2001 Rhône Valley Vintage

The summer was dry, and the main challenge for growers was cutting back the excess crop. The year was marked by its September, when the north wind and quite fine weather caused the crop to concentrate, notably in the Northern Rhone. In the south, sugar ripening came ahead of tannin ripening, so it was essential to wait for complete maturity.

• Summer: dry, with the excess crop the main challenge for growers
• September: north wind and quite fine weather concentrated the crop, notably in the Northern Rhone
• South: sugar ripening came before tannin ripening, so waiting for complete maturity was essential
• Decanter found good acidity levels and evident tannins

Decanter wrote that Cote-Rotie integrated its early acidities well and was blossoming into a long-lived, very complete year. It rated Hermitage and Cornas excellent, full and long-lived, and said the best St Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage reds would live for 10 years.

• Cote-Rotie: Decanter judged it a long-lived, very complete year, with early acidities well integrated
• Hermitage and Cornas: Decanter rated them excellent, full and long-lived
• St Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage: Decanter said the best reds would live for 10 years

Decanter called 2001 an excellent year for Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras, which all achieved good ripeness with plenty of tannic support. It suggested the wines may be more complete than the 1998s, which would make 2001 the best vintage there for a dozen years. Rhone Villages such as Seguret, Rasteau, Cairanne, Sablet and Beaumes-de-Venise all did well, and Decanter described them as 8 to 10 year wines.

• Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras: Decanter found good ripeness with plenty of tannic support
• Decanter suggested it was possibly more complete than 1998, making it the best vintage there for a dozen years
• Rhone Villages: Seguret, Rasteau, Cairanne, Sablet and Beaumes-de-Venise all did well

Decanter described red Rhone 2001 as powerful, juicy wines with concentrated, ripe fruit and silky tannins, and said all the best wines profited from very correct tannic structures. On producers, its advice was to follow the main names, while noting that small domaine growers generally did well in the appellations it named, with some really good value at the cellar door.

• Style: Decanter described the wines as powerful, juicy, with concentrated ripe fruit and silky tannins
• Decanter held that the best wines profited from very correct tannic structures
• Producers: Decanter advised following the main names, but small domaine growers generally did well, with good value at the cellar door