Rasteau is one of the fine winemaking villages in France’s southern Rhone Valley, along with such notable nearby towns as Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas.
This particular bottle is a field blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, with an average vine age of fifty years old. Only about 10% see aging in new French oak barrels.
The first impression is of black tea, cinnamon, and lavender. Fleshy, soft and full bodied, the wine offers up rich black fruit with a whiff of black olive and espresso. The fruit turns into black pepper and sweet vanilla on the long and delicious finish.