We really enjoyed this 2016 Domaine des Escaravailles “La Ponce” — a nice Grenache/Syrah blend from Rasteau, a parish in the southern Rhone valley located 15 miles northeast of the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape (famous for Grenache/Syrah). Domaine des Escaravilles was founded in 1953 by Jean-Louis Ferran with his sons, Jean-Louis and Daniel. The Domaine is currently run by Daniel’s son, Gilles who uses sustainable and organic practices and all grapes are manually harvested.
The Grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%) blend (aged in concrete) is full bodied with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, cherries and violets that display a richness that increases with each sip. The 2016 wine has very balanced tannins and acidity that leads to a very nice finish. Regions – Rasteau, Cairanne, Roaix and Saint Roman de Malegarde are up and coming and Domaine des Escaravailles is one of the top producers. We suggest pairing with beef, lamb or venison and give this wine 4 glasses. 
This wine is carried by Bird Rock Fine Wines for a steal for $24!
About myredwineguys
My red wine guys, Jim and Rich, have been drinking and comparing red wines together for the last 10 years. We drink reds exclusively (except for champagne during New Year’s Eve celebration's or special occasions). In our search to find the best red wine for the buck, we are constantly buying and drinking a variety of reds. Frequently, we see many of our favorite reds increase in price (making them impractical to buy and consume with the dismal economy). This motivates us to try and compare lesser known reds from a variety of wineries. We are constantly telling our friends where to buy and save on these great reds. One weekend over a bottle of red wine (of course), we decided to share our recommendations with the world via a blog (with the support of our wives who really think this is another way for us to drink more red wine). We are going to be making road trips up the coast and sharing our opinions on some great California Reds.
Jim is a retired Navy Senior Chief now working as a Navy Technical Rep. His world travels have given him the opportunity to taste wines on different continents. He finds himself often comparing them to his favorite region – Napa Valley’s Oakville/Rutherford districts that produce some of the world’s best Cabernet Sauvignon's.
Richard is a musician who grew up in Santa Maria with a family rich with red wine tradition. According to the family legends, his grandfather used to make wine out of grapefruit when grapes were not available. He grew up drinking and making wine with his father and other Italian families in the central coast, long before there were grape vines in the area. In fact, the reason his family located to California was to make wine!
Thank you for visiting our site! We hope you enjoy a glass of exceptional red wine soon!
