TN: Cosmo

Clos du Paradis “Domaine Viret” 1999 Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Saint-Maurice “Cosmic” (Rhône) – Earth – alive and organic – with strips of well-worn leather, sun-dried berries and a dusting of Provençal aromatics (including just a hint of spice), plus resolved tannins. It’s still fairly full-bodied despite the obvious integration of tertiary elements, but with the tannin having softened so much I’d start keeping a close eye on it; for most people it’s probably drinking at or near its best right now.

A blend of grenache, mourvèdre and carignan (rimarily the first of that trio), made in what the importer calls a more oxidative style, by which he means something more upfront and accessible than the rest of Viret’s often highly-structured offerings. However one views the cosmocultural regime behind this wine’s creation, the results have been uniformly successful since release (the “current” vintage, though it’s no longer quite so current, is the 2000). Alcohol: 14%. Closure: cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner/LDM. Web: http://www.domaine-viret.com/.