Domaine Richaud L’Ebrescade 2004

Domaine Richaud, Cairanne Cotes du Rhone Villages, L’Ebrescade 2004 The nose features sweet black fruit, a bit of raisins, a light meaty character and a sense of the garrigue. In the mouth it is smooth and succulent, rich, with some viscosity, lots of fruit that is moving away from its original, more primary character to something more complex with 6 years of evolution since the harvest.

This is a wine that is dense yet whose structure has simmered down to be enjoyed now. So while you will sense the tannins you will not be overwhelmed by them – delicious. I’m so glad that I bought a steak for dinner tonight – this is going to be a heavenly meal.

L’Ebrescade is the name for Marcel Richaud’s top blend from the appellation, featuring fruit from vines with an average age of 45 years. Mis en bouteille a Cairanne, this wine is not shy of alcohol at 15.5%. I don’t know what I paid for this when I purchased it at K&L some years ago but it is archived online there at a sale price of $29.99 and was previously sold for $36.99.

I have to thank my good friend Philippe Briot for arranging the appointment for me at Domaine Richaud some years ago. The domaine’s wines prove the adage that it is producer that matters most when selecting a wine.

About RJ

Ray Johnson is the Executive Director of the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. He writes about food and wine, his travels and the business of wine. He makes his home in Sonoma County, California.
This entry was posted in Cairanne, Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone Villages, France, Grenache, Rhône and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Domaine Richaud L’Ebrescade 2004

  1. AJ says:

    Sometimes you do get what you pay for. IMHO more quality and bang for you buck values can be found in the Southern Rhone Valley than in more famous wine growing regions.

  2. Ray says:

    There are certainly a sea of great values from that slice of the wine world AJ. Best, Ray

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