2004 Montroche Georgina Cuvee Syrah – $5

A Syrah blend from the Costieres de Nimes in the Languedoc region in France. It is a Vin de Pays du Gard wine, Vin de pays means “country wine” which is the French wine classification above “table wine” but below the AOC classifications. The bottle does not list all the grapes in the blend, but Grenache, Cinsault and Mouvedre are typical ingredients in Languedoc blends. The half the wine is stored in oak barrels while the other half stays in stain-less vats after six months the two halfs are reunited and left to rest, then half the wine is put back into oak barrels for another five months. The wine has oak for flavor, but not a lot of oak for cellaring, so this wine is at the point where it needs to be drunk before it starts to go downhill.

The color is a deep opaque crimson, the nose has a touch of mushroom, but also fresh strawberries and chocolate mints. A very soft wine, the tannins are very light, the fruit tastes young, fresh berries on the tip of your tongue. The finish is long lasting and tastes of black licorice and cherries.

This probably isn’t a wine that initially sold for $4.99, but wines from this region normally are good for 5 to 6 years, so the wine seller had to sell it before it was too late. Also if you are looking for value, “Vin de Pays” wine do not command the same prices that Bordeaux and Burgundy do, but can be very enjoyable wines.