Simon of Larchmont Wine & Spirits sends us his monthly dispatch. He didn’t send us the price, though, so we’ll have to get back to you on that one. We think that it’s probably in the $12 a bottle range, plus or minus a buck or two. Not widely available, so call Simon at (323) 856-8699 to pick up a bottle. In the meantime, Simon says:

OK so a Cotes-du-Rhone red may not be the most startling or original choice for our monthly promo, but this wine is one of an increasing number of lovely offerings from this area that will banish the memories of rather rough, peasanty stuff that carried the name in the past. Of course there is still a lot of filthy muck out there under the Slopes of the Rhone appellation, but we found this new-to-this-market example to be just what we look for in this category.

This is made from 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah by a small family-run winery that sources fruit from 80 year old vines just outside Gigondas in the southern Rhone valley.

Deep purple in color, the nose is forward and stuffed with red and dark berries, red plums, liquorice, smoke and soft spices. Full bodied and complex, the wine has plenty of stuffing on the palate, good length and ample ripe fruit.

As we ease into the fall, this can take care of any heatwave-induced barbeque fare. If we get a chilldown, warming comfort foods like cassoulet or a game stew will match just perfectly with a wine like this. –SC