~$14US Seguret, Rhone, France

A delicious Seguret, selected by the grand dame of the Rhone, Ms. Feraud. This young but ready-to-drink CdR gives off a rich nose of distinctly ripe raspberries, some cherries and a bit of savory herbs and spices (sage and thyme). Broad and velvetly in the mouth, showing a good balance right out of the bottle. Ripe tannins make this easy to drink, but have enough presence to keep everything together, along with some good acidity. The overall feel shows the fruit as the centerpiece, and brings in the French country funkiness as secondary and supporting flavors. The finish is slightly marred by a slight bitterness and a strange iron note, holding this effort back from the WOW range… Not complex, but delicious, a strong value, and an auspicious peek into what the ‘05 Pegau could look like…

A great food companion and a terrific weeknight pop-and-pour. This wine would be a great ‘transition wine’ for someone used to drinking ~$10 Shirazes, looking to move upto the next tier of complexity and flavor. If only these great entry-level-French wines had critters on the label… well….maybe not.

~ $20US 80% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, Southern Rhone, France

Deep crimson color. Giving on the nose with peppery aromas rising from the glass, with dark maduro-tobacco, allspice, cedar, and a little meatiness (bacon?). Reserved on the palate (still young), but very promising with some air - showing a good balance between the brooding animal that is grenache, and a clean acidity. Some fascinating bing cherries pop into the mid-palate, from out of nowhere. Round, but not heavy. If there is oak here, it is subtle and finessed. Tannins very much in play, but not in a detracting way - they just keep the fruit in line. The cherries continue into the finish, in a harmonious tapering ending.

I really like this - well-structured, but still juicy and round in the mouth. Some weird, wild flavors and aromas from the grenache, but quite elegant and restrained. The cherry surprise and it’s persistence through the end of the wine really make this unique. This is another wine begging to be enjoyed with food - I think smoked salmon, braised pork and herb-roasted chicken would really work out well here. One strong Cotes-du-Rhone that equals the lesser Chateauneufs.