Skip to content
Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2023 Rasteau ‘Les Valats’, Alain Jaume

2023 Rasteau ‘Les Valats’, Alain Jaume

Rhône Valley, France

Garrigue Grip

Alain Jaume’s 2023 Les Valats is Rasteau in full southern Rhône colour: dark, spicy and generous, but with enough freshness to keep it beautifully composed. Grenache leads the blend, bringing ripe cherry, blackberry, plum and warm spice, while Syrah and Mourvèdre add pepper, savoury herbs, leather and a deeper, more brooding edge.

On the palate, it is juicy, fleshy and nicely structured, with ripe tannins, black fruit, herbes de Provence, liquorice and a touch of dark chocolate. Rasteau often gives power, but this feels restrained and well balanced, finishing with spice, menthol freshness and a firm, satisfying grip. A proper winter red, but not one that needs a roaring fire to make sense.

For when
The table wants southern Rhône warmth without tipping into heaviness.

Pairs with
Roast lamb, grilled sausages, beef stew, pork shoulder, ratatouille, mushroom ragù, cassoulet, chargrilled aubergine or aged hard cheeses.

Alain Jaume and Domaine Grand Veneur are part of one of the southern Rhône’s most respected family wine stories, rooted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and now stretching across several key appellations. Les Valats shows their skill outside the famous village, capturing Rasteau’s darker fruit, spice and earthy Mediterranean character with impressive polish and drinkability.

Whats in the bottle
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre

£21.50 - £21.50
£21.50
£21.50 - £21.50
£21.50
Availability:
In stock

The Jaume family has been rooted in the southern Rhône since 1826, with Domaine Grand Veneur created in 1979 by Alain and Odile Jaume near Orange, just north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. What began as a small family estate has grown into a serious Rhône name of Châte, now involving the next generation: Christophe, Sébastien and Hélène Jaume. The family works across several appellations, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône, Lirac, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Cairanne and Rasteau.

Grand Veneur is best known for rich, polished southern Rhône reds, but the wider Alain Jaume range gives the family a broader canvas, showing the personality of nearby crus and villages. Rasteau is a particularly good fit for their style, offering naturally concentrated Grenache with spice, depth and a rugged, sunlit character. The family’s strength lies in combining classic Rhône warmth with clean, controlled winemaking, giving wines that feel generous, authentic and reassuringly well made.

Les Valats 2023 is a Rasteau AOC red, with Grenache Noir forming the dominant part of the blend, supported by Syrah and Mourvèdre. The appellation was promoted from Côtes du Rhône Villages status to cru level from the 2009 vintage, and is known for poor soils, Mediterranean warmth and concentrated, characterful reds.

The wine is fermented and aged in concrete vats, preserving the dark fruit, spice and earthy freshness of the site rather than adding overt oak flavour. Bottling takes place after around 12 to 14 months, giving time for the tannins to settle while keeping the wine vivid and fruit-driven.

The 2023 southern Rhône vintage brought a balance of ripeness and freshness. A dry winter was followed by a more unsettled spring, then summer warmth that built generosity in the fruit. For Les Valats, that translates into deep colour, ripe red and black fruit, fleshy tannins, spice, menthol and a long, grippy finish.