Initially reticent, this St. Chinian tooks some coaxing to bring it out of hiding. Once it emerged, it displayed ample cool blackberry fruit along with notes of pepper/spice. Just medium-bodied with fine tannnin, to me, this leans more towards a north Rhone red that a southern France red. Long finishing, with great purity in the fruit. Very fine with a decant now, but I suspect even better in a year or two. Excellent value. Tasted Sept 2012.

With a few minutes in the decanter, this Syrah-Mourvèdre blend opens up beautifully to show a mixture of sweet and spiced fruit aromas followed by a medium weight on the palate. Ample sweetness of fruit balanced by bright acidity to a dry and slightly chalk-textured finish. This really hits the mark and will pair perfectly with beef or lamb over the Thanksgiving holiday. Tasted Sept 2012.

Smooth as silk. Very good value.

At 16.95 an incredible value. Well structured, medium bodied red that is extremely versatile in pairing with food. .

A disappointing effort from a very good producer, this lean, mean, and severe Syrah-Mourvedre blend has a dominant bretty element that never gives way to anything else. There's some mature complexity here, with earthy, leathery notes accompanying the funk, along with smoked meat near the end, but it's only the cranberry-raspberry-currant tartness, appearing at the edges and then on the finish, that ever emerges with any conviction. It seems like there's a lot going on that wants out, but the lack of depth on the palette makes the wine seem insipid while the chalky texture does nothing to help.