2020 Domaine de Châteaumar Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Vincent, Rhone, Wine Review

One of my go value wines. Just about every vintage in the southern Rhone is good these days, so this is usually good, too. Certainly 2020 fits right in with prior vintages. Purple in color with some ruby swirls. The nose is nice with black cherries, char, spice and slight floral notes. Medium to full bodied. Nice texture. This drinks easily with lots of black cherry fruit and underlying char. Nice finish. I suppose it will age for five to seven years, but I usually just drink mine right away. Nice on its own, this is great with chili, or stew.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2020

Current Price:

$19.00USD

2017 La Bastide St. Vincent Gigondas, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage:

2017

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$28.00USD

This was a new Gigondas for me to taste and it showed quite well. Purple in color with ruby swirls. The nose is clean with black cherries and spice. Medium bodied. On the palate, the black cherries come thru along with a bit of anise. This isn't the deepest or most complex wine, but it is drinking well right now. It probably should be consumed over the next seven to ten years. This will work well with a nice bean/meat cassoulet.

2020 Domaine de Grangeneuve L'Initiale H, France, Rhone, Grignan-les-Adhémar, Wine Review

Vintage:

2020

Score:

Grade:

B+

This is from the northernmost AOC in the southern Rhone Valley in France. It is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries and black raspberries with spice and slight floral note. Full bodied. Nice balance. On the palate, lots of deep black cherry fruit. A bit chunky in a rustic sort of way. Good finish. This is a nice value wine that will work well with a pizza or or burger. Drink over the next few years.

2007 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne La Font d'Estévenas, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage:

2007

Score:

Grade:

A-

Possibly my favorite Cotes du Rhone wine. I bought a case of this back on release and this was the last bottle. No regrets, but it would be fine if I still had more. It is drinking just fine. It might be a good idea to try and track some down from the 2016 vintage. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is nice with black cherries, black pepper, slight earthiness, garrique and still some floral notes. On the palate, this has some complexity. Slight layering. Still some sour cherry and black cherry fruit. Tannins are integrated. Good acidity and balance. At around $15 per bottle on relea

2014 Domaine La Millière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage:

2014

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$39.00USD

This was a pleasant surprise. Served from Magnum and along side some bigger California wines, this provided a nice contrast and was quite tasty. 2014 was not a particularly good vintage in the southern Rhone, but of course, good producers usually find a way to make good wines. Ruby in color. The nose is nice with cherries, garrique/spice, and slight floral notes. On the palate, this is medium bodied. Nice cherry fruit with some dark cherry and a bit of earthiness. Good acidity. Nice finish. This worked quite well with some home made pizzas and in general is food friendly. It is dr

2005 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage:

2005

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$100.00USD

The wines of Pegau can reach great heights, but they often have a lot of barnyard notes which are not for everyone. I love them. Purple in color with ruby swirls. Most opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, cigar, cedar and yes, barnyard. Medium bodied. Lower acidity. On the palate, black cherries with some earthiness. Complex. Getting pretty close to peak. Long finish. This is great on its own, but probably better with food. A nice beef stew would be classic but it would work with a bowl of chili, too. Drink over the next five to ten years.

2020 Domaine de Châteaumar Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Vincent, Rhone, Wine Review

Food and Wine Pairing Tool

Related Articles

2017 La Bastide St. Vincent Gigondas, France, Rhone, Wine Review

2020 Domaine de Grangeneuve L'Initiale H, France, Rhone, Grignan-les-Adhémar, Wine Review

2007 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne La Font d'Estévenas, France, Rhone, Wine Review

2014 Domaine La Millière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, France, Rhone, Wine Review

2005 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, France, Rhone, Wine Review