Cellier des Dauphins Réserve 2019 (Rhône) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this delicious Côtes du Rhône red that comes to the LCBO this weekend, as part of the August 21st LCBO VINTAGES Release.

The story of Cellier des Dauphins begins with the formation of Union of Côtes du Rhône winegrowers (UVCDR) in 1967. The UVCDR brought together 2,300 winemaking families in the southern Rhône Valley, a territory that covered 2,500 hectares of vines and approximately 20 AOCs. Founded in 1967 by UVCDR, Cellier des Dauphins has become the pride of the member winemakers as it has risen to regional preeminence. The sun-drenched wines of Cellier des Dauphins are highly esteemed and synonymous with the voluptuous south's art de vivre.

Proud of their terroir, the founding winemakers of Cellier des Dauphins are driven by constant innovation, preparing for the future, and striving relentlessly to raise quality from vine to glass. They have a wide variety of soils and terroirs within their vineyards which offers oenologists a rich palette of grapes for blending. Cellier des Dauphins is committed to sustainable agriculture and has launched various eco-friendly initiatives to meet this goal. Their goal is to ensure that their wines are environmentally-sound by reducing their environmental footprint, earning Haute Valeur Environnementale accreditation, and reducing by-product waste. As of today, Cellier des Dauphins has over 1,000 hectares of organically farmed vines.

Tasting Note:

CELLIER DES DAUPHINS RÉSERVE 2019 - AC Côtes du Rhône, France (#14081) (XD) - $16.95
Harvested at full maturity on sunny terroirs in the Côtes du Rhône, this blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah has a medium+ intensity nose that offers red berry, raspberry, and spice aromas with subtle savoury and mineral undertones. On the fleshy, medium-full bodied palate it has very ripe red currant, raspberry, and spice flavours that are balanced with tangy, juicy acidity. Touch grapey on the mid-palate. The refined, grainy tannins are a bit tight, while the taut finish tapers to savoury and slightly mineral, with very good length. Score: 88 pts

Other delicious wines from Cellier des Dauphins can be found at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Churchill Cellars Ltd.