Book Review: Wines of the Rhone - Livingstone Lermouth (1978)
This is JLL’s first book on the wines of Rhone, and its surrounding areas.
Although the book is very old, and some of the estates may no longer be relevant, and others have arisen that are unmentioned, it’s still very good.
There is a lot of information on each village, and the history of each, along with how they have adapted to their terroir and weather. JLL is also a fine writer, and the book is more engaging than most wine tomes. (The book is actually not very long, but is content filled). There is also some light coverage of ancient vintages, not really relevant to modern consumers, but the drinking window suggestions still seem true to my palate today. Also very interestingly, given his background in wine commerce, there is discussion for most areas on how they found their markets and built their village identity.
For some villages, especially the major ones, he has maps of the various vineyards and terroirs, along with the expository, so one can see why the premium for certain bottlings might be merited.
It’s a fine book to have for the reference shelf, despite its age. I recommend it for those keen to learn more about the Rhone valley.
Looking forward to reading his newer tome. Too bad he does not publish more frequently.