Déjeuner sur terasse. Not all meals in France are complicated. On Tuesday we shared a delightful afternoon meal with the Cartier Family, owners of the Domaine les Goubert. On a sun-filled terrace in the charming Provençal town of Séguret, we each enjoyed a fresh salad, a glass of wine, a simple dessert, and a small coffee — no fanfare, just simple elegance.
As with most meals in France, the point was more pleasure than nourishment. The French take this concept so seriously that from 12-2pm each day they hold a collective pause dedicated to dining. It makes doing business frustrating from time to time, but it’s awfully civilized.
Character and class. In the same way, not all wines in France complicated. The Domaine les Goubert’s Côtes du Rhône is a perfect example — this red blend of six grapes different grapes is straightforward, rustic, and refreshing. It’s a wine that’s full of character — a wine that isn’t trying too hard to be something it’s not.
Florence Cartier told us on Tuesday that she likes to use her Côtes du Rhône for cooking — not to put in the food, mind you, but to drink in the kitchen while preparing a meal. The 2012, which we already have in stock in the States, is full bodied, uncomplicated, and delicious, showing dark berry fruit and woodsy complexion, with notes of licorice, plums, and burnt earth.
This is wine about simple pleasure. If an old red Burgundy is meant for Michelin starred white-tablecloth restaurant, then this wine is for a summertime lunch, somewhere on a backyard patio — maybe even between noon and 2pm.
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GOUBERT Côtes du Rhône 2012
Ansonia Case Retail: $168
offer price: $150/case
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AVAILABLE BY THE CASE
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