Winemaker Notes
100% Syrah, Limestony sands, red clay and rolling stones. Aged in vat. The wines are crunchy and ripe because of the dry summer. After the fresh 2008, we come back to a stronger wine with length. This wine, made to be drunk in its youth, is often quite surprising. It will be fresh and ready to be crunched. Blackcurrant, blackberry, graphite, liquorish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A lovely floral violet aroma leads the way, followed by good dark berry, tobacco and charcoal notes, with a dash of tarry grip on the finish. Pure and solid. Drink now through 2011.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.