We’re like a broken record when it comes to Southern Rhône Valley red wines: There’s a lot of wine labeled “Côtes du Rhône Villages,” most of it not very distinguished, but once in a while, you come across a banger with all the bona fides—and when you do, you’re essentially drinking Châteauneuf-du-Pape without the price tag. This is very much the case with Mas de Boislauzon, an estate headquartered right on the outskirts on Châteauneuf that has delivered an outstanding value here: This powerful yet surprisingly fresh and nimble red avoids the syrupy fate that bedevils many reds from this part of the world. It’s a big red, but not a bruising one, and the value-for-dollar is about as good as it gets. This is a lot—a whole lot—of wine for the money!
The Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC is applied to an assortment of Southern Rhône Valley villages clustered around the town of Orange—which is where the cellar and offices of Mas de Boislauzon are located. The estate’s vineyards in the Côtes du Rhône Villages catchment area are situated just to the north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in soils very similar to those found in Châteauneuf: reddish clay mixed with the large, rounded river stones known as galets roulés. The farming here has been Certified Organic since 2012, and it really does show in the wine: For all its concentration and polish, there’s a very palpable mineral component to the wine as well.
Mas de Boislauzon is a family-run estate going back six generations, with the sister-brother team of Christine Chaussy-Leget and Daniel Chaussy heading up operations. Their sons, Quentin, Joris, and Arnaud, also help out at this historic family winery while also working on their own label on the side. They farm 34 hectares of vines in total, 12 of which are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the remainder in Côtes du Rhône Villages.
Fruit for this wine is sourced from nearly 70-year-old vines that hug Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s northern border—and feature the same cobblestone-rich soils. The grapes are 100% destemmed and fermented in concrete tanks. Aging is also carried out in concrete tanks, which has a noticeable effect on the texture: the tannins are gentle, without any of the dryness imparted by wood barrels. There’s also a surprising amount of freshness for a wine of 15% a.b.v.—we all marveled at its balance and lift, and you will, too.
Rich and powerful, with a relatively dark, brackish cast to the color thanks to the Syrah component. There’s lots of black and purple fruit on the nose, but there’s also a pleasingly rustic, slightly herbal note that calls to mind old-school Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Notes of black raspberry, cherry kirsch, dried strawberry, violets, licorice, warm spices, wild herbs, and dusty earth linger on the medium-plus-bodied palate, culminating in a long, aromatic, sweet/savory finish. Decant and serve cool (55-60 degrees, which will tamp down some of the alcohol heat) with a rack of lamb or braised short ribs.
