Somm Summ 10-29-12: Dom Gramenon Cotes du Rhone Poignee de Raisins 2011

This was a fantastic surprise. A not-so-inexpensive-yet-terribly-delicious Cotes du Rhone. The Gramenon Poignee de Raisins, which is relatively young cuvee made primarily from Grenache, exhibits smooth texture, excellent balance, and a style that just makes you want to go on to another glass. I tasted this with a number of other wines that I was tasting from the Kermit lynch portfolio, and I was very much taken by this wine from the first taste. After looking into the background of the winery and seeing the story of Michèle Aubèry-Laurent, the sad story of her husband Philippe, and their children, made me even more appreciative of this wine. I like the fact that they are farming biodynamically as well.

The fruit is balanced and smooth, but not in a heavy way. The grenache is definitely showing through with ripe red fruits but I was also impressed with the back-drop of dark fruit flavors and a bit of earthiness that showed great character. I highly recommend this wine and will be using it on some of my wine lists. I gave this two full checks (out of 3), and can honestly say that I would prefer this wine over many (more expensive) Chateauneuf du Pape and other "grander" appellation wines from the region. You should expect to pay about $25-30 retail for this wine.