Domaine de Fondreche Cotes du Ventoux Il Etait une Fois, Rhone, France

風(fēng)赫酒莊曾幾何時(shí)紅葡萄酒

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：3250

There are only 400 cases of the outstanding 2009 Cotes du Ventoux Il Etait Une Fois, a blend of 80% Grenache from 80-year-old vines, 15% Mourvedre from 20-year-old vines, and 5% Syrah from 15-year-old vines, all aged in new oak. This cuvee takes intensity about as far as you can with Cotes du Ventoux. A tour de force in winemaking, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as copious aromas of licorice, spring flowers, sweet black raspberries and black cherries, pepper and roasted herbs. Broad and voluptuously textured, with a cascade of fruit evident in its multidimensional mouthfeel, the tannins are there, but there is so much fruit and richness that they are largely concealed. Drink this beauty over the next 5-10 years. The leading reference point estate in the Cotes du Ventoux region, Domaine de Fondreche is run with extraordinary passion and impeccable attention to detail by Sebastian Vincenti and Manou Barthelemy. This large estate of just under 100 acres is biodynamically farmed and all the red wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Additionally, the Cuvee Nature was produced without any SO2 .Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

Only 4,000 bottles were made of the 2005 Il Etait Une Fois. This is a one-hit wonder, a blend of 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Mourvedre. Aged in 100% new oak, which almost goes against the philosophy of the estate, somehow the Grenache has easily soaked up the wood and doesn’t reveal the vanillin or creaminess from the new toasty barrels. Dense ruby/purple with gorgeous black cherry and raspberry fruit, this wine has superb concentration, plenty of structure and tannin, as one might expect from this vintage, and I suspect at least 10-15 years of aging potential. This is a beauty that is limited in production.Fondreche is the reference point for what can be done in the Cotes du Ventoux. This is a source of sensational wines that still sell for incredibly fair prices, and virtually every one of these selections proves that you don’t have to drink luxury-priced Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Napa Cabernets to experience the multiple joys of wine. Some of these wines I reviewed out of bottle a year ago, but since I retasted them, I’ve provided new notes.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083