2021 Domaine Courtois La Source Cotes du Rhone Rouge 750 ml

During our last trip to France, we spent our entire Vinsobres visit with the Jaume family, who have been making wine there for five generations. 

Crowded into their work van, we sped through the village and wound our way past the vineyards and olive trees, wowed by the quality of their holdings: walled plots with gnarled plants up to a century old, vineyards laden with the rounded stones typical of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, vines basking in the warm sun but tempered by the high altitude of the appellation. 

They poured the 2021 Courtois La Source Cotes du Rhone for us after we worked up a thirst accompanying them through the vines, and we were sold from the first sip. Grown on their terroir in the Rhône village of Vinsobres but bearing the humble Côtes-du-Rhône label, this complex, medium-bodied do-it-all red wine is as satisfying as it gets. 

Vinsobres is a fantastic terroir. The French wine authorities recognized it in 2006, when they elevated the Southern Rhône commune to cru status. The Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel acknowledged it when they plunked down cash for a 60-acre parcel in Vinsobres. And one of the most revered men in the Rhône, Château de Saint Cosme’s legendary Louis Barruol, ratified it when he staked his own claim, purchasing Château de Rouanne in 2019. 

The classification of the Vinsobres appellation has been an undeniable boon to the red wines of the area, and this is estate-grown by the Jaume family—not sourced from outside growers. With that kind of quality, it’s no wonder this snagged 92-point Best Buy honors from Wine Enthusiast.