Wine of the Week – LIDL Rasteau
2019 Rasteau AOP – Southern Rhone – France
The relatively “vino-anonymous” village of Rasteau in the Southern Rhone has its wine making history and reputation mostly due to the high quality, small volume fortified wines that it produces in light Sherry and Madeira styles known locally as Vin Doux Naturels Rasteau.
For many years it’s red table wines were hidden within the Cotes du Rhone Village dynasty and only in the mid 1990’s was it allowed to be a named village on the label.
Only as recently as 2010 was Rasteau awarded an AOP in it’s own right for its still red wines and with it’s relatively low production area they are not wines found that easily on the shelves.
Today what you generally get from Rasteau are decent quality Rhone Red’s at a fraction of the price of the wines of from some it’s realtively close neighbours, I mention no names Mr. Chateauneuf du Pape!
Tasting Notes
Deep Ruby bordering Garnet in colour, the initial whiff you get is lightly fruity but earthy and vegetal with suggestions of woodland and leather, well developed and perhaps indicating some partial barrel exposure during production.
On taste the fruit is abundant with rich and jammy raspberries, plums and ripe black cherries, a spicy finish with well balanced tannins again likely coming from some gentle time in oak.
As it warms in the glass it becomes glossy and viscous and the flavours develop, I recommend opening this one and letting it air well before quaffing, decant if you can.
About the Wine
There is little information on the label and as wines from the Southern Rhone can be made from blending a dozen or so different grape varieties it’s impossible here to say what this is actually made from although I would say likely Grenache driven with Syrah and Mouvedre likely to be contributing.
At 14.5% ABV treat it with respect and serve it up as they would in the Rhone with some roasted chicken or winter braised beef stew with crusty bread…… Enjoy!
VFM Rating: 94
Where: LIDL
When: 04/11/21
Price: £7.99