2010 Francois Tardy, Les Champs Fourne, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone Valley, France.
This super tasty Syrah from Francois Tardy is a lovely wine and even better value, giving pure terroir and Northern Rhone character in a generous style with panache. Tardy’s Les Champs Fourne, which means warm field, is a tongue in cheek name playing off the more famous Cote-Rotie, the roasted slope, but while the humor brings a smile, the wine brings an even greater joy and is very rewarding with good depth and alluring details. The bouquet comes to life in the glass where you experience violets, black currants, pepper and gamey earth notes before a vibrant almost meaty palate of blueberry, cassis, boysenberry and tangy damson plum fruits entice, then there is the background complexities of black olives, salted licorice, chalky stones, grilled herbs, cracked pepper, leather and wild mushrooms. This vivid Syrah has plenty of stuffing and fine balance with bright acidity and polished tannins, though in Crozes tradition it still has a slight raw edge and is at it’s best with food, drink this well crafted wine over the next 3 to 5 years.
($20 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive
avail at www.sfwtc.com ($18.95)