Tonight, with a light dinner of leftover baguette with tapenade and extra sharp Canadian "cheddar," I opened a bottle of:
2001 Mas de Bressades Cabernet/Syrah Vin de Pays du Gard (70% CS/30% S) nose: initially, blackberry with a hint of garrigue; later, kirsch and cedar palate: medium body, dusty tannins, moderate acidity, kirsch-cherry fruit
Had I opened this wine ahead of time and not known what it was, I would probably have guessed a good quality Cotes du Rhone. It had a lot of what I think of as Grenache character (kirsch-like cherry fruit) for a wine that has no Greanche in it. Very decent bottle with years ahead of it yet.
Mark Lipton