2000 Domaine La Garrigue Cote du Rhone Cuvee Romaine

[newsguy]

($9.99) Purplish color that's nearly a dead ringer for grape juice. Nose of earthy spice and pepper, alcohol (13.5 percent if i recall) and dark fruit, with a hint of roasted meat. Tastes of dark fruit and pepper, with a finish that's cut off short by drying tannins. This wine seems to need a year or two for the tannins to resolve and then this bottle of mostly grenache from old vines will be a very nice drink.

(and it went great last night with burgers on the grill).

[Bucko]

Sounds like a nice value wine....

[mrdutton]

I have to agree with Bucko.....

This one caught my interest...... I think I'll try to find it here in Virginia and give it a try.

[newsguy]

this small producer is a "find" from the folks at my usual wine shop on their trips to france. probably not a lot of cases shipped. just did a quick check on wine searcher and it says sam's wines & spirits in chicago (which is on the web and ships worldwide) has it at $9.49 a bottle. if you have a problem getting some, let me know and i'd be glad to take care of you.

[newsguy]

well, checked back on this wine a year later and the tannins are still fairly strong, though it's definitely drinkable. just give it some air time beforehand. i'll check back on it in another year.

[This message has been edited by newsguy (edited 01-24-2003).]

[stevebody]

Le Garrigue makes a very fat little bottle of this nearly every vintage and I think you'll find that there is a fair amount of it being shipped to the US but it winds up in places that supported the brand early, like here in Seattle, where everybody and his maiden Aunt carries it for about $7-8 a bottle. It's a great little winery that is now outsourcing some grapes to expand their inventory. Let's all cross our fingers.