The Domaine de la Garenne of Cairanne of Rhone Valley

The largest-ever year for entries, an incredible 18,244 wines were judged at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – with just 163 wines awarded a Platinum medal. ‘Winning a Platinum medal is something really exceptional’ said Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Platinum is like the stratospheric level’ she commented, ‘so it’s really saying to the winemaker: this is a great wine.’ Making up just 0.87% of the total wines tasted at the 2022 c ...

In his Rhône 2020 vintage report Matt Walls found fresh, vibrant and deliciously drinkable wines across the Northern and Southern appellations, with many wines being approachable now. Given that many wines won’t last as long as previous vintages such as 2016, 2017 and 2019, this could make the 2020s great value picks for immediate drinking. Scroll down to see Matt’s best-value Rhône 2020 tasting notes and scores Walls noted that this is the freshest vintage for whites since 2014, so lovers ...

It’s easy to forget that the southern Rhône’s four most prevalent red varieties aren’t indigenous. Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre all appear to originate from Spain; Syrah made its way down the river from the northern Rhône. Of the long tail of other grapes, most have their roots closer to home. Plantings have dwindled in recent years, but today local varieties are experiencing renewed interest. One that’s finding a lot of fans – both in the Rhône and further afield – is Counoise. Scroll down ...