Friday, February 12, 2010

Chateau Saint Roch Cotes du Rhone, 2004

I had a glass of this Cotes du Rhone to accompany cassoulet at the new Rustica Mediterranean restaurant in Kalamazoo. It's a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, but the red berry Grenache is dominant at the moment. Ripe strawberry fruit, with some hints of vanilla that don't seem to come from new oak barrels. The texture is lovely and the finish long and satisfying.

Saint Roch was acquired by the Brunel family of Chateau la Gardine (Chateauneuf du Pape) in 1998, and the fruit, at least from this vintage, apparently comes from cooler areas of the Cotes du Rhone. Aromas and flavors and well defined. The wine is matured partly in vats and partly in small barriques. So it's not totally traditional, but it meets all of my standards.

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