Condamine Bertrand,”Tradition” red blend, 2006, Languedoc, France, $9.99
buy it here at Drink up for Less
From the Languedoc region in France comes this terrifically blended red, consisting of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Carignan. It opens with a nose of blackberry jam, blueberries, and mild oak, with subtle aromas of roasted green peppers. Its medium-heavy in body, and a deep shade of cranberry in color. Plenty of blueberry carries over to the palate, along with a surprisingly fair amount of oak, given its subtle presence in the bouquet. It has an interesting layer of earth to it, reminiscent of a wet decaying tree covered in moss, but in a good way, if you can imagine that. Though i could see it standing up well to something as heavy and simple as grilled steak, I think it would be better suited paired along side grilled pork in a medium-sweet/savory tomato based sauce.
