($13, Polaner): Mas de Daumas Gassac, dubbed the Lafite of the Languedoc by France’s prestigious Gault et Millau guide in 1982, has been producing this value packed every day kind of wine since the early 1990s.  It is not a second wine by any means since the blend–Syrah (40%), Grenache (25%), Mourvèdre (20%) and Carignan–bears no resemblance to their top wine, which is primarily (80%) Cabernet Sauvignon.   Nonetheless, the talent of the producer is evident with the combination of fruit and herbal flavors wrapped in suave tannins.  This “pizza wine” delivers far more complexity than you’d expect for the price.
87 Michael Apstein Mar 12, 2013