The wait is over… the long time anticipated Côtes du Rhône 2009 from Château Cabrières has arrived couple of weeks ago to an ABC store and is selling fast! We have a back-up order to satisfy the rising demand for high quality Grenache-based wines from the South of France. I do share the enthusiasm;  the wines of the Rhone Valley have always been my favorite every-day wine.

We first tasted Château Cabrières 2009 Côtes du Rhône on October 19^th at the winery. This was obviously not an average Côtes du Rhône; Mike Kelly, Wine Consultant at the Ormond Beach store and I both wrote in our notes: “baby” Châteauneuf du Pape!!!

The wine shows deep color, and aromas and flavors of fresh strawberries and raspberries, strawberry jam and lavender flower; the mouth-feel is generous, the tannins are silky and the finish is long-lasting.

The 2009 Château Cabrières  Côtes du Rhône would make a good aperitif but will be even better accompanying grilled red meats, pasta dishes with meat sauce as well as grilled vegetables and aged cheeses.

Don’t miss on a great wine at a bargain price of $16!

Atanas Nechkov, Central Florida Wine Supervisor