Southern Rhone Reds for the Winter
When I look to refresh my Rhône wines at home with wines that deliver serious character without a luxury-tier price tag, La Font de Notre Dame is one I reach for, year after year. This historic family estate, rooted in the southern Rhône, continues to turn out beautifully expressive wines that capture the personality of each village they work with. These two bottlings, from Rasteau and Gigondas,show just how delicious their wines can be.
2023 La Font de Notre Dame Rasteau Rasteau has quietly become one of my favorite value sources for full-bodied, sun-kissed Rhône reds that still hold onto freshness, and this bottle is a perfect example. Built largely on old-vine Grenache, the wine is plush and generous, layered with ripe black raspberry, plum compote, and warm baking spice. There’s a touch of garrigue that keeps it unmistakably southern Rhône.
What makes this especially appealing is the balance. Despite the depth of fruit, it doesn’t feel heavy or overripe. There’s a natural lift and a supple texture that make it incredibly drinkable right now. This is the kind of wine that overdelivers at the table and is ideal for grilled meats, hearty stews, or anything with rosemary and garlic. It’s bold, comforting, and crowd-pleasing without being rustic. It’s a perfect winter red for the heavy snowfalls we have been seeing.
2022 La Font de Notre Dame Gigondas Step up in structure and nuance, and you land in Gigondas. The higher elevation vineyards and rockier soils bring a more lifted, structured profile, and you feel that immediately here. Still Grenache-led, but with more tension and savory complexity, this wine leans into dark cherry, blackberry, cracked pepper, and a subtle stony minerality.
Where the Rasteau is all warmth and generosity, the Gigondas adds shape and backbone. Fine tannins frame the fruit, giving it the kind of structure that makes it just as compelling with food as on its own in a glass over the course of an evening. It’s drinking beautifully now with a decant, but also has the bones to evolve over the next several years.
Together, these two wines tell a fantastic story of place: same producer, neighboring appellations, completely distinct personalities. The Rasteau offers immediate, plush appeal; the Gigondas brings lift, structure, and classic Rhône complexity. Both punch well above their weight in terms of quality-to-price and are versatile additions for your every day meal time.
Review:
“A blend of 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah, the 2023 La Font de Notre Dame Rasteau is a deep, purple hue with vibrant aromas of cherry, plum and raspberry and a touch of earthy, floral spice. The palate is robust with notes of black fruit, spice, leather and a hint of cocoa. It is well-structured with polished tannins and an earthy, deep finish.” - TM
Review:
““A blend of 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah, the 2022 Gigondas Le Mas offers up aromas of dark cherries, dark wild berries, flowers, tapenade and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, enrobing and charming, it's textured and layered, with bright acids and a long, ethereal finish. It's already hard to resist, but it will age gracefully over the next decade. Crafted from vines planted on limestone, clay and marl, it was matured 90% in concrete tanks and the rest in used barrels.” - 91+pts - Wine Advocate