Our pantry-stocking wine of two weeks ago sold out in a few hours, and we’ve had lots of interest in a second option. As luck would have it, we just received a restock from our offsite warehouse, including some excellent everyday drinkers.
Chief among them is another $16 Côte du Rhône, this time from Domaine Coulange. It checks all the same boxes as last month’s suggestion: gulpable, crowd-pleasing (not that you’re having anyone over any time soon), and delightfully affordable.
This won’t be the fanciest wine in your cellar, but it might be the most useful.
Winemaker Christelle Coulange returned to the family property after oenology school and began to make and bottle her own wine (previously the family sold in bulk). In only a decade she has made quite a name for herself. She seems to win gold or silver at Côtes du Rhône tastings every year — the 2015 offered today took the gold at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Concours in 2016.
The 2016 Mistral is smooth and delightful, an unoaked blend of 80% grenache and 20% syrah. The nose shows violets, wild cherry jam, and garrigue (provençal underbrush), with woodsy and briary notes as it develops in the glass. The mouth is dense and silky, with a rich mouthfeel, very smooth tannins and a clean finish. It’s not serious or complex, but for a weekday evening stuck inside, it’s all you need.
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Coulange Mistral 2016
bottle price: $16
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES
