Domaine Cazes Cotes Du Roussillon Villages 1998

88 points

You often hear about Languedoc as the largest French wine region, but rarely about its sister area, Roussillon. This region sits to the south of the Pyrenees and on the far western coast of France bordering Spain. The key varieties are similar to the Rhone area, with Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and Carignan. This wine comes from the region near the ocean of Rivesaltes and contains Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre.

When I first opened it, I thought it should rate about 83 points, but after a couple hours it opened up to an 88. It is still red, but deep in colour. The nose is muted with a hint of spice and tar. Once in the mouth, the wine is very smooth, no rough tannins and no apparent oak, though the label says it was put into barrels. The wine is relatively simple, but seamless, flowing over the tongue and remaining long in the mouth after swallowing.

A great bargain at less than 6 euros.