Winemaker Notes
Beautiful intense and deep garnet-red color with shiny reflections. This wine opens with a particularly seductive and complex nose with notes of black cherries and white pepper, delicately blended with smoky notes. The complexity continues on the palate with elegance thanks to fine and silky tannins which balance this powerful and structured wine with opulent aromas of black fruit and typical spices of Syrah. The long finish is very refined, punctuated by notes of sweet spices.
Serve with beef, lamb or poultry.
Blend: 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Refined on the nose with cherries, blueberries, herbs and warm spices. Medium body with very fine tannins. Textural and velvety with poise and vitality. Flavorful finish with a peppery lift.
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.