“This hardy red is perfect for everyday drinking.”

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I’m always in the market for a good, inexpensive red Rhône or Rhône-style red wine. I first fell in love with these critters back in the late ‘80s, when the legendary Tim McCarthy of Cost Plus Wines in Detroit’s Eastern Market put a bottle of the Chateau Chapelle Saint-Pierre Côtes-du-Rhône in my hands. It cost all of $6, and it was a beauty, with no rough edges whatsoever. We went through cases of the stuff, until it finally dried up, but by then, I knew what was what, and Grenache-Syrah (et al) based wines would become my standard for decades to come.

Of course, what was inexpensive back in the day cost rather less than it does now. Currently, if I can find a satisfying red for $12-13, I’m going to jump on it. This wine is a good case in point. I’ve seen it around for a while now, but I avoided buying it initially because of the “cute” cicada troubadour on the label, not wanting to succumb to the “Yellow Tail syndrome,” as I like to call it. However, I finally gave a bottle a closer look, and when I noticed that it is imported by my friends at A.H.D. Vintners, that was all I needed to know. A.H.D. maintains one of the finest portfolios in the Detroit market, and I have confidence in the quality of just about everything they sell.

The entry level wine from Chateauneuf du Pape producer Chante Cigale, this is a blend of Grenache and Carignane. The “Vin de France” designation means that grapes can be sourced from anywhere in the country, but they most likely come from the Rhône Valley or the adjacent Languedoc region.

2022 The Cicada Vin de France Rouge, 80% Grenache, 20% Carignane, 14% alc,. $12.99: This hardy red is perfect for everyday drinking. It’s big and a bit chewy, but not so tannic that you can’t enjoy a bottle tonight with dinner or a Red Wings game. Fairly primary in flavor and aroma, it delivers a nice blend of black plums and berries, shaded with some earth, a little mineral and a dash of underbrush. It will age and improve with a year or two in the cellar, but it might be hard to keep hands off now, because it already has a lot to like about it. Find this wine

Both Westborn Market in Berkley and Holiday Market in Royal Oak sell this at the price listed above, so there are at least two options for the intrepid wine buyer to choose from. Drop some in a 6-pack for the 10% discount, and the QPR gets even better. I like it, my wife Kim likes it, and I will be going back for more.

Chante Cigale means singing cicada (a type of grasshopper/cricket), and the Cicada red is their early-drinking any day Grenache/Carignan blend. The property has been in the family since the 19th century and is currently run by Alexandre Favier who assumed the reins at the ripe old age of 20. The domaine is planted to 40 ha of red and 5 ha of white on 45 different parcels throughout the appellation.

Imported by A.H.D. Vintners, Warren, MI

Reporting from Day-twah,
Bastardo

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