2006 Domaine Puydeval Rouge

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  10/7/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (PUYDEVAL) Puydeval Dear Friends, Never in my career have I received so many requests for one thing: bargain wine. It seems my mission of late is to uncover as many gems in the $10-15 range as I can. The bottom line is that most of you still seek wine of intrigue and complexity but thoroughly enjoy paying (a lot) less for it - today's wine fits that bill with ease. As has been the theme lately, the economy is wreaking havoc on so many areas of the wine trade that deals like this will start to become the norm rather than the exception. One wonders if a regular priced bottle of wine will ever sell again (how many "Super Sale", "Special Negotiation", "Amazing Sale" wine emails have you received in the last week - I'm sure plenty and it's only the tip of the iceberg - If you are smart over the next 3-4 months, you could build an entire cellar full of discounted top selections at prices that would have seemed impossible a year ago). There's not much to say with this one - it's a top-level everyday wine that's inexpensive, beautifully crafted and refined - it is a wine of fine tannin and elegant flavor that belies it's low-alcohol style (12.5-13.0%). It also appears to be much more expensive than it is - something all of us will have no problem with. Another star in the making from one of France's southern departments (Aude) and the key to this wine is the Cabernet Franc and older barrels used that give the wine a slightly Bordelaise feel but the Syrah changes everything in a hurry - the result builds and opens over several hours in a decanter. This is another wine packaged to be a more costly wine but the current economic climate dictates a price that is anything but: (By the way, the dryness noted above has mostly receded so I'm not sure if this review was penned last spring and then published last month? I actually enjoyed the tannic quality but some of you will enjoy it more now as the tannins are finer - the wine is in a perfect place to enjoy this winter with everything from cassoulet to steak. In a somewhat unrelated matter, Carcassonne has become a wonderful place to visit and I recommend a stroll through its newly sand-blasted streets while admiring the views of the Pyrenees from the original stone fortress walls that encircle the town - simply breathtaking and a reminder that the slower pace of life still exists in our modern world). ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the source with perfect provenance HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as an everyday look into high-caliber winemaking (not to mention a unique and interesting blend of Franc and Syrah). 2006 Puydeval (Aude) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR9210