2004 Domaine Martin Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  6/7/2007, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (Domaine Martin Cotes du Rhone Villages “Plan de Dieu”) Plan de Dieu Dear Friends, Ok, I'll admit it - I have a soft spot for this wine. Not so much that it’s a great wine that will change the world but it represents everything that is great about wine. It is sunshine, soil and beautiful harmony in a bottle and that alone is enough for me. The Plan de Dieu is one of the forgotten regions of the Rhone but it possesses some of the oldest vines and most concentrated number of galets (the round stones that retain heat in the soil) in the Valley. Really a close extension of Chateauneuf du Pape, you get exceptional quality for the price of Cote du Rhone. From 30 year old vines with a cepage of mostly Grenache with the remainder Syrah and Mouvedre, this wine is like textural silk - a translucent Vosne Romanee masquerading as a Southern Rhone with light pepper and fresh pressed red fruits, give this 30 minutes or air to allow the harmony to unravel. Like a top Burgundy, this wine makes itself with a dancing mouthfeel and does not rely on impact (it is only 13-13.5% alcohol which is quite low for this region). Hand-harvested, hand-made and vinified in traditional concrete underground tanks and moved to old barrels, this is real wine that has everything because it adds nothing (the medal at the Paris CGI doesn’t hurt). The lineage of this vineyard dates to the 16th century and it is enlightening to image what took place on this site over the last several hundred years while you are sipping the fruits of its history. We have an exceptional price on this item, about the same as in Europe. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for lazy summer afternoons catching up on your dreams: 2004 Domaine Martin Cotes du Rhone Villages “Plan de Dieu” (MDB/CGI) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Rhone9210