2003 Domaine de la Janasse Terre d'Argile Cotes du Rhone Villages

Close your eyes and it's easy to mistake this Cotes du Rhone Villages for a Chateauneuf. A blend of one-third each Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, "Terre d'Argile" from Domaine de la Janasse is a lovely ruby red with notes of spice and wild herbs in the perfume. The tannins are there, but supple, and the taste -- blackberries, wild herbs and sun-baked earth -- hangs around. It's astonishing quality for such a relatively modest appellation, but no surprise, really. Winemaker Christophe Sabon, whose father founded the estate in 1976, makes serious wines at every price level. The grapes for Terre d'Argile, in fact, come from a vineyard next door to the domaine's Chateauneuf-du-Pape vines.