Clos Saint Jean Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Les Calades, 2003

Grapes for this wine come from an old vineyard just outside the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation. At its best, it has the qualities of a good Chateauneuf, and some vintages from the 1990s drank well for a decade or longer. That's no longer the case. This 2003 is drinking very nicely right now, but the 2001 is beginning to fade. If you have any of the 2003, it's drink up time. The color is still a deep ruby, and the aromas and flavors are what you would expect from well placed Grenache/Syrah vineyards--red berry, pepper and garrigue. It's a pleasant easy drinking wine that sold for less than $9 a bottle when it was released four or five years ago.