Domaine de l’Obrieu Visan “Cuvée Les Antonins” 2016 Rhône Valley France

If you’re confused by the boatloads of Côtes-du-Rhônes for sale across the country, I’m right there with you. The odds of grabbing a top-quality CdR off the shelf is a crap shoot and about as uncertain as predicting the weather. But I've got a forecast that's a sure bet - it's Domaine de l’Obrieu “Cuvée Les Antonins”. This property is located in Visan in the northern most part of the southern Rhône Valley. All Visans are classified as "Villages" wines - a distinct level above your typical Côtes-du-Rhônes. The Visan Villages CdRs punch far above their weight class exhibiting deep flavors and concentration that you would expect to find in the Rhône cru areas of Vacqueyras or Gigondas. Rich aromas of red fruits and spices come at you right out of the glass followed by juicy flavors of plum and black cherry. This CdR just keeps getting softer, rounder and more complex the longer it's open - all promising signs that this bottle demonstrates the kind of quality winemaking you get from the top notch Rhône Valley appellations.