Champaron 2005

Unless you're a watersport fanatic and like the white water rafting of its fast flowing rivers or a keen reader of Robert Louis Stevenson, you're unlikely to have heard of the Ardeche. It's a forgotten outback region of France, right next door to the Rhone and, like its neighbour, produces some deliciously rich and supple wines. Unlike next door, however, its wines are not well known, so provide particularly good value. We have worked with a winery in the tiny village of Valvigneres population 89 for the last 15 years five years or so before the great Burgundy house of Louis Latour got to hear about it and set up their own cellar there too. The fruit quality the cellar harvests is quite phenomenal and the team, under the strong hand of Luc Tallaron, are enthusiastic and hard working. They specialise in both international grape varieties and also those native to this part of France. Champaron is a mature, classic southern Rhone blend of Syrah for its deep colour, structure and peppery, blackberry fruits with a hint of liquorice and Grenache, which provides velvety texture and raspberry notes.