<i>Just too late for the November Wine Focus on Cote-du-Rhone Villages, I'll post it here on the main forum with a pointer from Wine Focus. A perennial favorite from Kermit Lynch, a "Baby Chateauneuf," although it's approaching a Chateauneuf price point here.</i>
<table border="0" align="right" width="170"><tr><td><img src="http://www.wineloverspage.com/graphics1/sang1130.jpg" border="1" align="right"></td></tr></table>Domaine les Sang des Cailloux 2004 "Cuvée Floureto" Vacqueyras ($24.99)
Inky dark reddish-purple, clear garnet edge, no sign of brick or bronze. Subtle raspberry with a whiff of black pepper and an impression of earthy "tree bark" and fresh herbs suggest the characteristic signatures of, in that order, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre; it's the usual Rhone blend, but it's not so common to have the textbook descriptors fall out so clearly. Red berries dominate a fresh and mouth-filling flavor, backed by lip-smacking acidity and a softer back note of tannins. Very fine Vacqueyras, shows off this village's kinship with Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a familial status not diminished by a heavy, embossed glass bottle that looks at a glance just like the one used for the high-price brand. U.S. importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, Calif. (Nov. 30, 2007)
<b>FOOD MATCH:</b> Natural local pork chops with savory blueberry-juniper sauce from the July 13, 2006 <i>Wine Advisor FoodLetter</i>.
<b>WINERY WEBSITE:</b>
(French only)
http://www.sangdescailloux.com/
<b>IMPORTER WEB LINK:</b>
For a short discussion of this wine, open Kermit Lynch's December 2006 newsletter (PDF format) and page down to Sang de Cailloux:
http://www.kermitlynch.com/0612-December2006.pdf