With just a quick whiff and sip, you’ll know you’re in southern France with this wine, but it won’t be quite so easy to know how far east or west, as this shows quality that could make you think you’re enjoying $30 Gigondas rather than a $15 Côtes du Roussillon. The blend of 45% Syrah, 45% Carignan and 10% Grenache shows lots of punchy (but not obvious) fruit with lots of little savory, spicy and herbal accents and just enough wood influence to provide framing for the wine’s ebullient juiciness. Convincingly delicious. A Platinum Award winner at the 2019 San Diego International Wine and Spirits Challenge.
Jamais Renoncer, Côtes du Roussillon (Roussillon, France) 2017
By Michael Franz