Vallon d'Arc 2017

Luc Tallaron is an old friend of ours, who has always made utterly moreish red wines from this area. They speak boldly of their southern Rhône provenance – luscious, well ripened, raspberry rich Grenache, bolstered by dense blackberry and pepper scented Syrah. We used to buy his juicy wines from the rugged Ardèche, just the other side of the mighty Rhône river. This time our Buyer Jehan Sacaze was taken by the depth and rich fruit of his Côtes du Rhône. This wine is from a vintage that can boast excellent quality, but low quantity. April frosts were to blame, but the upside was that harvest was two weeks early. You’ll find this a velvety, soft red, as tasty on its own as it is at a barbecue or with a warming meat or vegetable casserole.