Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Domaine de l'Oratoire Saint Martin Reserve des Seigneurs Cairanne, 1998

This is one of my favorite wines, and the 1998 one the best vintages I've had of this cuvee. Ordinarily this is a wine for drinking at about five to seven years of age, but this 1998 seems to be getting better with every bottle.

The color is a medium deep crimson, still bright and lively but with some garnet tones developing. The bouquet is full of cherries, red plums and garrigue. Has everything I like about Cairanne--sweet fruit and spice, velvety texture, mouthfilling, lovely finish. Like most Southern Rhone wines, this one benefits from about 10 minutes in the fridge before serving during the hottest summer months, at least for my taste.

I had the 2000 Reserve des Seigneurs a couple of years ago alongside a Clos Saint Jean Chateauneuf du Pape. I preferred the Cairanne and believe this 1998 would also be a good match for any Chateauneuf du Pape of comparable age. I paid less than $10 for the 1998, but the current price for Reserve des Seigneurs is about $20 a bottle.

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