Tavel Domaine des Muretins

Jean-François Ranvier and François Dauvergne teamed up to create a unique approach to building a brand focused on quality from vine to finished wine. In 2004, despite the partners not yet having a chateau, incredible funding, or vines of their own, they approached the best of the growers with enthusiasm for an idea. Jean-François had worked with over 50 cellars in the Rhone valley and together in 2004 the partners approached the best of them with their...

Jean-François Ranvier and François Dauvergne teamed up to create a unique approach to building a brand focused on quality from vine to finished wine. In 2004, despite the partners not yet having a chateau, incredible funding, or vines of their own, they approached the best of the growers with enthusiasm for an idea. Jean-François had worked with over 50 cellars in the Rhone valley and together in 2004 the partners approached the best of them with their idea. Entrusted with the vineyard’s best parcels of terroir, Jean-François and François consult with each property on all aspects of vineyard management, proper harvesting techniques, and winemaking processes in the cellars. Agreements would be made prior to harvest on the proper price for the grapes or finished wines and Dauvergne Ranvier would purchase 100% of the yearly production. It is a completely collaborative effort that ensure the properties will be selling their grapes and Dauvergne Ranvier can be guaranteed quality and volume.

The Rhone Valley is one of France's key wine regions, and is divided neatly by a gap of about 25 miles (40km). Wines from the northern part of the valley tend to be Syrah-dominant (Hermitage and Cote Rotie being the most notable examples), while wines from the southern Rhone are more commonly blends, with Grenache playing a more dominant role. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous example of a southern Rhone blend, but similar blends are found in...

The Rhone Valley is one of France's key wine regions, and is divided neatly by a gap of about 25 miles (40km). Wines from the northern part of the valley tend to be Syrah-dominant (Hermitage and Cote Rotie being the most notable examples), while wines from the southern Rhone are more commonly blends, with Grenache playing a more dominant role. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous example of a southern Rhone blend, but similar blends are found in wines from Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the regional Cotes du Rhone title.

Alongside Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (which are often collectively referred to as a GSM blend), a number of local varieties can be found in southern Rhone blends. This includes varieties like Carignan and Cinsaut, which are planted along the Mediterranean coast, but also more obscure varieties like Clairette, Counoise, Muscardin, Terret Noir and Vaccarese. It is not unheard of for southern Rhone red blends to also include white grape varieties like Viognier or Roussanne in small proportions.

Given that there are so many possible combinations in these southern French varieties, "Rhone Blend" and its variants have been useful cover-all terms. An unresolved question is whether it is appropriate to use the descriptor for wines from regions that have adopted these varieties. Australia and California in particular have embraced the classic Rhone grape varieties: in California, the main proponents of the variety have become known as the "Rhone Rangers", and in Australia, the term "GSM" on a bottle has been enthusiastically embraced by consumers.