Established in 2005 as a new Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC, Plan de Dieu must be at least 50% Grenache, blended with a minimum of 20% Mourvèdre and Syrah. These wines have a lush, concentrated nose, with notes of red fruit, and the ever-present garrigue. We met Hugues Meffre in 2014: he was instrumental in establishing this AOC, and is now co-president of Le Syndicat Intercommunal des Vignerons du Plan de Dieu.
The biggest surprise (well, wine-wise…we had lots of other surprises…but I digress) we got during our recent trip to France was a 2014 Carignan from Domaine La Tasque, which was a generous gift from our great Parisian friends, Barrie and Jennifer. Though I’d had Carignan in blends before, I’d never had a Carignan varietal. Carignan is a grape that has historically been a bit disparaged, but because it came highly recommended, we went at it with an open mind.
Wow! This. Was. A. Big. Wine. Clearly aged on lots of new oak, it had notes of dark chocolate, black cherry, and crushed mineral. Silky tannins gave way to a long, smooth finish. I have no idea whether this is available in the U.S., but even if not, I’ll always have the memory.
Earlier this Spring, Susan and I took a trip to Lake Chelan, where we visited our favorite Chelan winery, Cairdeas. They specialize in Rhone wines (whites and reds) and even make their own version of a Chateauneuf du Pape. Check them out here.
This 2016 Reserve des Chastelles was a delightful rosé, from the only Rhone AOC that makes only rosés. It was a blend of the flagship Tavel varieties: Grenache and Cinsault (60% and 20%, respectively), with another 20% of Syrah. True to Tavel form, there was reasonable structure and body present, but never overwhelming, like rosés made from Bordeaux grapes can be.
