I bought this two years ago (along with a 2007 Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone "Parallele 45") because I was going to have a "Big 3" Cotes du Rhone tasting when Guigal released his 2007. I figured it would be good intel for readers faced with all three on store shelves. Well I waited and waited but it wasn't until just a month or two ago that Guigal's '07s actually hit store shelves here in Houston, so since Guigal's tardiness nixed the commercial relevance of my planned tasting, I figured I'd just start drinking these one at a time.This one is a beauty. If you see any left (unlikely), snap them up.
Dark black ruby. Inviting nose of sweet, dark spices, rich plummy fruit, and fragrant dry gravel. Soft, mouthfilling flavors of inky, ripe blackberries, along with lots of gravelly minerals. Great balance, and still a bit of soft tannin remaining. Clingy but dry finish. Everything seemed in perfect balance with this wine. Very elegant for a basic entry level Cotes du Rhone. B+. I think I got this for about $15 at Whole Foods on Bellaire well over a year ago.