Such a fun little wine and 25 bucks year in year out, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better Rhone blend value on the shelf. Beautiful fruit, clear forward nose, clamoring distinct peat and briary deliciousness never getting in the way of the chubby berry.
A little cloying in the mouth–it’s an entry-level sweety for sure–but the tingle on your fillings is quickly trounced by the smooth vegetal and burn of acid and alcohol. It brings all your CdP party-friends over and has a good time without wallowing in oddity and funk. Tannins tingle and Grenache titillates, while Syrah gives things some curves and Mourv does its little dirty dance on your lap.
Don’t over-think it: this is a great bottle of wine and every serious cellar should have at least a 6-pack of every year on hand for when the bling-bros of California Rhone get too serious.
2016 MARGERUM ‘M5’ GR/SY/MV/Counoise/Cinsaut 44/36/12/3/3 Santa Barbara Co. 14.6
Stephen McConnell 