I enjoyed the 2007 of this wine earlier [August 31, 2008] and described it as a charming introduction to the 2007 Southern Rhone vintage with its yeasty, upfront red berry smells and tastes. This 2006 gives a good indication of where the 2007 is headed. And I approve.
The 2006 Pont du Rhone Prestige is fruity but considerably deeper at this stage than the 2007 with pepper, tobacco and black fruits adding backbone and substance. It's spicy in the Cotes du Rhone mode and has just the right amount of warmth and ripeness. The medium long finish is ripe but leaves a pleasantly spicy impression that goes well with a tomato-based pasta sauce. This is not a simple wine, although it is inexpensive ($5.99 at Trader Joe's).
Pont du Rhone is produced by duPeloux, a Southern Rhone negotiant. The Valreas available at Trader Joe's for the same price is also a duPeloux production.
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I have to say I just tried the 2007 Pont Du Rhone Prestige and I am a little a disappointed and a lot unimpressed. It was a great buy at $5.99 at my local Trader Joe's so what should I really expect for that kind of money. Well...I am a big fan of inexpensive wine and because my consumption level outweighs my income I have a lot of experience with the "cheap stuff". I have to say this wine was not complex. It was weak, watery and didn't taste like much but just alcohol tinged red stained water. Neat label and the bottle was plastic which at first I thought was neat and perhaps even a little "eco". I now am as unimpressed with the packaging as I am with the wine. I will not be purchasing this vintage again and will keep searching.
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The wine I had was in a glass bottle and what was inside must have been different from what you had as well because it didn't strike me as "weak," "watery" or "alcohol tinged with water. It was not a highly extracted, heavily oaked wine, and that was one reason I liked it. The flavors of the Grenache and Syrah fruit were evident, and it went well with food. Those are important requirements for me when drinking wine. I much prefer the Valreas from Trader Joe's, however. And the Epicuro wines from Italy.
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