Dark ruby with dense edges. Grainy, rugged glorious funk–dirty baby diaper suffocating barnyard and brett–inundates everything in the initial. Fruit, emerald-tinged and heavily spiced, rolls out layers and layers of concentrated blackberry, strawberry stew, plum, asphalt and Swiss chard. A wine you just CAN NOT stop smelling, filling every pore with pure, natural UMPH and deep red goodness.
So… you’ve HAD Provence Rouge before, right??? Oh let me guess: You only think Provence makes Rosé. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I would hazard nearly ALL of the rose producers also make a red–and many make a white too. It’s really common in restaurants there to see a single producer being offered, with the options Rouge, Blanc, ou Rosé underneath. So much great red wine from Provence Americans rarely see.
In the mouth, a rusty file grinds away on crazy vibrant, chillingly acidic green berry and a sort of creamy licorice core, dense and solidly old-world. Still very tannic at 7, and the fruit probably has another good 5 years on it but just beautiful to drink right now. And at this price, who would expect might more? This is well-distributed in the United States, so FIND IT.
2011 CHATEAU LA COSTE Cab/SY 55/45 Coteaux Aix en Provence France 14.0
Stephen McConnell 