Domaine de Rombeau 2008 Rancio Sec

Grenache. This is quite a fun bottling from an area we rarely get a chance to see stateside. The nose shows a hit of spice, orange peel, dehydrated stone fruits, toasted nuts, and a honey lift. The palate is sweet yet balanced of fruit and spice notes. A dessert wine for whiskey lovers. D&M Tasting Notes

The most evolved of the Rombeau Rancio secs, the 2008 exhibits a pronounced "rancio funk" while nevertheless retaining its complexity and rough good manners. It was vinified in tank with native yeasts, then transferred to an assortment of old barrels, foudres and glass demijohns for 24 months' aging outdoors. A portion was then returned to the cellars, which rest above ground and lack temperature control, while another portion remained in the "barrel forest" until the time of blending and bottling in mid-2016.

The wine is said to have up to 70% Grenache blanc, with smaller amounts of Grenache gris, Macabeau and perhaps Malvasia in the blend. (The story changes.) It is best as a digestif, or with richer cheeses including sweeter blues. Shelf-stable, it should be served lightly chilled or at cellar temperature.

One of the most storied estates in Roussillon, Domaine de Rombeau traces its origins to 1727, when the de la Fabrègue family first arrived in Rivesaltes from Lyon. By 1850, the family had amassed vineyard holdings and became of one the region’s first to bottle wine. Tanks that date from that period can still be found on the estate. The family persevered through phyolloxera and successive World Wars, continually delving deeper into the region’s traditions while remaining open to the possibilities of the future. As sixth-generation family winemaker Philippe Raspaud said: "Tradition is alive." Importer Notes