Lavau Rasteau 2019
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A wine with strong Mediterranean accents, both in terms of its aromas of garrigue scrubland, spice and ripe fruit on the nose, and in terms of its power and intensity on the palate. A generous yet well-balanced wine with long-lingering aromas.
Blend: 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackberries, blackcurrants, bitter chocolate, toasted walnuts and black tea on the nose. It’s full-bodied with tight, grainy tannins. Dark-fruited and inky.
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Wine Enthusiast
Peppered by whiffs of violet and charred anise, this full-bodied, silken Grenache-Syrah blend is a perfumed, black-cherry delight. Forward in fruit and levitated by streaks of stony minerality, it's an immediately enjoyable, juicy sip marked by a lingering salty finish.
Other Vintages
2018-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
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James
Suckling
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Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast
Some 30 years later, Frédéric and Benoît Lavau have joined the team at their family winery which has since become a renowned and respected name in Rhone Valley winemaking. They have secured the future of their winemaking business and completed and enhanced their expertise by becoming creators of cuvees and producers. They have purchased several vineyards in the Rasteau, Valréas and Côtes du Rhône appellations and entered into partnership with the Chateau Maucoil in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
A highly successful southern Rhone village promoted to Cotes du Rhone Villages status because of its intense and heady red wines, Rasteau is also recognized for its fortified wine, Vin Doux Naturel. Grenache is responsible for both styles. Rasteau also produces refreshing white and rosé table wines.