Chateau Pesquie Cotes du Ventoux Cuvee des Terrasses

Another of my favorite estates in the up-and-coming Cotes du Ventoux appellation, Pesquie’s inexpensive 2009 Terrasses is a custom cuvee put together by American importer Eric Solomon. Composed of 70% Grenache (from 60-year-old vines) and 30% Syrah (from 30-year-old vines), aged in neutral oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered, this 10,000-case cuvee hits every sweet spot on the palate. Tasting more like a Chateauneuf du Pape than an inexpensive Cotes du Ventoux, this dense ruby/purple-colored wine offers up scents of licorice, black cherries, raspberries, pepper, and meat juices. Medium to full-bodied with a structured, well-delineated mouthfeel, good freshness, a heady finish, and firm, but well-balanced tannins, it should drink nicely for 2-3 years. 90 Points Wine Advocate #2 on Marketview Liquor's 2011 Top 100