2013 Feraud-Brunel, Cotes du Rhone Villages, Rhone Valley, France.
This partnership Cotes du Rhone rouge between top Chateauneuf-du-Pape producers Laurence Féraud of Domaine du Pégau and André Brunel of Domaine Les Cailloux is a way to deliver great value regional offerings from sites outside of the famed Chateauneuf from organic vines and crafted in the same style as their more famous bottlings, making for stylish and forward Grenache based wines. Especially intriguing is this 2013 Cotes du Rhone Villages, crafted from old vine Grenache at Brunel’s cellar unfined and unfiltered, it’s worthy of it’s “Baby Cailloux/Pegau” nickname with it’s beautiful rich detail and earthy charms, ripe with flavor and lovely spice and floral tones. Their oenologist, Philippe Cambie one of the Rhone’s highest regarded guru(s) has helped this great team put out some fantastic bargains like this one, it shows a deep garnet hue in the glass and has a pretty bouquet of dark flowers, dusty spices and liqueur notes that leads to a medium/full palate of boysenberry, plum, pomegranate, brandied cherry/kirsch, wild lavender, peppercorns, minty/salted black licorice and refined tannin. This wine gains weight and mouth feel with air and has impressive overall presence and length, this Feraud-Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages Rouge is a wonderful expression of terroir, old world charm and a wine that begs to be quaffed often, it’s hard to fault in any way shape or form, I hope to drink many more bottles myself, enjoy this beauty over the next couple of years.
($15-19 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive
