2019 Cotes du Rhone

A good buy, the 2019 Côtes du Rhône from this great estate offers up a medium ruby color as well as an incredibly Provençal perfume of spiced red fruits, peppery garrigue, new saddle leather, and flowery incense. Medium-bodied, seamless, and elegant on the palate, it’s already hard to resist and should continue to put a smile on your face any time over the coming 2-4 years. This is another fine set of releases from the Armenier family. While it looks like there’s no Châteauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes cuvee produced in 2018, readers should save up for the 2019 as this is a powerful, magical release along the lines of the 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2016.