Domaine La Soumade’s flagship wine, the blockbuster 2004 Fleur de Confiance Rasteau, boasts an inky/purple color along with a big, rich bouquet of melted chocolate, blackberries, creme de cassis, cherries, smoke, and earth. Rich, powerful, and atypically long and muscular for a 2004, it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 15+. Although the irrepressible Andre Romero hardly needed help from Bordeaux, he has brought in Stephane Derenoncourt, the well-known wine guru of St.-Emilion and Pomerol as a consultant. Romero has purchased some parcels in both Gigondas and Chateauneuf du Pape, but his glories remain his offerings from the ancient, sun-drenched/roasted, old Grenache vines of Rasteau. Romero is one of the region’s more modern winemakers, aging his top cuvees in small oak barrels. However, these wines easily absorb their wood component given their tremendous concentration and power.Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

Domaine La Soumade’s flagship wine, the blockbuster 2004 Fleur de Confiance Rasteau, boasts an inky/purple color along with a big, rich bouquet of melted chocolate, blackberries, creme de cassis, cherries, smoke, and earth. Rich, powerful, and atypically long and muscular for a 2004, it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 15+. Although the irrepressible Andre Romero hardly needed help from Bordeaux, he has brought in Stephane Derenoncourt, the well-known wine guru of St.-Emilion and Pomerol as a consultant. Romero has purchased some parcels in both Gigondas and Chateauneuf du Pape, but his glories remain his offerings from the ancient, sun-drenched/roasted, old Grenache vines of Rasteau. Romero is one of the region’s more modern winemakers, aging his top cuvees in small oak barrels. However, these wines easily absorb their wood component given their tremendous concentration and power. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565