Domaine de la Bastide Cotes du Rhone Villages Visan, 2009

This wine offers a slightly different take on the Southern Rhone profile. The color is deeper and darker; I suspect some small new oak barrels have been used for aging some of the wine. As the label correctly suggests, I smell blackberries, dark cherries and brandy. Not as spicy nor as peppery as most Southern Rhones but intriguing. On the palate, there are some hints of plums and red berries and a warm, slightly alcoholic, slightly tannic feel. I suspect this wine still has some room to grow over the next three to five years.