and the price in france is 3.80 euro...

ok, so the car is from st tropez and does not fit with the rest of the theme. but it does in a way. it is spring and the time has come for enjoying crisp wines made to be drunk young with a light lunch or just by themselves an an aperitif. i find these wines fascinating. these are wines made to be pink; they are not some kind of run-off juice produced as an afterthought for profit, they are meant to be what they are and they are becoming ever more popular. the first batch of 2009 tavel has not yet reached pennsylvania, new jersey, or deleware but i have found a nice opening salvo for the vintage. forget about those california "white something-or-others" which probably have sugar added to get the alcohol level up to a spot where they will not spoil, these are real fermented dry wines which have only seen a hint of skin contact.

presently, i am enjoying this wine with a sottocenere tartufo- a semi-soft cheese infused with truffles and then coated with ash to age. perfect match.

the wine is bright pink not pale. some folks like their southern rhone blush to have an almost indetectable color, i don't think this matters although it is a challenge.

the wine opens with a nose of tart red raspberries and flowers.

the taste is entirely red fruit- strawberries, red cherries, and raspberries. the finish has well balanced acid (i think malolactic has been suppressed in this wine, giving it a tart side) and there is a final hint of berries which lingers.

this is the third 2009 southern rhone blush i have tried, and the first i have felt worthy of comment. it is a very nice wine and i plan on putting some in for the warm months. so what is this?

GRANGE DES DAMES 2009 ROSE produced by les vignerons du mont ventoux. it is 60% grenache noir, 20% cinsault, and 20% carignan. it is produced on limestone and alluvial soils; this is a wine which demands a trip up mont ventoux to truly appreciate (drink it after the descent).

the producer comments, "It derives from grapes harvested on the whole area of production of the winery: Bédoin, Saint-Pierre-de-Vassols, Crillon-le-Brave, Flassan et Modène. The vineyards are established on the south slopes of the Mount-Ventoux, the ‘Giant of Provence’ benefiting of a very important exposure to sunshine and sheltered from the excesses of the Mistral.
The altitude of the vineyards ranges from 200 to 580 metres."

it is worth visiting the producer's web site in french and then going to the english language version- this is quite educational. the original price is 4.20 euro reduced to 3.80 euro; the price in pennsylvania is $12.99.

in spite of the importer's and the state's mark up, this is a very good wine and i am happy to strongly recommend it. do not be afraid of pink wine, we have become biased against it because of what comes out of california but there are great blush wines produced in the south of france.