Terrific Roussillon, unexpected finesse from a primarily Grenache wine at a low price point. It's 60% Grenache, with Mourvedre, Carignan, and Syrah filling out the rest. Both the Wine Advocate and the Wine Spectator reviewers ranked it highly, with 91 points each. I found it to have a spicy nose, with some woody components on the nose. It had some herbs and spices (pepper, others) on the nose, along with red fruits. The taste was consistent with the nose, red fruits, cherries, but also old world smoke, stone, and minerality. It was nicely balanced, with acidity making my mouth water, and tannins balancing the fruit, though perhaps a bit of bitterness in the tannic qualities. It was thinner than some Grenache I drink from Spain (and Roussillon has closer ties to Spanish areas than to French I think). Nice, long finish, and it went well with some chocolate chip cookies actually. (Hey, it's Christmas, people were baking!) I'd buy it again at a bit over $20. As per usual, it came from The Wine House in Manlius, on recommendation from Matt. Good stuff!
Hecht & Bannier have a website with additional information on their wine, including how it was matured, and where the grapes were sourced. I always enjoy reading winery information (though I often skip their tasting notes) to learn more. http://www.hbselection.com/en/vin.php?vid=60&cat=3
