I've had three different wines from Southern France in the past couple of weeks that offered a great look at the 2006 and 2007 vintages and the different wines coming from them. Up first was a wine from the highly acclaimed new vintage, the 2007 Domaine St. Damien Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes. I'd had this wine's sibling a few months ago and came away a bit underwhelmed so I was hoping for a better showing from the old vines cuvee. Unfortunately, I had some of the same issues, again finding this wine a little too hot and unsettled. For a wine the got a 90-93 rating from Parker, I'd expect more. It is a trend with the 2007 wines so far though, so most of those that I have are now being set aside for at least several months to see if they balance out a bit.
2006 has become a somewhat forgotten vintage in the Rhone thanks to the hype around 2007, but I think overlooking it is a big mistake. The 2006 Les Aphillanthes Cotes du Rhone-Villages Trois Cepages is a great example of the potential from this vintage. A blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre this is a full bodied lush wine that is drinking well now but has some stuffing to last a few years too. It was really a treat, and a wine I highly recommend, especially with several retailers here marking it down to under $20.
Finally, I had another 2006 in the same style, but not from the Rhone. The 2006 Pegovino Vin de Pays d'Oc is made by Laurence Feraud of Pegau, and is a fantastic value. For under $10 you get a wine that shows much of the typical peppery flavors of Grenache, but with some Syrah to balance it out a bit. I'd had this a couple of months ago, and this bottle was just as good. It's definitely a wine to put at the top of my super value list.
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