33% Grenache, 34% Syrah and 33% Mourvèdre from Côtes du Rhône, France.
SRP of $12 and available for $9 at Costco. Sample received courtesy Palm Bay International for review purposes.
From the bottle:
“Jean-Luc Colombo has forged an international reputation as one of the most visionary and imaginative winemakers in France’s Rhone Valley and especially in Cornas. “My passion is to create wines that give people pleasure. I want each glass to be remembered for their statement of quality.” Jean-Luc Colombo
Les Abeilles (“the bees”) is a complex, multi-faceted wine that evokes the image of these fascinating creatures, often seen around our vineyards. A blend of red southern Rhone grapes, Les Abeilles originates from 25-year-old vines grown in the region’s ancient, terraced vineyards. This medium-bodied, velvety red has intriguing aromas and flavors of red fruit, licorice and spice against a backdrop of smooth, silky tannins. Enjoy anytime!
13.5% Alcohol”
Save the honey bees! Drink more wine!
Wait…what? Well evidently yes. The “Les Abeilles” wines from Jean-Luc Colombo are named for the honey bees that inhabit their vineyards. (Those wines include the Rouge we are reviewing today and also a Blanc white wine.) What you may not know is that the honey bee population has been dropping quite drastically in many areas over the last few years. This affects a lot more than just the price of honey as there are lots of crops that require pollination from bees. The connection with the wine goes deeper than the name; however, Jean-Luc Colombo has committed 4% of the SRP from Les Abeilles sales to be donated to the UC Davis Department of Entomology for Honey Bee Research.
The 2009 Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abeilles Côtes du Rhône Rouge has a very nice and aromatic nose with plum, ripe dark fruit and a little licorice. This wine tasted a little thin when first popped, but wow, this really opens up nicely once it gets some air. Smooth and silky blackberry and black cherry flavors give way to some nice spice on the dry and velvety finish. This is a wine that gets better with every sip. Not overly complex but extremely drinkable and a great bargain at only $9. Save the bees indeed!
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 8.0
Highly Recommended
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