Rundown:

  • Great Southern Rhone style
  • Spice, some smoke, and juicy.
  • Medium bodied, people friendly.

I think that when you’re first introduced to wine, it’s all about varietals. You learn that you like to drink Pinot Noir, or Riesling, and that guides your choices. As you become more educated about what you like, you become more familiar with regions, like knowing you’d prefer a Riesling from Mosel than one from a broader California appellation.

I think the next level is becoming familiar with producers and winemakers, and If you’re going to know Southern Rhone, you need to know Perrin et Fils. They make wines on all levels, from the under $10 everyday wines, to premium Cotes du Rhone in the $20+ range, to the ultra premium Chateau Beaucastel line. They also are part of the collaboration that is Tablas Creek, an amazing reproduction of the Southern Rhone style in Paso Robles.

In other words, if you see Perrin et Fils on the label, you can be sure you are getting your money’s worth, and then some. And it’s no different with this effort; in the words of Robert Parker, “This is a wine for those who want great quality and delicious drinking…”

I’ve reviewed their Reserve Rouge before, which is produced from the more prestigious Cotes du Rhone. This wine was originally a CDR as well, but since 1976 is sourced from the Cotes du Ventoux. It’s a blend, as Southern Rhone does best, of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault.

La Vieille Ferme Rouge

What I like most about this wine, is that even though it’s a value wine, it represents the region so well. On the nose it hits you with full ripe fruit, but some spice, and I even got just a touch of smoke when I first opened the bottle.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied, very fruity, a really easy drinking wine that could go with a variety of foods, or even be enjoyed easily by itself. It’s pretty people friendly too, I think even white drinkers could gulp this down with gusto.

A question to all you other winos out there, what’s a region you love, and a producer from there that just absolutely kills it?