Domaine Beau Mistral, Cuvee Tamara Gail, Cotes du Rhone, 2005
I'll start with the plain and simple: I really liked this wine. I can't say that other critics would think it was anything special, but sometimes there's that je ne sais qui -- and this was that. It was like that Domain de la Guicharde we had not so long back. It's basically mushroom and manure -- but in the best possible way to use those words. If you like earthy and dank and dirty, then this is a wine for you (it was for me). Yum.
The nose was all kinds of things: veggie, mushroom, bark, stems, rhubarb ... and manure! And peat, tobacco. The body was surprising for a Cotes du Rhone -- definitely a solid medium body. The taste was not too prune-y, and not too dry. The taste was mainly cherry, but it was quick to return to that veggie plus barnyard thing in the nose. And peat! Zucchini. Pepper. And butter lettuce (that's it)! The finish was that apple dryness, but subtle. You could also make out black cherry, bark, and pepper.
Yes, I will be hunting for more bottles of this at the store.
Cost:
Rating:
9.0