Domaine de Fontsainte, Corbieres, 2003

I have a friend who rarely drinks Californian wine. Too many of them taste the same, he says. And they are too expensive. As if he was trying to prove his point, he pointed my nose in the direction of Paul's Wine and Liquors, an excellent wine shop in Washington DC, where a case (including tax) of Domaine de Fontsaite, 20003 was just $120.

This brambly wine (Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah) is definitely different. It is packed with black currant and raspberry fruit with the herb overtones that evoke the South of France. The wood gives it a cedar almost smoky flavor. The Wine Spectator gave this wine a score of 86, which means "Very Good."

Check out the wine maker's philosophy on their website. There are interesting comments about not being a technology-driven wine although they still aspire to being modern. Perhaps this is how they can truly take advantage of their terroir and microclimate to make a wine that stands out as being different from the rest.

Recommended.

Paul's Wine & Liquors

5205 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC

(202) 537-1900