Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone

Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône is an unfiltered Southern Rhône red blend bottled at 13.5–14.5% ABV in a standard 750ml format. The 2020 vintage earned 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, reinforcing this wine's reputation as one of the most dependable values in French red wine. Built around Grenache with support from Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and small percentages of Marselan and Cinsault, it captures the warmth and garrigue-scented character of the Southern Rhône without ever straining the budget.

Quick Facts: ABV: 13.5–14.5%  |  Origin: Southern Rhône, France  |  Style: Unfiltered Red Blend  |  Producer: Kermit Lynch / Cave Coopérative (Avignon)

Production & Heritage

Kermit Lynch — importer, author, and one of the most influential figures in American wine culture — has long collaborated with a cave coopérative outside Avignon to produce this négociant-style Côtes du Rhône. Fruit is drawn primarily from vineyards around Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne in the Southern Rhône. Each vintage is assembled from roughly two dozen individual tanks sourced from multiple small vignerons, a blending process that allows Lynch and his team to select for consistency and typicity year after year. The wine is bottled unfiltered, a deliberate choice that preserves texture and aromatic complexity while staying true to Lynch's longstanding philosophy of minimal intervention.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe black cherry and spiced red plum arrive first, followed by hints of black olive, wild garrigue herbs, and a fleeting note of lavender. Beneath the fruit, a thread of tilled soil and stony minerality grounds the bouquet.

Taste: The entry is juicy and generous — sweet dark berries and cherry flood the palate before giving way to mid-palate notes of licorice, dried herbes de Provence, and a savory undercurrent that evokes salted meat. Tannins are present but easygoing, framing the fruit without clenching. A slight violet-floral lift keeps everything bright through the peak.

Finish: Medium in length with lingering spice, dried violet, and a stony mineral edge. The unfiltered texture carries through, leaving a clean and satisfying close that invites the next sip.

How to Drink Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône

Serve slightly below room temperature — around 60–65°F — in a standard red wine glass. A brief 15–20 minute decant opens the aromatics, though the wine drinks beautifully straight from the bottle. This is a classic French bistro red: roast chicken with herbes de Provence highlights the herbal notes, grilled lamb merguez draws out the wine's peppery spice, and a simple charcuterie board with aged Comté and cured sausage plays off its savory streak. It also stands up well alongside hearty vegetable dishes like ratatouille or eggplant gratin.

Best For

• Weeknight dinner wine that consistently over-delivers on quality
• Introducing a friend to Southern Rhône reds without the price of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
• Stocking a reliable house red for casual entertaining
• Pairing with rustic Mediterranean and French country cooking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône taste like? It leads with ripe black cherry and red plum fruit, layered with licorice, wild herbs, and a savory note of salted meat. Soft tannins and an unfiltered texture give it a round, approachable mouthfeel.

How does Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône compare to Beaujolais cru wines like Morgon? Both occupy the affordable French bistro-red category, but the Côtes du Rhône leans darker and spicier with its Grenache-Syrah base, while a Gamay-based Morgon tends toward brighter red fruit and higher acidity. Kermit Lynch himself has described the two as complementary counterparts — one from the north, one from the south.

Is Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône good for everyday drinking? Absolutely — its soft tannins, generous fruit, and moderate alcohol make it one of the most food-friendly and versatile Southern Rhône reds at its price tier. It requires no decanting or special occasion to enjoy.

Where is Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône made? The wine is produced in collaboration with a cave coopérative located outside Avignon in the Southern Rhône Valley, France, with fruit sourced primarily from vineyards near the commune of Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne.

What foods pair well with Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône? Roast chicken or duck with herbes de Provence mirrors the wine's herbal character. Grilled lamb or merguez sausage draws out peppery spice. Hard aged cheeses like Comté or Manchego complement the savory finish. Provençal vegetable dishes — ratatouille, tapenade, or stuffed peppers — echo its Southern French origins. Cured meats and pâté align with the wine's subtle charcuterie-like undertone.

What sizes does Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône come in? It is widely available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône worth the price? This wine positions squarely as a value-tier Southern Rhône red that consistently drinks above its weight class, with the 2020 vintage scoring 92 points from Wine Enthusiast. For an unfiltered, multi-varietal Côtes du Rhône assembled by one of America's most respected importers, it represents strong value within its category.

Why Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône?

What separates this bottling from the crowded field of Côtes du Rhône is the selection process behind it. Rather than sourcing from a single domaine, Kermit Lynch and his team taste through roughly two dozen tanks each vintage, blending from multiple vignerons to construct a wine that captures a broad, representative snapshot of the Southern Rhône. The decision to bottle unfiltered preserves a depth and texture that most wines at this price point sacrifice. With a 92-point score from Wine Enthusiast on the 2020 vintage and decades of consistent quality behind it, this is a benchmark example of what an entry-level Côtes du Rhône can achieve when guided by a meticulous palate and a no-compromise approach to winemaking.