Everyone needs a pantry wine — something to open without too much consideration or care. Thirsty guests looking for something to wet their whistle? Pantry wine. Back home after a long weekend away, with no energy for anything but takeout pizza? Pantry wine. Playoff game go into overtime and you need just one more glass of something simple? You guessed it.
For many years our pantry wine (and that of many readers) has been Goubert’s Côtes du Rhône. It checks the three boxes every Côtes du Rhône should: refreshing, dark, and inexpensive. It’s low alcohol and crisp, making it tasty and balanced. The blend of six grapes classic Rhône grapes forms a rich, hearty, dark wine. And it’s inexpensive enough to pull out at a moment’s notice.
Winemaker Florence Cartier has improved this cuvée perhaps more than any other since she took over a few years ago, and the 2022 is her best yet. The nose is expressive and surprisingly refined, showing dark wild cherries, raspberries, and a hint of menthol. The mouth is both jammy and refreshing, with notes of white pepper, licorice, raspberry and plums. This likely wont be the fanciest wine in your cellar, but it might be the most useful.
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Goubert Côtes du Rhône 2022
bottle price: $19
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES