Thursday, 16 September 2010

2008 Coteaux du Tricastin, Cuvée Traditionnelle, Cellier des Dauphins, France

I gave this a try whilst struggling to find anything interesting at the Tesco's in St Andrwews. I think I paid about £6 for it but I see that Waitrose had it on offer at £4.50 earlier in the year.


It starts well with nose that seems to be common to the (small number) of red Rhones I've experimented with - velvety with hints of damson. On the pallette it proceeds to a brutal attack of totally uncoordinated fruit before moving onto a finish that can only be described as bordering on harsh.

Sadly this provides more ammunition to by suspicions surrounding reds form the part of the world: far too much baked fruit about them which, if I wanted (which I don't), I would eat a Jam roly-poly.

Granted it's cheap, and perhaps this also proves the point about just how hard it is getting to find palatable reds under £6, regardless of region. Still, the Armandieres managed it with a comparable blend of the same varieties.

I note this brainless review from Jane McQuitty:
[those] after a keenly priced, ripe, racy, grenachebased, unoaked rhône, dominated by a seductive, spicy, peppery dollop of syrah, will smack their lips over this
Is she high? Whatever The Times is paying her it is far too much.

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