Best Buys $10 And Under

Winemaker Notes:
"Whispering Angel is a blend of Grenache, Rolle, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvedre grapes. Strikingly pale pink in color, the aromas are fresh and fruity. On the palate, it is bone dry through the finish. The name really suits the delicate nature of this wine."

Organic

A dark cherry color implies the fullness that is to come on the palate. Round with a full mouth feel displaying sour cherry and raspberry notes with the subtlest note of garrigue. This is one serious rose. No estate expresses the salt-kissed limestone-driven terroir of the idyllic Provençal seaside village of Cassis like Domaine du Bagnol, and the current generation, Sébastien Genovesi, crafts a rosé of scintillating energy, chiseled calcareous musculature, and gleaming red fruits. Comprising 45% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, and 20% Mourvèdre, Bagnol’s Cassis Rosé is pressed directly and rapidly (in under two hours) to extract as little color as possible, and the bottled wine (certified organic) contains only 10 milligrams per liter of total sulfur—a factor which contributes to its gorgeous purity of texture and intense evocation of limestone. (Rosenthal Wine Import)

Certified Sustainable, no herbicides or pesticides used. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. Twenty-five year old vines grown on clay-limestone soil, with lots of rocks in southwest France. This Vin de France rose performs well above it’s pricepoint. A beautiful electric rose petal color. The fruit-forward bouquet is prelude to what is to come. This is a fuller more round style of rose especially compared to Provence. This is a really nice rose for the non-rose drinker.

Always a meticulous farmer, Marine’s commitment to vine health was recently recognized by the French government with HEV (high environmental value) certification. This new certification covers biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategy, management of fertiliser use, and management of water. This recognition only magnified what we already knew about Marine and her fastidious devotion to making a remarkable value wine.

Organic / Biodynamic / Natural

60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Vermentino.

Organic

20% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 23% Carignan More Syrah than usual due to new plantings which gives a soft texture and sweeter finish than recent vintages. Less Cabernet than usual and more than usual Carignan. Black and red raspberries, followed by the tell tale Provencal smell of garrigue. Warm, round tones of sandalwood, chocolate and caramel coat the tongue with hints of nutmeg and black pepper. Ripe, round tannins provide beautiful definition without being too bold. - Winery notes

The white from Simone is a truly unique creation based primarily on Clairette that is supplemented with Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc and a touch of Muscat Blanc. The white, brisk in its youth, animated by a bouquet of pine-resin, evolves slowly into a sensual masterpiece with its lingering finish built on a mass of minerality. This is a remarkably age-worthy wine with the potential to give ever-more pleasure over a span two decades or more.

"Those of you who know Simone realize that the red, a tenacious but ultimately elegant wine, is an equal, rather than dominant, partner to the striking rosé and the sublime white. Like the rosé, it is a blend primarily of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault but there are pockets of old-growth vines of Syrah, Manosquin, Castet, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat Noir that season the vineyards and add to the stunning complexity of these wines. The influence of Mont Sainte Victoire, its surface covered in rich pine forest, is apparent in the flavors and aromas of the red wine of Simone." Neil Rosenthal

The red from Simone is an elegant yet well-constituted wine of great depth. It is primarily composed of Grenache and Mourvèdre but its special character reflects the presence of a mélange other grape varieties, albeit in small proportion, including Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Castet, Manosquin, Théoulier, Tibouren, Picpoul Noir and Muscat de Hambourg. Bottled after 18-24 months of aging in foudres and one year or more in aged barrique, it is assembled without filtration. The wine is a classic that deserves to be aged in order to best appreciate its many nuances: plum, pine resin, cinnamon, truffle and spice among other sensations. We invite you to share our pleasure.
Château Simone encompasses twenty hectares of vineyards that sit on limestone soils at elevations between 500 and 750 feet above sea level on the slopes of Montaiguet. The special microclimate of this appellation is influenced by the encircling pine forests, the mass of Mont Sainte-Victoire, and the Arc River.

Located in the commune of Meyreuil and just four kilometres from Aix en Provence, the old bastide of the Grands Carmes d'Aix monks, now the Chateau Simone, has been in the hands of the Rougier family since 1830. Old documents bear witness to the fact that vines have been cultivated here from time immemorial. The historic reputation of its wines has made Chateau Simone a prime example of the Provencal terroir. Their renown spread and the bottles, with the elegant classical presentation on the original label, found their way to the most prestigious tables and those of the finest gourmets.

Organic / Biodynamic / Natural

The bubbles are gentle, but present in the glass. Lemon danish, dry cream soda, and saline dominate the palate, finishing crisp and minerally. A fresh, clean, zippy and very friendly Pet Nat. Rolle and Ugni Blanc.

In 2015, chateau owner Bertrand Gourdou was searching through an old desk when he came across a label that his grandfather had made in the early 1970’s; that wine was called “Le pot-de-vin” which, in French, translates to “the bribe”, which for that era was an audacious play on words for a wine label! This label inspired Bertrand to make a simple, natural wine: biodynamically grown fruit, fermented with native yeast and with a negligible dose of SO2, made in concrete tanks built by his grandfather. The word "pot" also references the old-style bottle shape.

The rouge is 100% Merlot from the IGP Pays d’Oc, made with no oak in a light-to-medium-bodied style with gloriously fruit, freshness and length. It is, simply put, the quintessential French bistro red.