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Jean Deydier & Fils, Massif d'Uchaux

Southern Rhône Valley, France 2012 (750mL)
$16.00
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Earth
Body
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Jean Deydier & Fils, Massif d'Uchaux

The catch-all ‘Côtes du Rhône’ appellation covers so much territory—essentially the entirety of the Rhône Valley—that it can be confusing to navigate. For the most part, however, wines labeled Côtes du Rhône tend to overwhelmingly hail from the southern Rhône, a.k.a. Châteauneuf-du-Pape country, but when you see an actual village name attached, it merits a closer look.
The ‘Côtes du Rhône Villages’ appellation covers 90 villages across the southern Rhône, but the real treats among those are the ones from the 18 towns allowed to be named on labels. The best-known of these are in the Vaucluse départment, including Sablet, Cairanne, and today’s Châteauneuf satellite, Massif d’Uchaux. As the name suggests, this is a village (Uchaux) in the shadow of a mountain, and its best vineyards extend to altitudes and soils which, while diverse from those of Châteauneuf, produce wines that rival those of their more-famous neighbor at a tiny fraction of the price. If you’re a lover of Grenache-driven, Mediterranean reds with a touch of age that genuinely speak of their place of origin, this one is an absolute knockout—especially at this price!
Domaine Jean Deydier & Fils has roots in Châteauneuf-du-Pape going back to the 1920s, when Maurice Deydier bottled his first wines. His son, Jean, continued in the family business and also opened a well-known wine shop, Les Clefs d’Or, in 1960. Today the estate remains in the Deydier family, with Jean’s son, Pierre, and his daughter, Laurence, overseeing 20 hectares of vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 12 more in Massif d’Uchaux, where the soils are clay and limestone mixed with sandstone on heavily wooded hillsides. Vineyard altitudes are marginally higher than in Châteauneuf, which lends some finesse to the blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre and 20% Cinsault. The wine aged in massive oak foudres for a period of 12 months. 

In the glass, a dark crimson core is revealed, leading out to slight pink-orange reflections on the rim showing a touch of age. Although only five years of age, the nose shows already developed fruits of dried black plum, cassis, framboise, and dried fig, forest floor, and garrigue with savory notes of dried mushroom, sandalwood, black pepper and leather. The palate is medium-plus bodied with an interplay of savory, fruit and spice that rounds out nicely with integrated tannins. This is a classic and delicious example for anyone looking to further their education on the expressive wines of southern Rhône. It’s one to enjoy now and should be consumed over the next year or two. It is perfectly mature now.  I highly recommend a brief decant and pouring and serving with a hearty stew. If you’ve never tried beef daube, you’ll fall in love with its textured richness. Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Southern Rhône Valley
Sub-Region
FranceMassif d'Uchaux
Soil
Clay, Limestone, Sandstone
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Grenache 60%, Mourvèdre 20%, Cinsault 20%
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
Used French Oak Foudre
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Bordeaux Stems
Drinking
Now-2020
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Daube de Boeuf

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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