2006 Domaine Gardiés Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel Vieilles Vignes

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  11/10/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (TAUTAVEL Gardies VV) Tautavel Dear Friends, Let the price-slashing begin. With all the hubbub over 2007 in the South of France, the poor 2006s have nowhere to go except the disco bin. Few are willing to carry this overlooked vintage beyond the first of the year and, while 2008 is not a standout vintage, 2009 lurks just around the corner and a pile of 2006s (and 2008s) left in the warehouse is not a recipe for economic recovery. As I've said a multitude of times, 2006 was a better vintage in the Roussillon than 2007 but this region continues to be lumped into a generic "South of France" soup bowl - public perception yields movement and it doesn't matter what the chamber of commerce in Perpignan has to say - if an 2006 is next to the wine (whether Bordeaux, Burgundy, Avignon or Saumur) it's treated as one step shy of the plague. That's where you benefit: My guess is that this wine is more complex than a bevy of 2007 CdPs in the $30-35 range. This wine is now priced at a very reasonable level simply due to the misperception of the vintage - not due to the quality. In reverse, the 2007 version (from a lesser year) will be nearly $30 from discounters (due to the same misperception). Does that make sense? No, but the result is a price that was tough for me to overlook. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY with perfect provenance: 2006 Domaine Gardies Tautavel "Vieilles Vignes" Cotes du Roussillon Villages Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR6709