The north's last cru
Recognised in 1936, Saint-Péray occupies two Ardèche communes opposite Valence, just south of Cornas. It marks the southern boundary of the northern Rhône: beyond lies a long gap without renowned vineyards before Montélimar and the south.
The appellation enjoyed its heyday in the nineteenth century, when its sparkling wine was served at Europe's finest tables. A long decline followed, before a clear revival of interest from the 2000s.
Granite and limestone together
The terroir combines two bedrocks: Massif Central granite, as in Cornas, and limestone further south on the slopes of Crussol. This duality produces wines combining the roundness of granite soils with the tension brought by limestone.
The altitude, slightly higher than its neighbours', preserves acidity, an advantage for both sparkling wines and the freshness of still whites.
Still or sparkling
Still Saint-Péray is a broad but lively white, with fresh almond, pear, hawthorn and a mineral touch. It benefits from a few years' ageing, which remains unusual for a Rhône white.
The sparkling wine, made by the traditional method with a second fermentation in bottle, is a nineteenth-century legacy. Finer than its reputation suggests, it is a curiosity worth exploring. Serve sparkling at 8–10°C and still at 11–12°C.