Goubert Côtes du Rhône 2023

Florence Cartier continues to steer her family’s Southern Rhône domaine with a calm, thoughtful hand, producing traditional southern Rhône cuvées in the best sense of the term. They’re distinct in style from many of our low-intervention Southern Rhône sources – Joncuas, André, Malmont, to name a few. Goubert’s wines are clean and consistent, comfortingly old-school in character and taste.

Goubert’s 2023 Côtes du Rhône is delightful. It’s unoaked, low-alcohol, middleweight, and very refreshing, with the spirit of a Cru Beaujolais or a Loire Valley cab franc. It’s a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carginan, and an unusual local grape called Brun Argenté or Vaccarèse. In some vintages it’s of a rugged character – this year it’s summerweight, with less extraction and gentler tannin. Look for notes of strawberry and garrigue, and serve outdoors with pizza as the spring weather returns – a useful, tasty vin de soif.