Chateau de Campuget "1753"

I purchased this beautiful bottle of Syrah at the Wine Mine in Oakland for $12.99, and boy what a bargain it is!

The wine was a pretty ruby color with a silver shimmer on the surface. On the nose I found fresh earthy aromas, sweet blackberry jam and black currants. In the mouth this light (ie - not syrupy like some American Syrahs) wine had bright acidity, fragrant lilacs and was and reminded me of a Cabernet Franc by Catherine Breton that I tasted at Terroir Wine Merchant a few months ago (review of bar and wines here).

The winery labeled it "1753" because a document found on the property from that year mentions its vineyards (for a four page pdf about the winery, click here). From the Costières de Nîmes, Languedoc Roussillon AOC, this is another example of great, cheap wine produced out of Europe that offers a lot of bang - and by bang I mean complexity and intrigue - for the buck. I plan on picking up at least one more bottle for later.