“This luscious red hails from vines that could (and should) have been part of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, making it one of the single-greatest Rhône values on the market. It’s one of our perennial-favorite wines for a reason!” Ian Cauble, Master…

Description

“This luscious red hails from vines that could (and should) have been part of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, making it one of the single-greatest Rhône values on the market. It’s one of our perennial-favorite wines for a reason!” Ian Cauble, Master Sommelier

Driven by Grenache grown in the pebbly, sandy soils of the zone, “Cuvée Unique” is a special Côte du Rhône selection created each year from premium old-vine lots and, subsequently, the best batches in the winery. The 2018 is a blend of 85% Grenache, 8% Syrah, 5% Carignan, and 2% Mourvèdre that aged for 12 months in a mix of old foudres (large oak casks) and tanks. To enhance purity and terroir expression, the final wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Because it’s led by high-quality, old-vine, CDP-equivalent Grenache and priced below $30, we geek out over this wine year in and year out.

It fires out of the glass with explosive, luxurious aromas like raspberry liqueur, plum pie, ripe cherry, redcurrant, and licorice. However, a great deal of savory/earthy components lie just underneath that rich wall of primary fruit: garrigue, dusty earth, baking spice, tapenade, rose petal, and wild thyme. The full-bodied palate is a trifecta of unabashed richness, polish, and refreshment; an opulent tour de force that magically avoids palate fatigue. In short, it’s a pure, hedonistic snapshot of the Southern Rhône.