Domaine de Font-Sane Cotes du Ventoux, 2006

This wine has the qualities I expect from a good Southern Rhone: a bright crimson color, lightening just a bit from a year ago; a nose of red and blue berries, Provencal spice and black pepper; and a full-bodied fruit cake presence on the palate. As always with Font-Sane, there are some muscular tannins lurking in the background to remind you that this is a serious wine. But in the end, there is the ripe fruit and generous personality that defines Ventoux. The label talks about the "happy combination" of Grenache and Syrah, and happy, indeed, is the marriage. It's a more powerful wine than La Vieille Ferme Ventoux but equally enjoyable as a more-than-simple every day drink.