I’ll begin this with a bit of amateurish commentary.  I used to think Côtes du Rhône was the actual name of a grape.  I don’t know how long I paraded around like a buffoon saying this to people.  It just sounded so perfectly.  I was calling it my favorite wine for a time. That part remains true but I corrected myself and found the light.  At least I think so.

Grenache is the actual grape, and it’s grown all over the world.  Well I can now confidently say that Grenache is one of my favorites.  It’s extremely popular but one I don’t hear discussed often among peers.  It’s one I don’t have as often as I liked.  That’s on me. There’s so much wine to choose from that some do tend to get lost in the shuffle.

This leads me to one of the most beautiful and approachable labels I’ve ever come across, Les Dauphins.   Their 2015 Reserve Rose is a winner and a bargain.  Seriously, I’ve seen this and all their wines as low as $8 in many retailers.  This almost constitutes stealing.  The story that this continues to tell is you can get fantastic bottles for under $10.

I’ve had several of their reds (wine list can be found here) and found them to be palatable, approachable, and as I referenced before, affordable..  That’s what many of us want from a wine.  We want it simple, endearing, and a great conversation piece.  If part of the conversation is how great a wine is then they’ve done their job.   It’s icing on the cake so to speak.

Now I’ve brought a red to a dinner or party or two and it’s gone over well.  But on a recent visit to see some my friends, to my pleasant surprise, they had a bottle of their Rose opened.   Actually, I literally made last call.  As you can tell by the photos, the bottle was nearly done.  I’m glad I caught the tail end of this party (actually more wine was had but I just had to be a bit dramatic), or this post doesn’t happen for a while.

I couldn’t tell you what fruits, etc. were in it and at the time I didn’t care.  The color, the nose, and taste were simple and joyous enough that it doesn’t matter.  It was as easy to sip as any Rose I’ve ever had.  I’m not even a big Rose fan but I would have this again.  And I will be. The great company and being outdoors surely helped.   Thanks for saving a little for me!

Here’s a beautiful history of the winemakers, info on where you can find their wine, and their contact info.   Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve seen their bottles in many different stores across any different states.  So it should be easy to find.

I’m seriously so in love with their label.  In the next few months it only seems right to chat about them again.  I look forward to seeing you then.

Best,

Ideen