Chateau Guiot, Costieres de Nimes 2004

This has got to be one of the best value wines available -anywhere. The quality far outstrips the price, making the price-quality proposition literally, a no brainer.

Proprietors Francois and Sylvia Cornut make wine from this relatively unknown appellation of Costieres de Nimes in the Languedoc-Rousillon region of Southern France. The wine is predominantly Grenache based but with some Syrah.

T-notes > Deep full red with a purplish tinge on the edge. Very precocious, the nose espouses smoke, spice and lots of delicious dirt. Palate staining flavors of stewed cherries, fur, animal and bark. Tannins are a little sharp but that eases off with a bit of aeration. Quite impressive for the price point.

In Singapore, available @ Tanglin Marketplace. Stateside, a Robert Kacher Selection.