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Les Clos de Paulilles Banyuls Rimage

Our Selection for Wine of the Week February 8, 2010


Les Clos de Paulilles Banyuls Rimage

Red for Romance
Les Clos de Paulilles
Banyuls Rimage

France

Although it is lesser known than some of France's other great wine regions, Banyuls, along with Bordeaux, Champagne and Cognac, was one of the first regions to be granted AOC status. The Dauré family owns Les Clos de Paulilles, which is the largest single-vineyard domaine in the highly-regarded region. The wines of Banyuls are made in a similar style to Port. The grapes, predominantly Grenache Noir, are fermented naturally, with a spirit introduced while the grape sugars are still high. The Banyuls of Clos de Paulilles are aged in the bottle for a minimum of two years, after a season of barrel aging. The Rimage is Les Clos de Paulilles' finest blend, representing less than 20% of their best grapes. The result is a wine with both depth and brightness. On the nose, its aromas are of black plums, currants, licorice, vanilla and a hint of espresso. It is silky on the tongue and offers a freshness and tartness of its fruit flavors to balance the wine's sweetness. The Rimage finishes with a sexy, exotic spice and a lingering note of vanilla. We highly recommend this wine as a taste sensation for surprising your Valentine. And since Banyuls is known as the perfect wine for pairing with chocolate truffles, it is hard to go wrong with this romantic treat.

Rating: 14/20
Price:
$18 (500 ml)


See our list of the Top 10 Wines for Valentine's Day
Other Dessert Wines we have tasted
Check out our guide to France
For more information, visit www.pasternakwine.com







Read about the wine world's most influential critic: Robert Parker, Jr.


PET020810
(Updated: 07/29/13 MG)


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