Domaine Le Couroulu Vacqueyras Cuvée Classique

Vivid red. Seductively perfumed, complex bouquet of red and dark berries, Asian spices and minerals. Pinot-like in aromas and flavors, with sweet raspberry and blackberry notes, silky texture and good back-end snap. This graceful wine is already very tasty but is balanced to age.

The 2007 Vacqueyras Cuvée Classique is just that. Kirsch liqueur, roasted Provencal herbs, spice box, licorice, and lavender soar from the glass of this full-bodied, richly fruity wine, which has superb depth, density, and a 30+ second finish. This is an impressively endowed, round, voluptuous style of Vacqueyras, but don’t make the mistake of drinking it all in its exuberant youthfulness, as it will keep for 6–7 years. It is a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 15% Mourvedre aged in foudres.

Ripe and lush, but well-harnessed, as mesquite and iron notes lend a tangy frame to the solid core of mulled plum, blackberry and fig fruit. The finish is long and smoldering. Drink now through 2011.

Guy Ricard is a passionate winegrower from the southern Rhône. The main grape varieties there are Grenache and Syrah, producing powerful and full-bodied Vacqueyras. The wine has aromas of violet and licorice, intense coloring and robustness. A touch of Mourvèdre gives the wine a nice smoothness, and good aging potential. This is a very versatile wine to pair with chicken, pork or beef.