Clos de Sixte Lirac

[tanabutler]

As posted in the California board in the Ferry Plaza marketplace thread:

I had lunch earlier in the week at the Ferry Plaza, for the first time ever at Mistral Rotisserie Provençale. I had been there in June, but thought then the food would be better suited to a wintry day. At last, that day came.

Along with white beans and ratatouille, I ordered the Niman Ranch pork shoulder. With sides of spicy cranberry sauce and the best mustard I've had in years, it was absolutely delectable. Best of all, we took our plates to the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and ate in the bar. My friend had a flight of three reds, and I had a single glass of Huber Pinot Noir. One of her reds zinged me, though, and I came home with a bottle of Clos de Sixte Lirac, which is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. It was wonderfully fragrant, with cassis and cherry notes in it, and it went perfectly with the pungent mustard. It was a charming wine.

So I came home and Googled, and found this:

And finally, after delays, "Clos de Sixte" is almost here, and I have tasted it now that it has been bottled. Killer. What can I say? Juicy, luscious, deep spices, smooth, creamy, pleasingly plump. Shows the big, fat ripeness of the very hot 2003 vintage. I'm telling you, get a case of this (for only $195) and you'll look forward to your next bottle every single time. As soon as Parker rates this, oh Idunno, 94 points, folks will come from all over to buy this. You're reading this now...get your case.

And this:

A beautiful, elegant wine with divine definition and poise and irresistable purity on the finish, this is a "must-buy" wine, especially when you discover the price (about a 5% of the First Growth 2003's.)

They've got it in D.C. for $15 a bottle, though it costs $18 on the West Coast.

Why are you still sitting there? Time's a-wasting!