Domaine du Grand Prieur is what artisan wine is all about. The cobble-covered plateau from which it comes was first planted to vines by William the First in the 10th century. The vineyards, now owned by Bertin Gras, have been worked by his family since 1880.
I've been buying at least a case or two of Grand Prieur each year since 1994. The price has risen from $4.39 to about $8 today, but I have never felt the least bit cheated. It's my house wine, and when I serve it to guests, they nearly always comment about how good it is. When my daughter was married, this was naturally one of the wines I served.
The 2005 is the best of any Grand Prieur I've tasted, and that's saying something. It's a medium deep color with good brilliance. Like many 2005s, it's very ripe--blueberries and full cream--but has a good backbone of black pepper and garrigue (Provencal herbs). On the palate there's lots of depth and body. Long finish. Beautiful wine.
I don't know how widely this wine is distributed. In Michigan, I buy it from D&W markets or from Village Corner in Ann Arbor. The 2005 may be sold out by now, but the 2006 should be arriving soon.
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