The wines of the Côtes du Rhône Villages are generally more complex, concentrated and expressive than normal Côtes du Rhône. Since the vineyards are widely scattered throughout the region, the wines can taste quite different. What they have in common is their power, the predominantly dark berry fruit, which can also be joined by cherries, the Mediterranean herbal spiciness and the dark ethereal notes, sometimes more, sometimes less reminiscent of pepper and/or juniper. The wines are always particularly interesting where they are not only powerful, full-bodied and robust, but also show freshness and elegance. The best examples possess certain finesse even with high alcohol.
Even the most sophisticated wines of the region are usually very affordable. Rarely does one have to spend more than 20 euros, but even under 10 euros, the selection of very good Côtes du Rhône Villages is large.
We have tasted around 80 red Villages in the past weeks, of which we present the best here. As always, you will find links to all the wines and their producers with detailed descriptions at the end of the lists.