2003 Le Signal Domaine Lignères

So tonight I've decided to open up a bottle of wine from the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France, certainly one of my favorite wine regions outside of Bordeaux, with the signature blends based on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, they tend to be much more fruit forward and in many ways more food friendly wines than some other regions of France.  This particular wine is a blend of Carignan (80%), Grenache (10%), Syrah (5%) and Mourvèdre (5%), which is interesting as I've not tried many wines based primarily on Carignan.  This wine also had an interesting story on the label (yes I do read these things!) and apparently in the 1920s the winemaker delivered the domaine's wines in a Berliet truck designed to carry barrels.  He took 22 hours at an average speed of less than 7 mph to go from Alaric Mountains to Lourdes where he finally delivered his wine!

The wine itself is a deep purple color in the glass, and the nose exhibits scents of mint, ripe plums and blueberries and a good bit of earthiness, perhaps a hint of truffle.  The fruit was pleasant at the outset, with some chewy plum and black cherry flavors, there were some spice notes and a bit of cinnamon midpalate.  The tannins were very subdued, making for not much of a finish, though it was still pleasant.

Overall, I would rate this wine a mid-range 7, it's a pleasant one that might be a year or so past its prime, but at least it was a bargain - I picked it up at my local D&W for only $13!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled pork tenderloin with a wasabi marinade, some steamed broccoli and a baked potato, a wonderfully fall dish, and the best part is that fruit in the wine really compliments the flavors of the pork and spice of the wasabi, so delicious!