If every bottle of Côtes du Rhône Villages delivered this kind of complexity, energy, and sheer deliciousness, it would make my job a lot easier. But the reality is that they are more like a needle in a haystack. Today, we have a needle in hand—an absolutely superb, organically farmed, 50-50 Syrah-Grenache blend from visionary
vigneron Stephane Vedeau.
He founded Clos Bellane in 2007 with a simple mission: To produce wines in the Southern Rhône that shared more in common with Burgundy—or, to bring it closer to home, with stylistic outliers like Château Rayas and its assorted satellites in and around Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The rich, often syrupy fruit (and corresponding low acidity) of so much Côtes du Rhône red wine means we end up offering very few here on SommSelect. We are focused on wines with purity and balance around here, and I think Vedeau has created something truly special with Clos Bellane: It is located in Valréas, the most northerly of the “southern” Rhône villages, with high-altitude vineyards rooted in limestone-rich soils. Farming organically and employing a light touch in the cellar, Vedeau crafts cool-climate reds in a place typically painted with one broad, hot-climate brush. Whatever the ‘Côtes du Rhône Villages’ designation may mean to you currently, taste this wine and you’ll learn—as we so often do in wine—that there’s much more to the story than what can be discerned from the label. This is soulful and serious wine and a major steal at $24, so don’t hesitate!
As we say all the time when offering “Bourgogne”-designated wines from Burgundy: Don’t judge a book by its cover! In today’s case, it’s the village specified on the Côtes du Rhône Villages label that is particularly telling: Valréas. Vedeau was fed up with the dense and syrupy reds being produced all over the region by winemakers who cared little for balance and freshness, growing grapes for yield and eschewing quality in favor of a heftier payday. Standing on the site that would become Clos Bellane, just south of Valréas proper, Vedeau noted two critical factors: The vineyard climbed 1,300 feet elevation, and the weather was unusually cool. He knew both would aid him in producing wines of elegance and finesse, backed by Southern Rhône power. Today’s 2017 proved him right. It’s one of the best southern Rhône values I’ve ever seen!
The ground underfoot was pure limestone, and as soon as Vedeau was the proud owner of the property, he wasted no time in converting to organic farming and is now certified by Ecocert. His experience with producing La Ferme du Mont—his Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine—taught him to harness the brilliance of high-quality fruit from an array of higher elevation sites (some 50 in total) studded around the Rhône. His Châteauneuf wines are classically styled and elegant, not stewed or overblown, and the reason is simple: He harvests perfect fruit and he’s a minimalist in the cellar.
At Clos Bellane, once the grapes are harvested, extraction levels are kept to a minimum. Native yeasts do the heavy lifting of fermentation before aging is completed in a combination of stainless steel, concrete, and large older barrels. It’s a recipe for success, and this balanced and fresh Clos Bellane speaks for itself. Forget the royally humble price tag. This is about as elegant and lively as it gets from the Southern Rhône. I’m not kidding when I say it calls to mind the wines under Château Rayas umbrella.
The 2017 “Clos Bellane” is made from equal parts Syrah and Grenache, which delivers a ripe and rich red that is light on its feet with the kind of high-toned aromas of wine double or triple the price. A dark ruby core leads to a medium-ruby hue on the edge. Minimal sulfur is added just before bottling, and the result is a medium-bodied, fresh wine, revealing ripe red fruits, plums, and classic Rhône Valley
garrigue notes, along with purple wildflowers and faint notes of exotic spices. Red currants, black cherry, blackberry, and fleshy plum fruits are supported by a framework of soft tannins and juicy acidity showing the tension and energy often found in great Burgundy. Serve in large Burgundy stems, just above cellar temperature at roughly 60-65 degrees. This is so easy to drink you’ll want multiple bottles around! I can’t say it enough—if you like Châteauneuf-du-Pape but find them either too pricey or too dense and rich…this is the perfect counterpoint. As the weather gets colder, invite a bunch of friends over and enjoy several great bottles alongside this great bottle with a traditional cassoulet. Cheers!
