California’s Domaine de la Terre Rouge, named for the estate’s vermillion-colored soils, specializes in Rhône Valley varieties. Their 2014 Tête-à-Tête offering – a fun, easy-drinking assemblage of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah – is an homage to the bistro-friendly, drink-me-now Côtes-du-Rhône rouges that we so love. The wine’s rusty crimson-ruby color is followed by a lusty Côtes-du-Rhône-like nose that offers nuances of boysenberries, plums, Provençal cherries, and black pepper. A core of ripe, cherry fruit emerges on the palate and yields to the wine’s long, saturated finish suggesting sage, bay leaf, vine smoke, and red pit fruits. This is a rich, satisfying Rhône doppelgänger designed for early drinking by itself or with grilled burgers, yellow squash, potato casseroles, and other simple home-style fare. Very limited.
Wine Enthusiast “Editors’ Choice”: 90 point
A June 2022 Newsletter Selection
