2010 Cotes du Rhone Les Deux Albion

A rocking Côtes du Rhône that should be on every reader’s value list, the 2010 Saint-Cosme Les Deux Albion is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre, and Clairette that is fermented with whole clusters and aged in oak vats and concrete tanks. Vinified just like the straight Gigondas cuvee, this offers up a beautiful array of red and black fruits, minerals, leather, and charcoal that flows to a serious, structured palate that has layers of concentration, vivid acidity, and firm tannin. In need of a solid 2-3 years of bottle age, this impressive 2010 will have upwards of 10-12 years of prime drinking. Impressive, and for the price, a no brainer purchase.

(based on 40% syrah, which is co-fermented with grenache, carignan, mourvedre and clairette and raised in older casks and concrete vats): Deep ruby. Pungent, assertively perfumed aromas of cherry, cassis, potpourri and white pepper. Juicy, penetrating and refreshingly bitter, offering an array of dark fruit and spice qualities and an exotic floral pastille nuance. Finishes long and spicy, with impressive clarity and cut.