Louis Barruol is the 14th generation Barruol to make wine at Saint Cosme. The Chateau was built in the late 16th Century on the site of a former Roman villa, and the remains of a Roman wine cellar, carved into the stone of the hillside, still exist in the chateau's caves. There are 37 acres of vineyards and the vines average 60 years of age.

Château St. Cosme is one of the top producers of Cotes du Rhone. Little James' Basket Press is a blend of grenache from new and old vines. Aromas and flavors of Provencal herbs, pepper, cherry, and hint of apricots emerge from this medium bodied wine. It proves that creative thinking, good sourcing, and minimal intervention in winemaking can result in fantastic value. This is a fruit-forward wine but with plenty of structure and old-world earthiness, made in a rustic style.

Here is an opportunity to experience the benefits of short-term cellaring. This wine is very enjoyable now, but will really begin to show its stuff in about six to twelve months. Enjoy on it's own or with hearty fair like braised beef or sautéed mushrooms.
11.85 each

"Les Hérétiques" - The Heretics were members of the Cathar movement in the Languedoc region of Medieval France. They believed the physical world was evil and created by the devil and the spiritual world was good and created by God. Naturally, the Catholic Church didn't agree with their theory and labeled them heretics.

Several centuries later, André Iché inherited Château d'Oupia in the Languedoc AOC appellation of Minervois. For years, he tended his very old vines and made wines to sell in the bulk market, until a visiting Bulgarian winemaker, impressed with the quality of his wines, convinced him to bottle and market his own production. "Les Hérétiques" is a poetic example of the classic Minervois grape, Carignane. In fact, it is 98% Carignane and 2% field blend. It is a medium bodied wine with pretty plum and lusty cocoa aromas and a somewhat spicy finish. Much like the Heretics, for whom it is named, it's a bit subversive, rather interesting and clearly dares to be different. Plus it is incredibly inexpensive - a perfect, satisfying, everyday red wine.
$7.5 each

Baby Wants Blue Velvet
(note: if you aren't familiar with the David Lynch movie "Blue Velvet", good luck understanding this review. If you ARE familiar with the movie, there are lots of good bits and "pieces" for you to enjoy in the following.)
 
The Domaine Deshenrys Coteaux du Languedoc is back, and just like Frank, this wine still has that homicidal, Blue Velvet  "don't look at me" sort of sensibility. This remains a brooding wine and perhaps presents you with an even darker persona. It makes me think that maybe it hasn't really been out of stock, it's just been hiding in the closet at the Deep River Apartments on Lincoln St. in Lumberton, voyeuristically watching the relationship between Dorothy, Jeffery and Frank. Hmmmm?
 
In an era when even American wineries are sourcing juice from the wine oceans of the Languedoc-Roussillon, it's refreshing to find a grower from the south of France committed to producing estate-bottled vins authentique. Dominated by huge cooperatives, négociants, and large multi-beverage conglomerates such as Kobrand, Brown-Forman, Seagram, Mondavi, and Beringer, the south of France has flooded the market with wines in the less than $10 retail range.
 
Consequently, it is rare to find a grower in this region dedicated to the quality production of exciting, estate-bottled wines of true character. Henry Bouchard is the real thing. Henry Ferdinand Bouchard is the fourth generation of his family named Henry Bouchard, and when he began estate-bottling all of his domain's wines ten years ago, he decided to honor the hard work of his ancestors by naming the estate Domaine Deshenrys.
 
This wine displays notes of black fruit, garrigue (herbs, thyme, heather, etc,) and sunshine. (That's right, the sunshine is still there.) It has a vivid nose packed with spices, dark brambly fruit and gamey meat. It has a concentrated, complex palate of fruit in balance with chewy tannins. All this leads up to a lingering, spice-laden finish with just a touch of coffee. Very much a food wine - it still needs something meaty to tame its wildness. Approximately 90% Syrah and 10% Grenache, this wine needs more time to really show itself properly. But with the right music, Isabella Rosselini in the right dress, and a gas mask that fits properly, the wine is not as dangerous as it first appears. In fact, with a little time to breathe, it's clear that there will be an end to troubled times when the robins return to Lumberton to bring sunshine - an antidote to end the evil darkness.

It might not win a beauty contest but this wine is perfect with grilled or sautéed mushrooms or, even better, braised beef served appropriately over orecchiette.
 
To quote myself from last year: "It has never been my intention to give you the hard sell on any wine we offer. But this is an inexpensive wine that drinks like an expensive one. If you want to try a wine that defines what we mean when we talk about value wines, the Deshenrys would be it. Plus, it will only get better for the next couple of years."
$11.35

I know that this wine sounds Spanish, but Cuvée de Peña is 100% French. It is from Pyrenées-Orientales, an area tucked right up against the Pyrenees Mountains and the Spanish border, about as far southwest in France as you can get, hard against the Mediterranean Sea. This is an everyday, hard working vins de pays rouge. It is a blend of carignan, syrah, grenache and mourvèdre. It has a wonderful smooth texture and the flavors are strong and rustic. Cuvée de Peña is smoky, earthy, and peppery and suits most grilled meat recipes. Medium bodied and dry, it delivers straightforward mineral flavors, along with some spice and cocoa. Not complex, this is nonetheless a scrumptious wine. It makes you long for a plate of spaghetti or maybe even pizza (but then I can't think of anything that doesn't make me crave pizza). This wine takes very nicely to a slight chill in the refrigerator in hot weather. But it is exceptionally versatile and will be tasty in every season. Another very good value - definitely a star.

This three-liter box, which brings the cost down dramatically and means that you can open this wine and it will keep just fine for 3 weeks or so with no loss of quality.

There is evidence of vineyards in Beaujolais dating back to the Roman conquest of the region in the first and second centuries. Its prominence as a wine region is due entirely to the grape known as Gamay, which was outlawed in Burgundy proper in 1395. In addition to Nouveau, which is a primeur wine (meaning it is made and released before a specific date the following spring), there are Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, and the wines made from the region's several crus - smaller, geographically defined regions that produce better wines. These regions range from Saint-Amour in the north to Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Règniè, Côte de Brouilly, and finally Brouilly in the south. Regular old Beaujolais must have a minimum alcohol content of nine percent; Beaujolais-Villages must have a minimum of 10 percent alcohol and must be made with grapes from two of the 39 approved communes in Haut Beaujolais.

The 10 crus are where the good wine is. These wines can last for 10 to 20 years, but they are definitely ready to drink upon release. Hearty but not heavy, the Jean-Paul Thévenet 2003 Morgon is zesty and fresh with a bright red color - reminds me of Pinot Noir. Heady, spicy nose of red cherries and candied red apple. Fat and fleshy with ripe fruit and some muskiness. Exuberant and fun to drink.