The 7 Best Rhône Valley Red Wines to Buy Now in 2026
Domaine Andre Brunel, Chateau de Saint Cosme, Domaine Santa Duc
France’s Rhône Valley often plays second fiddle to Burgundy and Bordeaux, but we have always maintained that this slice of France is truly one of the country’s finest wine regions. Winemaking here goes back to the days of the Greek and Roman empires as they were the first to plant grapevines on the Rhône River’s steep slopes, but viticulture in the modern era only goes back to the 18th century when wine barrels meant for shipping were marked with the initials CDR for Côte du Rhône.
The Rhône Valley has hot sunny days and rocky surface soils that hold heat at night, so the grapes are often intensely flavored and concentrated thus making intensely flavored, full-bodied wines. The northern Rhône is generally known for its Syrah based wines and if this is your preference you can expect fruit flavors of cassis, black raspberry, black plum, crushed violet petal, and a touch of graphite in the finish. The southern Rhône, on the other hand, is best known for wines made from Grenache and if this is your jam you can expect full bodied jammy wines with flavors of black cherry, black plum, cassis, freshly ground black pepper, and a touch of anise or licorice in the finish.
Rhône wines are built to last for 20 to 30 years, but they also shine when drunk young. It’s completely up to you. Here are the seven best Rhône Valley reds to buy right now.
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Chene Bleu 2019 Héloïse
Image Credit: Chene Bleu The Chene Bleu property can be found at the foothills of Mont Ventoux. It was purchased by Xavier and Nicole Rolet in 1993 and together they restored the estate and began making fine rosé wines. This delightful Rhône Valley wine is named Héloïse to recall the historical and tumultuous love affair of Abelard and Héloïse. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Roussanne, it has aromas of black olive tapenade, black raspberry, and crushed violet petals. Savory in the mid palate it offers flavors of dried herbs, mocha, and ripe black fruits.
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Domaine les Pallieres 2022 Terrasse du Diable Gigondas
Image Credit: Domaine les Pallieres Domaine les Pallieres was founded over 500 years ago but in the 1990s it ran into a state of disrepair. By 1998 the Roux family decided to sell because they had no future successors. Enter two brothers, Daniel and Frederic Brunier of the famous house of Vieux Telegraphe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and American wine importer Kermit Lynch, and a deal was struck to bring the estate back to its original glory. Today, Daniel and Frederic’s children are involved in the family business. Their 2022 Terrasse du Diable is a blend of 90 percent Grenache and 10 percent Mourvèdre. It has aromas of underbrush, black cherry, and brown baking spices and full-on flavors of plum, stewed prune, cherry, and cinnamon.
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M. Chapoutier 2023 La Bernadine Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Image Credit: M. Chapoutier Records of Michel Chapoutier’s family can be found in the region as far back as 1808 and he is the currently the head of the domaine. He took over the reins at the tender age of 26 years old and is widely considered to be an innovator in the world of Rhône Valley wine. His 2023 La Bernadine is a blend of 80 percent Grenache, 15 percent Syrah, and 5 percent Mourvèdre and has aromas of roasted coffee, Luxardo cherry, and cassis that transition seamlessly onto the palate with the addition of smoked charcuterie and crushed violet petal flavors.
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Domaine de la Janasse 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vielle Vignes
Image Credit: Domaine de la Janasse The name Janasse refers to the town that winemaker-proprietor Aimé Sabon and his family originally settled in the Rhône. In 1976 Sabon started out with 37 acres and built his winery from the ground up, but the domaine currently has 222 acres. His son Christophe is the vineyard manager while his granddaughter Isabelle is the winemaker. The family’s 2020 is made from old vines and has aromas of black plum, cassis, and blackberry, that transform on the palate to juicy flavors of raspberry, plum, violet petals, and dried sage.
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Domaine Santa Duc 2022 Les Hautes Garrigues Gigondas
Image Credit: Domaine Santa Duc Domaine Santa Duc has Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsault vineyards planted at the base of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains. Winemaker Benjamin Gras uses biodynamic techniques including minimal intervention, whole cluster press, and fermentation using only wild yeast. His Les Hautes Garrigues 2022 is a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre and has heady aromas of black currant, brown spice, and forest floor. It’s juicy and full bodied with flavors of prune, black raspberry, red plum, and a touch of black licorice in the finish.
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Chateau de Saint Cosme 2023 Gigondas
Image Credit: Chateau de Saint Cosme The Chateau of Saint Cosme is built upon the remains of an ancient Roman villa and is one of the oldest estates in the region. The property has been managed by the Barruol family since 1490 but in more recent times winemaker-proprietor Louis Barruol, who inherited management of the estate from his father in 1992, converted the vineyards and winemaking process to biodynamic principles in 2010. Chateau de Saint Cosme 2023 Gigondas has aromas of mission fig, black licorice, and cassis that translate to flavors of anise, black raspberry, plum, and black currant.
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Domaine André Brunel 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux
Image Credit: Domaine André Brunel The Brunel family has been in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region in the southern Rhône since the 18th century and is currently in their eighth generation of winemaking with Fabrice Brunel at the head. The winery was known as Domaine Les Cailloux but was renamed to honor André Brunel in 1954. Fabrice reports that the 2022 harvest started earlier than expected but the incoming grapes had aromas and flavors of ripe and jammy fruits. This lovely wine—a blend of 70 percent Grenache, 20 percent Mourvèdre, and 10 percent Syrah—has aromas of black currant, candied orange peel, and dried savory herbs. It is silky smooth on the palate with flavors of cassis, black raspberry, and dried mushrooms.
