INSIDER'S PICK: 2017 DOMAINE DE BERANE VENTOUX 'LES BLAQUES' $16.99

Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We are also doing both a white and a red option each week, with the white wine available for the discount on Thursday and Friday, while the red wine available on Friday and Saturday. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

We always recommend looking outside the more famous names in the wine world to find great values and new ideas. In some cases it's because there are fewer restrictions in vineyards 'off the beaten path', and winemakers a re more free to do what they want. Often, though, it's purely economical, and they can actually afford to work the vineyards in these regions without as much of a reputation. When the young couple Anne-Claude and Bertrand looked to start their own family winery, they looked to make wines in the style of their favorite style, the Rhone. Financially, though, it made much more sense for them to establish their organic farmed vineyards in Ventoux, adjacent to both the Rhone and Provence but with a lesser reputation than both so MUCH more affordable. Since we were first able to have access to their wine a few vintages back, this has routinely been a sneaky star for fans of the region that don't need to have the name 'Cotes du Rhone' appear on the label. Primarily Syrah with a healthy chunk of Grenache (sometimes Mourvedre as well, but not in this vintage), this play with both power and subtlety, with lots of black fruit and wild garrigue  spice on the nose, with a touch of powdered cocoa dustiness. The unfiltered nature of the wine comes through on the texture, giving a slight texture to the tannins and a bit of that cocoa-ish dustiness to the fruit, but also shows nice savoriness on the finish as well. This has a lot of full bodied flavor and warmth for the price without being plodding or overwhelming, great for hearty cold weather meals.

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