‘A’ d’Aussieres offers big taste, good price

If you try this wine, you'll have something in common with a large number of Romans living in the Eternal City about 2,000 years ago. Chateau d'Aussieres has made wine since early Roman times, and was one of the big suppliers of red wine to the thirsty legionnaires of the Empire.

The large, 1,300-acre estate in Corbieres in the heart of the vast Languedoc-Roussillon region of France is owned by the Barons de Rothschild of legendary Chateau Lafite fame.

The wine from there is delicious and easy to drink. Something tells me the winemakers have worked hard to make it this way, but because of the location, they are not going to charge Chateau Lafite prices, which means this wine is an outstanding value.

This "A" d'Aussieres is like a second wine to the main Chateau d'Aussieres, but at this price, who cares? You get a lot of wine for less than $14, so prepare to be impressed.

In the glass, "A" d'Aussieres is a deep opaque velvet-red color with deep garnet-red core and a tinged to light-brick rim definition with clear, high viscosity.

On the nose, the wine has tremendously forward dark fruit, soft vanilla, white pepper and star anise, followed by loads of crushed black fruit with dominance by black cherry and boysenberry. There also are some underlying mineral and smoked meat notes.

On the palate, there is rich, ripe black berry fruit with lots of spiciness, sloe fruit juice, pepper character, a big juicy midpalate and then a huge finish with lots of blackberry throughout. "A" d'Aussieres lingers tremendously on the palate with great spicy components and licorice root and lasts for a full 30 seconds with just a hint of acidity.

While possessing powerful tannins, they are kept in check by the immense fruit and acid for a good, balanced taste. "A" d'Aussieres is a big wine that requires at least 30 minutes out of the bottle before consumption. Although there are lots of fruit right away, the complexity of this wine shines through after aerating for while.

"A" d'Aussieres requires a meaty dish with a rich sauce, a big pepperoni pizza, or can alternatively be enjoyed as a wine to drink on its own. It should be good now through 2009.

Wine: "A" d'Aussieres

Grape: Syrah (75 percent), grenache (25 percent)

Region: Corbieres, Southern France

Vintage: 2003

Price: $13.99

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.