. 

Wines from France’s Rhône Valley have long been favorites of mine. I'm more drawn to the Rhône whites, but it’s great to have a nice red blend from time to time, especially when it doesn’t require us to empty our wallets to get it. 

The 2024 Gabriel Meffre Saint-Mapalis is a red blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah grapes grown in the limestone-studded soil of the Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu region. Varieties can be vinified separately or together. The wine is aged for at least six months in tanks. Alcohol sits at 14.5% abv and the bottle retails for $22.

This wine is very dark in the glass. Its nose is dark, too. Blackberry, plum, and raspberry notes dominate, with a savory streak of earthy minerality cutting through the middle. The palate shows black fruit, too, with earth and tar along for the ride. The tannins are medium-firm and the finish is medium-long. 

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A Côtes du Rhône Villages Cheapie

This Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019 red blend is labeled as a Grand Vin from the southern Rhône Valley. The grapes are Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, making this a GSM, if you switch a couple of the words around. While researching the wine online, I found that a large number of America's supermarket chains carry it, so I feel justified in calling it a grocery store wine. I mean no disrespect by that, as I make a lot of my wine purchases at the market. Alcohol tips in at 14.5% abv and it sells for less than $15. Mine cost $10 on sale.

This medium dark wine shows plum and blackberry on the nose, with hints of black pepper and herbs. The palate brings those dark flavors amid a somewhat watery mouthfeel with medium-firm tannins. On the medium-long finish, those savory spice and herb notes come forward. I bought this for cooking, for which it was fine. It was decent as a sipper, but a little disappointing in aromas and flavors. 

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