The village of Beaumes-de-Venise in the southern Rhône Valley is best known for its fortified dessert wine from Muscat grapes. This wine (made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) should make the red more famous. It is big and bold but balanced. Lovely aromas of cooked strawberries, cherries and plums are enhanced by notes of leather, smoke, lavender and black pepper. The flavors are rich and ripe with the baked strawberry and cherry fruits underlain by nuances of dried herbs, potpourri and black pepper spice. The herb and spice elements linger nicely at the finish. A hearty wine like this calls for similarly hearty foods to match. Save some for the autumnal nights ahead.
Domaine Fenouillet, Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge (Rhône Valley, France) 2011
By Wayne Belding