Domaine de Fenouillet Vaucluse Rouge

Over the past couple of years, this has become a hot ticket item at Table Wine. Our friends at Haw River Wine Man only get one drop per year. Last year, I under-ordered, and the wine sold out in no time leaving some its fans disappointed. This year, I ordered all 12 cases that came into the state. And with just 600-700 cases brought in by Rosenthal each year, there just isn’t much to be had.

There’s so many thing to like about this wine and Domaine de Fenouillet. Brothers Patrick and Vincent Soard own and operate this impeccable domaine in the village of Beaumes de Benise, in the shadows of Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail. The estate is certified organic and the winemaking is uber-traditional, as you’d expect of a wine brought in by Mr. Rosenthal.

Beyond that, it’s just one of those wines that goes down incredibly while still being interesting. The wine is fermented and aged in cement tanks to preserve purity and freshness. And the resulting wine is full of ripe cherry, plum, and earth. Medium-bodied, fresh, and possessing mild tannin and zesty acidity, it’s the perfect red to enjoy with burgers, grille chicken, or a charcuterie spread.