It’s the best evening combo I could hope for: A favorite bistro, a couple of hours to kill, and a bottle of Rhône.
Rhône reds (sadly) aren’t common in restaurants in my town. They’re usually crowded out by blockbuster Cabs and Paso Robles blends. In the best of cases, they’re relegated to one or two entries under a heading of “Interesting Reds.”
That’s one of the reasons I’m at Lavendou all the time. They have more enticing bottles in their Rhône section than some places have on their entire list. They’re always willing to recommend something to go with their menu of French country classics, and the prices are really fair.
Château Le Devoy Martine’s flagship wine is this Lirac red from their 40 hectares of estate vines. (They also produce a Lirac white and rosé.) The “Via Secreta” rouge is characterized by a smooth texture, minimal oak, and an earthy/spicy intensity led by a gutsy proportion of Mourvèdre (40%).
Tasting “Via Secreta” Lirac
Deep purplish-red in the glass with a slight haze. A pronounced, spicy nose of blackberry, fresh thyme, licorice and menthol. Chocolate, smoke, and meatiness are appealing aromatic undertones, leading into a hint of peppered steak on the front of the palate.
The fruit flavors are brambly and extra-ripe, recalling blackberry liqueur, plum sauce, and mulled Port wine. It’s soft-textured and easy to drink, with medium acidity, medium tannin (ripe), and high alcohol that supports rather than interferes with its spiced dark fruits. A critic might find the texture a little thin or the finish a little short–but chase it with food, and that tiny lapse is forgiven.
As I was looking over my tasting notes for “Via Secreta,” I got the sneaking feeling that something was familiar about it. I dug through a pile of wine journals and discovered that, yep, I also tasted this vintage three months ago, when I ordered it for a group. (What wine do you choose when one person has a steak, someone else has the pork chop, their partner has roast chicken with olives, and the fourth person is getting the veggie entrée? Southern Rhône.)
I liked this Lirac then as much as I do now. It’s an expressive, flexible wine that partners well with many roasted and grilled foods. It has a lovely balance of fruit and non-fruit flavors to please everyone at the table. It’s a startling value, too, at under $20 retail.
Bottle: Château Le Devoy Martine “Via Secreta” Lirac (2019) – Southern Rhône, France
Variety: Mourvèdre (40%), Syrah (25%), Grenache (20%), and Cinsault (15%)
ABV: 14.5%
Suggested retail: $19.99
My rating: 8.9 (out of 10)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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