Rhone Comfort
When the weather starts to get cold, I turn to the red wines, and I seem to always turn back to the Rhone valley. I can always depend on these wines to be hearty, meaty, and maybe in cases a little austere. They tend to be the perfect balance between drinkability and serious reflection. I find myself turning to these wines at the end of the week when I want to unwind from everything and slip into the weekend. Here’s a few options if you’re looking to do the same.
2005 Domaine Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Les Champauvins
This wine had some huge fruit and a ton of tannins. Though I drank this right away, the wine took around 2 hours to really open up. The nose was full of bosanberry, lavender and black licorice. The flavors included kirsch, bacon fat, and leather. There were also notes of earth and a game-y quality. The intensity of the wine continued right until the end of the bottle. Priced around $17.
Rating: 92pts
2005 Domaine Le Colombier Vieilles Vignes Vacqueyras
This wine had a very pretty nose of floral and earthy components. The color was at first thin, however with a little bit of air, the wine turned a more violet hue and seems to thicken. A mostly Grenache base, this wine was smooth and subtle on the front of the palate, mixing in a little bit of spice and licorice. The end was a little rustic and earthy, showing a bit of dirt and tar at back of the throat. I quiet enjoyed the cherries and dark chocolate flavors. Nice floral component as well – a little lavender I believe, cut with some mustard greens. Priced around $17.
Rating: 92 pts
2005 Domaine Presidente Cairanne Cotes Du Rhone Villages
This was a wonderful wine from a great vintage. As my first taste of the 2005 vintage, it didn’t disappoint. There was a lot of fresh fruit, with nice cranberry and raspberries notes. There was also the classic licorice and lavender flavors mixed into earthy mushroom and bacon fat. Overall, this was a very enjoyable wine with good body and nice finish. It was also a good value, priced around $13.
Rating: 91pts
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