Starting out, the 2012 Vinsobres (65% Grenache and the balance Syrah) offers a pretty, perfumed profile, with notions of raspberry, bright berry, underbrush and tinges of licorice all emerging from the glass. Loaded with sweet fruit, yet pure, juicy and well-defined, this medium-bodied, delicious red will drink nicely for 4-5 years.
Proprietor Gerard Constant makes these crazy good efforts from his 20 acres of vines located in the up-and-coming Vinsobres region (think northern part of the southern Rhone). The higher elevation of the vineyards here gives the wines notable purity and freshness. Readers looking for high-quality wines at reasonable prices need to get on this estate’s bandwagon.
Importer: Serge Dore Selections, Ltd, www.sergedoreselections.com; tel. (914) 861-9206