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University of California Press

About the Book

For anyone who wants to understand the full story that lies within a glass of wine, this book opens up the inner secrets of the geology, the vineyards, the wines, and the growers of the northern Rhône Valley in France. Home to the spicy Syrah, or Shiraz, and the floral Viognier grapes, the northern Rhône Valley is one of France's oldest wine-growing regions; its appellations include Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and Château-Grillet. With evocative descriptions and marvelous insights, this accessible, elegant book, the culmination of more than thirty years following the Rhône, is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of the various estates, winemakers, and their wines.

Taking a deeper look at the northern Rhône than Livingstone-Learmonth's highly regarded previous volumes on the Rhône Valley, this revised and up-to-date edition covers more producers and includes more in-depth information on the various terroirs, the histories of the wines, and the methods for making the wines. Livingstone-Learmonth concentrates on letting the producers explain their outlook and methods and includes much local color.

The Wines of the Northern Rhône includes

* Assessments of thousands of wines, with guide dates onwhen to drink and how long to age them

* Winemakers' views on what foods best accompany their wines

* New vineyard maps for each appellation

* Detailed descriptions by growers discussing the effect of different soils on their wines

* Precise information on how each domaine makes its wines

* New research on the historical links between Hermitage and Bordeaux

About the Author

John Livingstone-Learmonth is a noted wine writer whose work is regularly featured in Decanter, the leading British wine magazine. He is a long-term contributor to the Hugh Johnson annual Pocket Wine Book and author of The Wines of the Rhône (third edition, 1992). Kermit Lynch is a wine importer and retailer and the author of Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyer's Tour of France and Inspiring Thirst.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments / ix
Author’s Note / xiii
Foreword, by Kermit Lynch / xv

INTRODUCTION / 1

1 • CÔTE-RÔTIE / 35
2 • CONDRIEU / 151
3 • CHÂTEAU-GRILLET / 224
4 • HERMITAGE / 234
5 • CROZES-HERMITAGE / 337
6 • ST-JOSEPH / 438
7 • CORNAS / 555
8 • ST-PÉRAY / 625
9 • REGIONAL WINES AND VINS DE PAYS / 658

Appendixes / 671
Glossary / 683
Index / 689

Reviews

“A well-researched, minutely detailed and wide ranging tour de force. . . . Livingstone-Learmonth has done his homework, and in the process, written the most complete book yet on the wines of the Northern Rhone. We can hardly wait for his take on Southern Rhone.”
Quarterly Review Of Wines
“An exhaustively researched, comprehensive guide to almost everything anybody wanted to know about the vineyards and wine producers of Cote-Rotie, Hermitage and all the subordinate appellations of the region. . . .His tasting notes are pithy and his descriptions of each estate sharp.”
New York Times
“For syrah lovers, it just may be the Grail.”
Wine Enthusiast
“It takes experience, respect and humility to make such wines, and the same qualities to write such a marvellous and indispensable book about them.”
Decanter
“Nothing less than an exemplar of superb, carefully considered and researched wine writing. . . . it’s a welcome reminder that the alliance of fine wine with a fine palate, along with a fair-minded sensibility, is its own small but essential monument to the civilized life.”
New York Sun
“Sets a new standard for all monographs on wine regions. It is a magnificent achievement and indispensable for anyone with an interest in the wines of this region. . . .A treasure trove of information.”
The World Of Fine Wine
“The definitive work on the region.”
Orient Express Magazine
“This new book is the one truly indispensible reference for anyone interested in what is now universally considered one of the world’s best wine-producing regions. Short of visiting all the damp cellars and speaking with all the engaging winemakers yourself, there is no better way to get to know the Northern Rhone than to read it.”
The Wine News
“If you want to know who is who in each appellation, and who produces the best wines, just look in here. Livingstone-Learmonth’s understanding and feel for the region, its wines, and its winemakers shines out through every page."—Clive Coates, MW, author of The Wines of Bordeaux

"As one who visits the major producers in the region annually, I can testify to the superior scholarship underlying this work. It is utterly reliable and contains vast amounts of important information, much of which has not previously appeared in print."—Claude F. Kolm, Editor of Fine Wine Review

"This up-to-date, in-depth look at one of the most historic winegrowing regions in the world provides a human face to famous places and names and yields a wealth of information."—Joel Butler, MW, Educator and writer; WSET, Diageo Chateau & Estates Wine Co

Awards

  • Andre Simon Book Award 2006, Andre Simon Memorial Fund
  • Louis Roederer International Wine Book of the Year 2006 2006, Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards