Gonnet Le Reveur Cotes du Rhone Blanc

Cotes du Rhone – a wine that’s always right, right?

I think so: Deep, fruit-driven wines that have warmth and body, spicy aromas and notes of complexity, and the structure to age. By and large, CdR offers great quality when compared to the asking price—something I call a high QPR (quality-to-price ratio).

And these wines are so good, let me introduce you to a little twist: Cotes du Rhone Blanc. 

That’s right, a white wine. While 89% of all of the Rhone’s wines are red, a tiny bit – just 4% -- are made into whites. We don’t see ’em much in this country (the French tend to keep CdR blanc to themselves), but these wines are drop-dead gorgeous. 

Our example today is Guillaume Gonnet Cote du Rhone Blanc “Le Reveur.” 

This incredible white boasts alluring aromas of white currants, peaches, and frangipani blossoms floating in rose water, plus hints of spearmint, toasted nuts and bread. This is a big, generous white wine that drinks with the texture and voluptuousness of a red. That’s thanks to the grape blend, which creates a delectable symphony of flavors.

Roussane delivers a full-bodied, scrumptious, incredibly robust set of flavors – quince, pineapple, and Anjou pear – that builds on the palate right on through the finish. Viognier contributes the divine aromatics described above. And Grenache, just as in red Cotes du Rhone, provides power and structural elements that make this beauty a delight to drink now or to cellar for at least five more years. 

But no matter how delicious this wine is, I recommend it for two other compelling reasons. 

First, for me, when the weather changes, my drinking changes. As it gets cooler, out from the cellar come more reds. But when we get one of those gorgeously warm fall days (like last Sunday) I gotta go back to a white. But a big white, one that fits with freshly harvested food – acorn squash roasted with garlic and pancetta; Cornish hen stuffed with apricots and roasted in saffron butter; chanterelle mushrooms fresh from Oregon, roasted with black walnuts on a bed of veal stock-braised farro. Oh! Is this a wine to carry me through all that, and more. 

Second, this boy loves a great deal. I admit it, someone pours “sale” into my glass and sometimes, on rare occasions, I see stars and must have it all. This Guillaume Gonnet Le Reveur Blanc was just such an experience, and even better than drinking a great wine, is drinking it with good friends. Join me! 

Cheers.