Domaine du Colibri Ventoux Rouge 2017

I’m sure France has its share of issues with its young people but Olivier Legranger is definitively not part of any problem. Coming out of enology school he went right to work for his uncle, the Châteauneuf master, Xavier Vignon. Judging by the quality of his first few vintages of Domaine du Colibri Ventoux Rouge, Le Petit Tour, Olivier certainly made the most of his internship with his famous uncle.

Olivier purchased 30 acres of old vines of Grenache, Carignane and Cinsault in the winter of 2016. Ideally located halfway between the Alps and the sea, his parcels are on the western face of Mount Ventoux. The vines are old, rooted in limestone and the constant winds of the mistral keep the vines free of bugs, mold and disease without the use of chemicals.

Olivier’s second vintage is a marvel in the juicy, Tuesday night, bang for the buck red category. The wine brightens aromatically, with a bouquet of purple flowers, anise and thyme. It is loaded with red berry fruit yet is fresh and easy to drink; those limestone soils give great length and vibrancy. It’s a classic house red, working just as well as a roasted chicken as it is with roasted salmon or a burger on the grill. Just like Uncle Xavier, Olivier and his Domaine du Colbri wines punch way above their weight class when it comes to delivering terrific wine at an every day price.

I loaded up, I highly recommend you do the same.