Quintessential Value Reds
by Anthony Lynch
2022 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
The new release of our custom Côtes du Rhône is just in, and it’s a good one! This cuvée dates back to the ’80s, when Kermit found an inexpensive source of delicious everyday Côtes du Rhône, and it has been among our best-sellers every year since its inception. We make our blend from a large selection of different wines: a dozen or more tanks are often presented, and countless combinations are tested over the course of several grueling hours in the cellar. At the end, it often comes down to adjusting a half-percentage of this or a smidge of that. Every drop counts!
The 2022 vintage of this wine is very Rhôney—it tastes exactly how Côtes du Rhône should taste. It’s as if the hot summer concentrated the herbal essences of the region’s wild vegetation—la garrigue—giving it a lovely savory note to contrast with its chewy, ripe, mouth-filling fruit. You might also find a stony impression suggestive of the Rhône’s famous riverbed stones, which cover the vineyards.There is enough tannin for it to shine with roasted lamb, should you opt for a regional pairing, but not too much that you can’t gulp it just for the sake of gulping. The finish is surprisingly long and full of perfume.
Our final blend this year features Syrah and Grenache, with a touch of Mourvèdre and other local grapes. We ask for it unfiltered, because we think the extra aroma and flavor is well worth a little bit of sediment.
2022 Vino Rosso
Italy | Piedmont
Marco Tintero, the Piedmont value champ, has a questionable pricing strategy. While nearly every other wine producer in the world has raised their prices recently, nothing ever budges for Marco. Can you believe it, in this economy!?
Pick up a bottle of his red, a blend of mostly Barbera and Dolcetto, and you too will be perplexed. Light, fresh, and smooth on the palate, with just a hint of that “bite” we associate with Italian reds, it’s so good it just doesn’t quite make sense.