As we continue our tour of wines from the Côtes du Rhône region, we try this one produced by Jean and Michel Gonnet.  Gonnet is most well known for producing Chateauneuf du Pape from the Font de Michelle estate, which was established in 1950.  In 2002 the family purchased additional vineyards in the Gard region, west of Orange, and began producing Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages wine under the Font du Vent name.

The 2003 vintage of this wine received some pretty good reviews.  It wasn’t a 90+ wine, but was a very good wine nonetheless.  I found that the 2005 was also a decent wine, but not quite as solid as the 2003.

There is an interesting nose on this wine, which I would characterize as salami, blackberry, cherry, black olive, and pepper.  The palate has a lot of blackberry, plus some sour cherry, black tea, spice and a touch of alcohol heat—a little bit more heat than I would expect from a wine with a 13.5% alcohol level.  The finish packs a big helping of chocolate flavor.  It’s fairly well balanced and enjoyable.  It’s a sturdy, decent wine but not memorable.

Wine: La Font du Vent – Les Promesses
Variety: Côtes du Rhône
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 84
Price Paid: $12.99

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