Domaine Charvin Cotes-du-Rhone 2024

Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône 2024 is a Grenache-led red from certified organic vines that border Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in France's southern Rhône. It is made the same traditional way as the Domaine's Châteauneuf, with whole bunches and concrete vats, and it is made for purity and elegance.

The vines grow on sandy clay-limestone soils with some galets, the smooth, rounded stones the southern Rhône is known for. They sit right on the northern edge of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and average more than 40 years old.

It's one for anyone curious about traditional southern Rhône Grenache, and a good weekend wine with slow-cooked food.

What sets it apart is how little is done to it. Every bunch goes into the vat whole, with no de-stemming. The wine then spends 18 months in concrete, with no oak at all, and is bottled unfiltered.

What it tastes like

Domaine Charvin's Côtes du Rhône is made for purity and elegance, and it drinks earlier than the Domaine's Châteauneuf-du-Pape. With no oak, the Grenache fruit comes through clearly.

Style at a glance

• Sweetness: dry
• Oak: none; aged 18 months in concrete vats
• Style: Grenache-led, organic, whole-bunch, unfiltered, elegant

Food to enjoy this with

Best enjoyed with good food. Good matches include:

• Roast chicken with thyme and garlic
• Lamb chops with rosemary
• Duck confit
• A charcuterie board
• Ratatouille
• Mushroom and lentil stew: a meat-free dish whose earthy flavours suit a Grenache-led red

Who makes it

Domaine Charvin was established in 1851. Laurent Charvin, the sixth generation of the family, has run it since 1990. He was the first to bottle the wines under the family name; before that the fruit was sold to négociants (merchants who buy grapes or wine and sell it under their own label).

The Domaine farms 28 hectares, 13 of them for Côtes du Rhône, and is certified organic. The same whole-bunch, concrete-aged approach is used for its Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

About the vintage

Inter Rhône's 2024 vintage report describes a wet spring in the southern Rhône. Very heavy rain, sometimes with hail, and mild, humid weather brought mildew, and poor flowering cut Grenache yields in particular.

Ripening came later than in 2023, and yields were low across the southern appellations.

Damien Gilles, president of the Côtes du Rhône growers' association, describes ripe Grenache without excess and well-controlled alcohol levels. The report calls the reds easy to drink, with a balance of freshness and structure.

Technical details

Where to buy

The Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône 2024 is available online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it at The Winery's Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. Online and in both stores you can build a mixed case from a large range of wines.

Questions we are often asked

Is Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône organic?

Yes. Domaine Charvin is certified organic, and its Côtes du Rhône vines border Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

How is Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône made?

The grapes are fermented as whole bunches without de-stemming, aged for 18 months in concrete vats with no oak, and bottled unfiltered.

What grapes are in Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône?

It is mostly Grenache, with Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan.

Is Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône related to their Châteauneuf-du-Pape?

Yes. The same family makes both, from neighbouring vineyards, with the same whole-bunch fermentation and concrete ageing. The Côtes du Rhône is made to drink earlier.

What food goes with Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône?

Roast chicken with thyme, lamb chops, duck confit and ratatouille all suit it.

Where can I buy Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône 2024?

The Winery sells Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône 2024 online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand, and in its Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.