Rhône-style Red Blend
Rhône-style red blends are wines that are made in the style of the wines of France’s Southern Rhône Valley. These red wines are typically made using Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault, although other secondary grape varieties may be used, too.
Although the term originated in France and was used to describe the wines of a particular winemaking region, Rhône-style red blends now refers broadly, to any blended red wine made using the traditional grape varieties of the Rhône appellations.
There are approximately fourteen red grape varieties used in Southern Rhône red blends, including Calitor, Carignan, Cinsault, Clairette Rose, Counoise, Grenache, Marselan, Mourvèdre, Muscardin, Muscat Noir, Piquepoul Noir, Syrah, Terret Noir and Vaccarèse. White grapes may also be included in these red wine blends, including Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Picpoul, Roussane, Ungi Blanc and Viognier. These grapes all perform differently in the vineyard, and all have varying visual appearances. Muscat Noir, for instance, is a lighter-skinned grape with large berries, while Muscardin is nearly black with thick, pigmented skin.
What these grapes do all share, however, is their affinity for the same broad type of climate. These blending varieties thrive in hot, sunny climates with good drainage and some cooling elements. In the Southern Rhône, relief from the heat comes in the form of Le Mistral, a wind system so famous in the region that it has its own name.
France
Vines in Southern Rhône were first planted around 400 B.C., but the region’s winemaking popularity began far later.
Today, the region boasts thousands of winegrowers and over 100 growing cooperatives.
The wines of the south make up the lion’s share of the region’s winemaking, owing, in large part, to the Côtes du Rhône appellation, which covers both areas but has far larger production in the Southern Rhône.
Of the approximately four million hectoliters of wine produced each year in the Rhône Valley, around half falls under the Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages designations. These wines tend to be Grenache-dominant, although they are permitted to include all of the red varieties, as well as some white, like Grenache Blanc.
United States
Some of the most well-known Rhône-style red wines come from California, where a group of winemakers—John Alban, Joseph Phelps, Randall Grahm, and Steve Edmunds, among others—began planting Rhône varieties in their vineyards in the late 1980s to early 1990s.
Those winemakers became known as the Rhône Rangers, and their Rhône-style blends set the bar for other winemaking regions interested in replicating the wine style of the Rhône Valley. The wines from Alban Vineyards, Qupé, Tablas Creek, Bonny Doon and Edmunds St. John are among the more famous California wineries producing wines made with Rhône varieties.
Global Production
Rhône-style red blends are also being produced in other American regions, like Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Texas, Virginia and Michigan. In Australia, a warm climate lends success to the variety Syrah, more widely known there as Shiraz, which is also blended with other grapes into Rhône-style red blends. Shiraz often takes on a large role in these blends, which are often referred to as G-S-M, as they are often a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
Synonyms: G-S-M Blend, S-G-M Blend, Shiraz Blends
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Wrath 2020 Destruction Level Red (Monterey)
Central CoastThis attention-grabbing blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah is impressive now ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$39 -
Alma Rosa 2020 Attente Red (Sta. Rita Hills)
Central CoastThis dark and intense blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah starts ...See Full Review$85 -
Quinta do Monte d'Oiro 2016 Reserva Red (Lisboa)
PortugalAging for up to 20 months in wood has given this wine ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$60 -
McPrice Myers 2020 Paper Street Vineyard Cuvée Red (Paso Robles Willow Creek District)
Central CoastDark and intense aromas of black plum, blackberry, myrtle liqueur and nutmeg ...See Full Review$65 -
Caddis 2019 G-S-M (Chalk Hill)
SonomaThis suave, velvety, and complex wine shows how good a blend of ...See Full Review$55 -
John Duval Wines 2019 Plexus Red (Barossa)
South AustraliaThis offers the distinctive savory spiced, highly herbal bouquet typical to Duval's ...See Full Review$40 -
Top Source 2019 Columbia Valley Red Wine Grenache-Syrah (Columbia Valley (OR))
Oregon OtherAromas of Bing cherries and macerated strawberries mix it up with black ...Editors’ ChoiceSee Full Review$30 -
Château Maris 2016 Les Amandiers Red (Minervois La Liviniere)
Languedoc-RoussillonRich and elegant on the nose, this bottling offers sensational aromas of ...See Full Review$85 -
Margerum 2020 M5 Reserve Red (Santa Barbara County)
Central CoastHailing from eight different vineyards, this blend of 49% Grenache, 31% Syrah, ...See Full Review$50 -
Epoch 2019 Ingenuity Red (Paso Robles Willow Creek District)
Central CoastThis Petite Sirah-led blend, which also includes Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah, starts ...See Full Review$75 -
Starfield 2020 Bronson Bros. Red (El Dorado)
Sierra FoothillsThe palate of this red blend is beautifully integrated with voluptuous ripe ...See Full Review$45 -
Quinta do Monte d'Oiro 2018 Reserva Red (Lisboa)
PortugalThis estate's predilection for Rhône varietals is shown strongly here with a ...See Full Review$60 -
Angove 2019 Warboys Vineyard Shiraz-Grenache (McLaren Vale)
South AustraliaThis Shiraz-Grenache blend, from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards, is in a ...See Full Review$75 -
Lorgeril 2019 Domaine de la Borie Blanche Red (Minervois La Liviniere)
Languedoc-RoussillonAn aromatic bouquet of dried herbs, star anise, cardamom and blackberry jam ...See Full Review$60 -
Epoch 2019 Veracity Red (Paso Robles Willow Creek District)
Central CoastRugged notes of tar and asphalt play against boysenberry pie and lavender ...See Full Review$75 -
Zaca Mesa 2018 Inceptive Red (Santa Ynez Valley)
Central CoastA heady mix of graphite, licorice, cassis, leather and dried flower converges ...See Full Review$38 -
Quinta do Monte d'Oiro 2019 Reserva Red (Lisboa)
PortugalThe wine, still young, has impressive ripe tannins and a poised black ...See Full Review$60 -
Opolo 2020 Grand Rouge Red (Paso Robles)
Central CoastA lighter hue in the glass, this Rhône blend offers smoky berry, ...See Full Review$28 -
Domaine des Homs 2018 Paul Red (Minervois)
Languedoc-RoussillonElegant and complex, this wine has a lush and creamy mouthfeel. On ...Best BuySee Full Review$20 -
Rucksack Cellars 2020 R G-S-M (Sierra Foothills)
Sierra FoothillsTechnically an “SGM,” with 71% Syrah, 17% Grenache and 12% Mourvèdre, this ...See Full Review$24
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