Château des Tours Côtes du Rhône – £20 very well spent

by Andrew Hooper

What’s twenty quid going to get you these days?

It’s not going to get you into a theatre, it might just get you the programme. Unless your tastes are considerably lower league, £20 won’t get you through the turnstiles at a football match. It won’t get you far beyond the starter in a decent restaurant or buy more than the meanest fistful of flowers when you’re a little late getting home. It won’t even get a round of drinks unless your friends have abandoned you or have developed a taste for tap water.

But £20 (more or less) can get you a truly memorable, warming and delicious glass or three of outstanding Côtes du Rhône red wine.

2010 CHÂTEAU DES TOURS Côtes du Rhône

2010-CHATEAU-DES-TOURS-Cotes-du-Rhone

Grapes: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah
Colour: Red
Origin: France, Rhône
Sub-district: Côtes du Rhône
ABV: 14%

Pricing:

75cl bottles £20.95    Case price £18.95

Click here to order a case

The Producer: Emmanuel Reynaud

One of the big names of the southern Rhône is Château Rayas in Châteaneuf-du-Pape, even further removed from £20 than the above examples. But Château Rayas is managed by Emmanuel Reynaud who lives and makes the wine at Château des Tours at Sarrians, a village between Châteaneuf-du-Pape and Vacqueyras, entitled to neither monicker, hence the apparently lowly Côtes du Rhône appellation.

Grapes & Tasting Note

65% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 15% Cinsault. It’s everything a Rhône red should be – deep, seductive berry fruit with a generous helping of spice. It manages to be both full and rich, and supple and silky. Alongside all the hearty generosity of classic Rhône wines, there is a more subtle seductive charming texture to the wine.

As Charles says in our official tasting note, “it is as close as Grenache can get to Pinot Noir in some ways” – I know what he means.

Buy Online or in our London Shops

In order that you know what he means, pick up a bottle at your nearest LEA & SANDEMAN shop or place your order on-line. Do remember that you are free to mix and match your case of wine and, so long as it’s got 12 bottles in it, you only pay the case price.