Value can be found among Rhone Valley whites

White wines from the Rhone Valley in France can be on the expensive side, but blending various grapes from that region can produce some delightful wines -- and good values.

The wines tend to be dry, medium-bodied and minerally, with hints of almonds or other nut flavors. They can have floral aromas or suggestions of various fruits such as apples or pears.

They often taste "very French," meaning musty and minerally and with enough acids to be a good companion for food, such as fish or chicken, said one taster.

They are made from a range of grapes, but the major varietals tend to be Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier.

I asked the tasters to compare five white Rhones ranging in price from $12.99 to $49.99. Of course, in a blind tasting they didn't know which wine was expensive. Here is what we found:

-- 2002 Les Laurelles Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc at $19.99. The aroma had a pleasant combination of chalk, oil and lemon. These impressions followed through on the palate. The wine had good acids, and the lemon flavor gave the wine a clean taste. "This wine is very French," one taster said. It tied for third in our tasting.

-- 2001 J. Vidal Fleury Cotes-du-Rhone at $13.99. This wine had a complex aroma, offering floral notes, mint, green apples, peaches and pears. It had a light mustiness on the palate, but the fruit, especially the pear taste, was most pleasant.

-- 2003 Caves des Papes "Heritage Blanc" Cotes-du-Rhone at $12.99. This wine had a gorgeous aroma of pears, peaches and stone fruit. It was a big mouthful that lingered long after the swallow. The finish was long. This was a more complex, more layered wine than the other four. Competing against wines costing more than the Caves des Papes, this wine finished first in our tasting.

-- 2001 E. Guigal Condrieu Cotes-du-Rhone at $49.99. This wine had an Old World aroma that was meaty and spicy with citrus fruit. In the mouth, we tasted pears and some citrus. This wine tied for third.

-- 2002 Chateau Mont Redon Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc at $34.99. The Chateauneuf-de-Pape appellation is famous for its red wines, but it also produced fine whites. This wine had green apples in the aroma and on the palate and star fruit on the finish. The wine had a sharp, crisp taste that would make it go well with seafood or fish. This wine finished second in our tasting.

Surfing the wine shelves:

-- 2002 Gallo of Sonoma Syrah at $13. The aroma held raspberries, blackberries, plum and pepper in this deep-purple-colored wine. In the mouth, it offered rich tastes of dark cherries with a hint of vanilla. It had a short finish with mild tannins.

-- 2003 Chimney Rock Rose of Cabernet Franc at $16. This clear ruby-colored wine yielded scents of fresh strawberries. In the mouth, this elegant, crisp wine had a refreshing fruity impression of strawberries mixed with cherries, without being cloyingly sweet.

-- 2002 Mirassou Central Coast Pinot Noir at $11. Cherries and strawberries dominated the aroma. In the mouth, it had candied fruit tastes with hints of vanilla.

Questions may be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville 37203, or e-mailed to editor@tennessean.com.