Among the nearly 140 wines reviewed below, Ali steers us towards Beaumes-de-Venise in this particular vintage. See our guide to Rhône 2021. Above, tasting samples at the Institut Rhodanien in Orange.
As seems to be the common theme for red wines in the south, it was a heterogenous vintage. There was no shortage of wines that seemed slightly hollow, with low fruit concentration and pretty firm tannins. The red wines that I tried from Beaumes-de-Venise were a refreshing surprise – here the tannins generally seemed riper and the fruit was brighter and more dense than in many other crus. The...