WineLife365

From: France

Price: $12.99

I have two words to describe this Kermit Lynch selection – classic and delicious.  It’s been a while since I was last wowed by a French red wine costing less than $15 dollars.  I’ll be honest with you; many that I’ve tried so far in 2009 have tasted a little too “au-natural” for my liking.  Most have had a “barn-yardy” quality about them that has made me conjure up images of chicken coops, horse stalls, and bails of hay.

However, this Cotes du Rhone discovery from famed importer Kermit Lynch is a terrific display of how great a wine can taste when given the opportunity to showcase its true “terroir” (a fancy French term meaning the special characteristics that geography has bestowed upon a wine). 

The 2007 Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone red wine is a delicious, natural tasting blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre, with just the right amount of cracked black pepper and other spices to make it very interesting on the palate.  The other element that I loved about this wine is that it leaves the barn on the farm where it belongs – if you catch my drift.   This red Cotes du Rhone also demonstrates old world charm at an outstanding value to consumers looking for the “real thing” in an everyday red wine.

I give the 2007 Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone 3 stars out of 4.  It won’t completely knock your socks off, but it will give you a glimpse into how terrific “old world” winemaking can taste at a price level that many “new world” winemakers find difficult to produce. 

If you’re not able to find this particular wine, I would highly encourage you to try another Kermit Lynch selection or to talk with your wine merchant.  Kermit Lynch has a great reputation and a real knack for finding undiscovered gems in France.

WineLife365 Rating: 3-Star