Mas Fondreche (France) O’Sud 2006
I tasted through a whole range of wines from the extremely impressive Domaine de Fondreche recently and will be writing up full notes soon. This was the least expensive of the half dozen I tasted, and therefore an ideal candidate for our good value ‘Wine of the Week’. From the Cotes du Ventoux in the Rhone Valley, this joyous little wine is a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah and has a bright, breezy, up- front character with creamy raspberry fruit and a certain confiture quality. A little edge of something gamy and schisty creeps in, adding a layer of complexity. On the palate the sweetness of the black berry and autumnal, slightly smoky fruit powers through, with spice and a bit of grippy tannin adding texture and weight, and crisply-defined plum-skin acidity adding a nicely tart note to give savoury balance in the finish. £6.49, Cadman Fine Wines.
