Las Vegas Review-Journal - Taste

Region: Limoux, Southern France

Vintage: 2006

Price: $8.99

In the glass: Le Grand Pinot Noir is a nicely dark crimson red with a semi-opaque core, going out into a light garnet rim definition, with light to medium viscosity.

On the nose: The wine has classic red berries written all over it, with red cherries, freshly baked raspberry Danish and English currant preserve, then a fresh blast of cool minerals and fig leaf coming out of the glass.

On the palate: Le Grand Pinot Noir is a lovely, rounded mouthful of wine with, once again, red berries dominating the taste buds. However, there's a spice component that immediately gives us a hint that it is from a warmer climate than Burgundy, France, where pinot noir is indigenous. Crushed red cherries, bramble fruit and red currants are present, with touches of cranberry juice going through the spice-laden midpalate, into a nicely balanced finish redolent with soft tannins that are unobtrusive.

Odds and ends: This is a good alternative to much more expensive entry-level Burgundy wines, which actually don't taste as good. I'm thinking passetoutgrain from a good producer, but then you're paying $20 or more per bottle. Limoux is a region in the south of France where many grape varietals grow, but recently it has started making wine from the more temperamental pinot noir grape. This Le Grand is a very nice result for the effort. It is highly recommended as a bargain, but also because a lighter red wine is called for when the temperatures rise above 110 degrees. Drink it through 2010, and try it with salmon grilled on a cedar plank on the barbecue.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.