LOUIS BERNARD 2003 COTES-DU-RHONE-VILLAGES

Introduction

Well, this wine was chosen for a special reason. I lost a bet to a friend when my beloved Hoyas of Georgetown lost to his alma mater, the (now national champion) Florida Gators in the NCAA Sweet 16 basketball tournament. When I offered to deliver his winnings, he and his wife invited my wife and I over for dinner . . . and to watch the Gators take on the Cinderella George Mason Patriots in Elite Eight action. He explained that his daughter’s boyfriend had spent time in the Rhone Valley area of France and became a fan of its wine and had presented several bottles to him. Since he knew I prefer red wine, he opened this bottle.

Wine Impressions

This was a very good wine. It looked good, smelled good and tasted great. It was very fruity and slightly sweet, and the taste lingered. The Louis Bernard web site says that its “nose” is of spices and strawberry jam. Perhaps it is because I love strawberry jam (and preserves are even better!) that this wine tasted so good to me.

The label indicates that the wine is of the appellation Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages controlee. I assume this is comparable to the DOC designation of Italian wines. The web site explains that it must conform to certain rules, including blending the main grape, Grenache with Cinsault, Syrah or Mourvedre. The label on the bottle states that the wine consists of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah.

The wine came with a natural cork. Also, the bottle is very classy. It should be noted that Wine Spectator rated this wine a 91 in September, 2001.

There are five levels of wines from the Rhone Valley. The top level is Crus. These are very expensive world-class wines produced in limited quantities. The Cotes du Rhone Villages represent the third level. These wines come from vineyards on the slopes of the valley at the foothills of the Alps. The vineyards are associated with 16 picturesque villages, hence the name. The second level of wines are those that carry the specific name of one of the 16 villages.

The Company:Louis Bernard

Louis Bernard was founded in 1976. It is based on a unique concept in which its sales and management team works with more than 40 estates to produce excellent quality wines. In 1998 it was purchased by the Boisset family. According to its web site, the Boisset family believes that Louis Bernard should be one of the top quality wines of the Rhone Valley.

The headquarters for the company and its 44-acre vineyard is the Chartreuse de Bonpas, a former monastery built in the 12th century. It is located on the banks of the Durance River near the city of Avignon in a town called Orange. There has been a vineyard here since 1742.

The Boisset family owns the third largest wine company in France and the largest in Burgundy. It was founded in 1962. In addition to Louis Bernard, the company owns 13 other French wine companies, plus four more that produce French sparkling wine. In addition, it owns four California companies, 2 in Italy and one each in Chile, South Africa, Spain and Uruguay. It also owns many companies that produce spirits and liqueurs

The Region: Rhone Valley

The Rhone River originates in Switzerland and runs through France to the Mediterrenean, a distance of nearly 500 miles. According to Wikipedia, it has been a trade route since prehistoric times. It remains an important navigable waterway as it connects the industrial cities of Arles, Avignon, Valence, Vienne and Lyon to the Mediterranean Sea ports of Fos, Marseille and Sète.

Louis Bernard is located in Orange, a town of about 28,000. Wikipedia notes that Orange has significant Roman architecture, including the best-preserved Roman theater in Europe, built during the time of Augustus. The theater hosts a music festival called the Choregies d’Orange. In the 1990’s, Orange elected a member of the extreme right-wing party Front National as its mayor.

Avignon has a population of about 88,000 in the city and another 155,000 in its surrounding area, according to Wikipedia. It is located about 360 miles south-southeast of Paris, 143 miles south of Lyon and 55 miles north of Marseilles. Of course, Avignon is perhaps best known for serving as the home of the Popes from 1309 to 1377. Seven popes lived in Avignon during that time. Among the well-known natives or residents of Avignon is Pierre Boulle, author of both Bridge over the River Kwai and The Planet of the Apes.

The Beaujolais region is also part of the Rhone Valley. A Beaujolais wine is next on my list to discuss.