Domaine du Grand Prieur Cotes du Rhone, 2006

Tasting this wine alongside the Clos Saint Jean Vin de Pays was a revelation. They were showing nearly the same Grenache-Syrah flavor/aroma profile--one mature and the other in the blush of youth. Like the older wine, the Grand Prieur is very aromatic with intense, focused smells of red berries and garrigue. It also has a strong licorice component to both the nose and the palate that the Clos Saint Jean does not have, and I find this very attractive. It's round, ripe and very pretty at this stage, but I know it will deepen out over the next few months with more peppery complexity, as the 2005 has.