It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the wines of the Rhône around here, particularly those from the overachieving satellite towns near Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Among these, Gigondas is certainly the most well known and justly so with a number of excellent producers. Not so well known is Rasteau, also with a number of good producers but lacking reputation. There exist, in my opinion, two great sources of Rasteau: Domaine de la Soumade and Domaine du Trapadis. The wine we’re tasting here is a product of the latter, my personal favorite. Like most of the red wines from the area, Rasteau is grenache based, sometimes 100%, in this case 80% and blended with 10% each carignan and mourvedre. 60 year old vines for all varietals and very low yields of between 10 and 20 hectolitres per hectare.
Deep, clear red robe. Big, expressive nose of kirsch and spice with loads of ripe black fruits. Rich, round and fairly soft due in no small part to the warm 2007 vintage. Lowish acids and soft but prodigious tannins. Finishes long with sweet fruit notes. At this price it makes all but the top clutch of Châteauneuf-du-Papes seem a little expensive. Fantastic drink and a good candidate for the cellar. $28, buy it here.
