Côte du Rhône Villages St Andeol 2018

I first met owners Florence and Roland Terrasse at Château Rochecolombe seven or eight years ago and immediately fell in love with their wines. They are continuing the family tradition of making superb wines blended from old vine Grenache and Syrah. Their estate, located in the commune of Bourg-Saint-Andéol in the Southern Rhône, has been certified organic since 2007 and the couple practices just the right blend of cutting-edge and traditional winemaking methodology. Thanks to super low yields in their vineyards and the family's history of winemaking excellence, their wines are packed with character, complexity and are true textbook examples of the region.

Their award-winning 2017 Côtes du Rhône is a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah, all sourced from old vine parcels. The 2017 sports terrific richness and balance with complex notes of plum, cherry, tobacco leaf, and espresso featuring a lovely beam of garrigue leading to an opulent yet fresh and lifted palate.  Everything is in true balance with this wine and I will say that it's once again become an instant hit with me as well as the staff.  It's on the richer and fuller end of the medium bodied scale, so enjoy this with meats from the grill, stews, and ragouts.  Hammond and I enjoyed a glass yesterday with a lamb and bison meatloaf from the Instant Pot; it was an outstanding pairing!