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Mile High's "Wine of the Week": July 21st
Lavau Rasteau Cotes du Rhone Villages 2013
Regular Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $13.99
Sale End: 7/24/2016
Lavau Rasteau Cotes du Rhone Villages 2013

The wines from the Southern Rhone village of Rasteau deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as those of Gigondas and Chateauneuf du Pape. They offer wonderful purity of fruit, striking old vine minerality, and brilliant peppery spice. This week we have an textbook Rasteau bottling from the folks at Laveau. This lush and inviting 2013 is drinking so well right now with layers of brandy soaked cherries, kirsch liqueur, and blueberry pie filling highlighting the entry. Smooth and medium bodied on the palate, it will work perfectly as a cocktail before dinner or as a pairing for a classic plate of charcuterie. Considering its modest cost, this juicy Cotes du Rhone offers up a heck of a lot of style and character. And really, can you think of a wine that is more versatile, more drinkable, and more affordable than a great Cotes du Rhone? We sure can’t, and that’s why we love them so much. Please stop by and taste the 2013 Lavau Rasteau tonight for free at our tasting bar. We think you’re going to love it!
On to the Tasting Notes:
France’s Rhone Valley has been regarded as one of the best places in the world to buy delicious and underpriced wines for quite a long time. As the larger international community of wine drinkers has caught on, certain villages within the Rhone have really earned their attention. Of course, you know of Chateauneuf du Pape, the most important of those villages. But there are quite a few more places to explore as you drink your way through the best that the Southern Rhone has to offer.

This week’s special, the 2013 Lavau Rasteau, is an excellent introduction to the kind of wonderful berry fruit, long lasting minerality, and warm peppery spice that makes the wines from this village so darn yummy. You all know what a sucker I am for Rhone wines but, I’m telling you, I’m not jaded. I just flip when I see how much character and style you can get for such a reasonable price when you start really delving deep into the nuances that the region is so famous for. So you can imagine my excitement when I was able to taste this wine with the winemaker earlier this year. This 2013 shows no shortage of ripe berry fruit. In fact, you might say it’s kind of fruity. But I don’t think it comes across as being one dimensional. Instead it offers up pleasant notes of fresh flowers, sun baked plums, cracked allspice berries, and dry soil as well as the lingering sensation of freshly ground pepper. It is mighty easy to sip and should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 2 years.
Food Pairing:
I think that the 2013 Lavau Rasteau would be best served casually. It will make a wonderful cocktail if you like something dry but juicy and full of Old World character. That said, I think it would be excellent as a pairing for a wide range of simple meals running from a plate of charcuterie all the way up through a big bowl of assorted fresh summer veggies gently simmered in homemade beef stock.
You MUST mention this special or print it out to receive the price on the above wine.
This price expires 7/24/2016 at 6pm and is limited to in-store quantities.
No rain checks given. Call (303) 936-0272 to reserve bottles with a credit card.

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