Wednesday, July 05, 2006

This sounds too tempting to miss!!

INSIDER'S PICK: 2004 JL CHAVE COTES DU RHONE 'MON COEUR'

A few months ago we poured for the Insider's Pick the entry level bottling from Rene Rostaing, one of the Northern Rhone's great producers. Today we up the ante just a little bit more as we taste the Cotes du Rhone from Chave. The family has been involved in winemaking on the hill of Hermitage since the late 1400s, and routinely makes the best wines the region has to offer. Along with Chapoutier and Jaboulet his wines are THE BENCHMARK for the region. The cost to buy them is prohibitive, but luckily their expertise extends all the way through their wines. Their St Joseph drinks better than most produce's Hermitage at ¼ the price, and this 'entry level’ Cotes du Rhone is about as interesting a Syrah as you will find from France for under $25. Often for a Syrah or Shiraz to taste 'big' it usually involves higher alcohol and extracted, even sweet fruit. Not here. When first opened, the aromas are very closed and soft, almost hidden. At first I thought the bottle might have been flawed, expecting a big knockout punch, so I took a sip, and I figured out where all the fruit was. It's hiding under this mass of earthy, dense, tongue-scraping tannin. Man, is this wine built big! So at least now I have to be patient and let the wine open up for a few hours, and when I come back to it, it's as if somebody switches glasses on me. Aromas of blackberries, soil, violets, and tar are readily available, and even though the tannins are still readily apparent, there are lots of complimentary flavors in there as well. This is definitely not a soft bistro wine built for the tourists; this is serious Syrah. But you will also notice the wine doesn't overwhelm your palate the way Aussie Shiraz can. Instead of developing 'palate fatigue' where your mouth is so overwhelmed by alcohol and heaviness it stops registering subtle flavors, the intensity leaves your mouth wanting to come back to it more and more. And for the cost of just ONE bottle of Hermitage, you can own this by the case!

We're offering free tastings as usual, this Thursday, July 6th, 2006, and a 10% discount off the retail price of $20.99 for the Syrah through the duration of the day. Stop by between noon and 7:30pm for a free taste, and take home some delicious wine.

Can't get by for the tasting? Live out of town? Contact us through our online order form at:
http://winewarehouseinc.com/shop.html

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