Rhône red wines far outsell Rhône whites, the fat, oily, aromatic style of the latter not appealing to everyone’s tastes. The orange blossom and apricot flavours of the Viognier, however, can be wonderful and the more peach and almond flavoured Marsanne and Roussanne grapes make fascinating whites which age well.
2003 is a good vintage with some big, rich wines, particularly in the south. 2002 saw a lot of rain in some parts of the south, slightly better in the north. 2001 very good with concentrated and balanced wines in both north and south. In the north 1999 was a classic vintage 1998 and 2000 have given soft, full wines for medium term drinking. Châteauneuf has been very consistent with big, tannic wines in 1998 followed by fresher, softer wines in 1999 and 2000.
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