Rhone (South) - 2002

A poor vintage for the southern Rhône where rigorous selection was needed.

The southern Rhône was overwhelmed by terrible rains and floods in the first week of September. Ripening had been fine until then, so some fair whites came through. Higher vineyards suffered a little less, but crop levels were down by a half nearly everywhere.

Reds are light-coloured, apt for drinking early. The northern areas like Vinsobres and the southern Ardèche managed some fair wines in their Côtes-du-Rhône/Villages categories.