💎 A Fancy Little Gem 💎
This week, we followed a hot tip and decided to meet a French red blend halfway. And by halfway, we mean the Dan Murphy’s down the road - a lot cheaper than the plane ticket, and you don’t need to sit next to some bloke eating tuna on the flight.
If you’ve ever wanted to pour something that looks three or four times the price and still have change for a KitKat Chunky, this week’s bottle might be your ticket.
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A French Detour Without the Air Miles ✈️
🍷 Gabriel Meffre Côtes du Rhône (2022)
We snagged this Gabriel Meffre Côtes du Rhône for $14 a couple of weeks back. Sadly, it’s shuffled back up to its regular $16.99 price tag now, but that's still not going to have you rifling through the couch cushions for loose change.
Taste-wise, this is a Grenache and Syrah blend. To be honest, not a combo we’ve really dived into much before. It’s smooth and easy to drink, but not the sort of bold, full-throttle red that usually wins our hearts. For our taste, it wasn’t perfection - a solid 7/10 on taste. But if you’re a Grenache fan, chances are you’ll be grinning ear to ear.
But here’s where it levels up in true Vine in the Rough fashion: perception points. On the shelf, this thing struts like it owns the joint. The French just know what they’re doing when it comes to dressing a bottle - classic label, 3D embossed neck, and ours even had that little dusting of cellar-dust on top, like it’d been aged in a castle guarded by wine monks. Line this up next to an $80 bottle and no one’s going to bat an eyelid. (The image above doesn't do this one justice)
So while the flavour alone might not have blown our socks off, the whole package certainly lifted the score a few points.
If you really want to get the most out of it, dust off that wedding-present decanter from your third cousin and give it a swirl. Not only will it breathe a little life into the wine, but it also adds some theatre at the dinner table - nothing like pouring from crystal to make your mates think you’re fancier than you are.
VITR Official Score: 8.5 / 10
👍 Reality vs Perception: Drinks like double the price tag. Looks like four times the price tag.
👩🎨 Label Aesthetics: In the flesh, this bottle is far more impressive than the image suggests.
👴 Comparison to Nonno’s Home Brew: Taste is priority 1 for Nonno, and we'd think this will be a hard pass.
🪩 Fit for an Engagement Party: Maybe not for the backyard style party with tubs acting as eskys. But a fancy dinner affair? Absolutely.
🤑 Keep the Change: Not much change out of this one.
Real Talk
📖 Fake It 'Til You Make It
Rhône Blend: Say it with a little shrug, like you’ve been casually drinking them for years. Sounds impressive, even if you had to Google where Rhône is.
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💡 Sip Tip
Decanter Drama: If a wine isn’t blowing you away at first sip, let it sit in the decanter while you chat. It tastes better by the second glass - or maybe that’s just you loosening up.
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🍿 Sip & Snack
Grenache Blend & Lamb Chops: Fire up the barbie and throw on some lamb chops with a squeeze of lemon. The wine’s smoothness matches the char perfectly.
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Until Next Issue, Cheers 🍷
A French red that proves sometimes the packaging, heritage, and price tag together can win you over as much as the taste. A bottle to impress without stress.
Don't forget to send us in your favourites! Here’s to the next hidden gem - wherever we find it. 🍷
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