The Pichot Roucas 2017 is a big little wine. Big in stature and little on the wallet at ~$15. This Rhone Valley wine is fairly serious and shows some inviting aromatics and flavors (and a little funk). The nose shows lavender, rose, a faint hint of sandalwood, and some cherry fruit.
On the palate the wine is a bit shy but slowly opens up and reveals firm cherry tones and a bit of herbs on the back end. There are moderate tannins in this wine. The Pichot Roucas 2017 will develop further with an additional year or two in the bottle, but it’s delicious right now. Just let it breathe for a little while.
Note: Eric Bouletin, the proprietor of Roucas Toumba, only make traditional style Vacqueyras (2 reds, 1 white, and 1 rose)….with the exception of this wine and one other. The Pichot Roucas is classified as a Vin de Pays de Méditerranée as some of the grapes incorporated into this wine come from vineyards outside the Rhone Valley appellations.
TECH STUFF: http://www.roucastoumba.com/docs/ft-roucas-pichot-roucas-eng.pdf
Grapes ~34 % Grenache, 33 % Syrah, 33 % old vine Carignan.
Production ~10,000 bottles
Region Vin de Pays de Méditerranée
Alcohol 13.5%
Find it: #1 – Call Wine Shop first see if they have it or can order it. Roucas Toumba, Pichot Roucas 2017.
#2 – Email Thomas Calder, the US agent – tkcalder tkcalder@yahoo.fr
#3 – No Luck, email winery – roucas.toumba@gmail.com
#4 – Still no luck, ask me – jikrietzman@verizon.net