Winemaker Notes
Brilliant ruby-red. Fresh and energetic on the nose, displaying intense red fruit preserve and floral scents and a suggestion of white pepper. Juicy and supple on the palate, offering sweet raspberry and cherry flavors and a refreshingly bitter blood orange nuance. Fine grained tannins build slowly through a long, sappy finish that leaves behind a suave lavender note.
Pairs very well with red meat and cheese.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A generous yet elegant wine, with warm licorice and baked cherry amply dusted in white pepper and a hint of vanilla. Reveals refined tannins and racy acidity, which provide a ballast for the generous palate. Very harmonious. Grenache and Cinsault.
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.