La Chapelle du Marin, Côtes Du Rhône 2007, France
2007 vintage wines from the southern Rhone can still be found on the shelves, though the 2008 and now 2009 are starting to replace them. If you see them – even modest little wines like this one at 5.99 – they are well worth snapping up, because this was a great year for the region, and the wines genuinely do over-deliver. This unoaked blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre is typically creamy and sweet on the nose, with plenty of blackberry fruit and a little raspberry lift and brightness. The palate delivers more of that full, ripe, berry fruit but it has some structure too with elegant tannins and good acdity to balance. Delicious now but will cellar for a few years. 5.99, findwine.co.uk.
