2000 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge

[quijote]

I was looking around my little stash for a wine that would serve well as a quaffer this evening, and as a good accompaniment to spicy food tomorrow night, so I opened this Côtes du Rhône. Very tasty, though it calls out for food more than for quaffing.

Aromas of dark fruits and mustard on the nose are followed up on the palate with earth, minerals, dried herbs, and dark coffee subtly framed by dark berries. This is a wine on the lighter side of medium-bodied, though there are enough tannins to provide a good dose of thickness and texture. 13% Alc., $9 (Premier, Buffalo)

Côtes du Rhône red wines like this often taste kind of "fleshy" or "herbal" to me, so I will sniff my spice and herb collection to see if I come up with other descriptors.

According to the Guigal website, this wine consists of 50% syrah, 25% mourvedre, and 25% grenache.