Today we celebrate 75 years since the day that ended of an epoch of world wars, never to return, fortunately. On May 8th, 1945 global peace was instigated in France, and it could not have been possible without the United States becoming an integral member of the Allied Forces. Tying that destiny of momentous history bringing two nations together to our pick today, if there ever was a rare “cuvée” of God Bless America and Vive la France, this would be it. Not only does this wine have a staggering story, but it also is absolutely, irresistibly delicious for a sub-$20 French find, fine-tuned for the American palate.

Medium cherry red with a cerise-bright rim that borders a purplish-blue gradient. Gorgeous levels of blackberry and raspberry fruit dominate the nose, with layers of kirsch, licorice, and smokiness. The palate is off to a roaring start with an unctuous texture, juicy, plump, vigorous, with lush sweetness, and harmony. No hard edges throughout, with a fairly rich mid-palate, building up to a remarkably long finish. An ideal pairing would be a perfectly roasted free-range chicken, enhanced by truffles, morels, chanterelles.

While this project was completely under the radar of the mainstream wine press with zero reviews, it benefits tremendously from the “truly extraordinary” 2016 Southern Rhone vintage rated 99-points by Wine Spectator! The touchy story that inspired this wine involves a seven-year-old boy, a soldier, a piece of gum and chocolate! You can read more on that below, under About the Winery…

Here’s what the wine press says on the vintage:

Wine Spectator – 99 Points! “This truly rare vintage is a new benchmark. The growing season was warm during the day but cool at night, with an unusually large diurnal swing that led to slow, even ripening across all varieties while maintaining acidity. Reds are laden with fruit, yet extremely racy and fresh in feel; whites are pure, brimming with energy.”

Jeb Dunnuck – Le Millésime “The 2016 vintage was truly extraordinary for the Southern Rhône and is a vintage that readers should buy with abandon. This is the greatest young vintage from the Southern Rhône Valley I’ve ever tasted, both in terms of quality as well as consistency. I’ve never seen so many traditional cuvées achieve such high quality nor so many estates produce such truly extraordinary wines. In fact, the quality of many base cuvées made me ponder more than once if it was worth the uptick in price for the more expensive special cuvées. While these are ripe, concentrated, and exuberant wines, they also show an incredible purity of fruit as well as weightless, sensationally balanced profiles on the palate. They are complex, powerful wines that satisfy both the intellectual and the hedonistic parts of the brain. Rhône lovers will be comparing the 2016s, 2010s, and 2007s long into the future, and you will want these wines in your cellar.”