Saturday, October 16, 2010

La Vielle Ferme Cotes du Ventoux, 2006

After chewing my way through the tannic leftovers of Altos de Luzon on the second night, this old favorite was a welcome relief. The smells and flavors of red raspberries and crushed black pepper are friendlier and more forward than ever. This is a typical and straightforward Ventoux, yet still subtle enough to maintain a serious interest. And it's one of the least expensive wines on the shelf. This 2006 is burnished and smooth as it slides down. It seems to be showing substantially more age than its 2005 and 2007 siblings but still drinking well. La Vieille Ferme is a wine to drink young, but don't worry if you have a few left over from year to year to remind you of past glories.

2 comments:

  1. I love this wine and am so happy to see your write up on it. My father introduced me to it years ago and I return to it regularly.

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  2. Barb, thanks for your comment.

    I like all of the Perrin brothers' wines--from Beaucastel all the way down to La Vieille Ferme. And I also like most Ventoux wines, particularly Font-Sane and the Altitude 500 (from the Vignerons cooperative) that is on the shelves right now for about $10.

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