2010 Cotes du Ventoux Cuvee Reserve des Terrasses

(70% grenache and 30% syrah): Bright violet. Musky red and dark berries on the smoky nose. Juicy and sweet on entry, with moderately concentrated black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors complemented by notes of licorice and black tea. Finishes with firm grip, a slight bitterness and good length.

As always, the 2010 Château Pesquié Côtes du Ventoux Terrasses is a brilliant value. Easily the best vintage of this cuvee to date and a mostly tank aged blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, it delivers a textbook Côtes du Ventoux profile with perfumed red fruits, lavender, garrigue, curry, licorice, and spice box like qualities on the nose. With air, it continues to gain in stature and depth (and color), picking up a more meaty, rich quality to the aromatics. Medium to full-bodied on the palate and elegantly styled, with a thrilling and seamless texture, juicy acidity (a trait of the vintage), and very polished tannin on the back end that adds surprising length, this gorgeously put together red should be purchased by the case, and consumed over the coming 3-5 years. If drinking anytime soon, decant.

The 2010 from Pesquie Terrasses, one of my all-time favorite producers in France, is a phenomenal bargain. This wine is absolutely stunning, and the best one they have made to date, and is a brilliant showcase for what looks to be another great vintage in the southern Rhone. A blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, with 65% aged in tank and the rest in old barrels and foudres, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered for the American market. It’s just terrific, and the good news is that there are 7,000 cases, which is a rarity in this business – finding something spectacular in quality, low in price, with excellent availability. Its stunning dense bluish/purple color offers up notes of sweet blueberries, black cherry liqueur, licorice, incense, and a hint of hot rocks (almost gravelly, in the Bordeaux sense), but the wine hits the palate with amazing texture, succulence, fabulous fruit intensity, vivid purity and a vigorous, long, fresh finish that goes on past 30 seconds. Amazing for a $15 wine, it can probably be found discounted at $12-13. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. Importer: Eric Solomon, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565