Lirac has produced wines for over 2,000, yet for many wine drinkers it’s still relatively unknown, overshadowed by its neighbors like Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The region produces quality wines from very similar terroir to CdP, but its under-the-radar status often means Lirac’s wines cost a fraction of what some of its neighbors’ wines cost.
The 2107 Coudoulis Lirac Evidence is one of those quality wines, and you’re going to be blown away both by the wine and its price. Located in Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres, a commune in the Gard department in Southern France, the winery dates back to 1960 when the Callet family gave birth to a grand cru from the Rhône Valley.
Wine Enthusiast notes that recently “Lirac has emerged from the shadows to become something different.” Domaine Coudoulis—one of the most important wineries from the appellation—is leading the way to that “something different.”
In the early 2010s, current owner and vigneron Bernard Callet made some big changes to the already well-respected Domaine Coudoulis. He rebuilt the winery and eliminated chemical fertilizers and weed killers in the 70 acres of vineyards while implementing harvesting and sorting of grapes by hand. The changes took Domaine Coudoulis to the next level allowing the winery to carry out its mantra to “live up to their terroir.” The wines from this Lirac hidden gem are stunning.
Evidence is a classic Rhône red blendof Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan. Wine Enthusiast blesses this “hedonistic” wine with 91 points, and calls it “a big, powerhouse winepacked with rich, ripe blackberry and plum flavors.” James Suckling raves about its “really bold and fleshy array of blueberry and dark-plum flavors.” The wine has an enticing earthy, mineral edge that complements its fruitiness just perfectly.
The 2017 vintage in Southern Rhône, according to Decanter, produced “structured and ageworthy wines.” The publication also noted that Lirac’s “reds were particularly successful…neat, precise, and highly drinkable.”
The 2017 Coudoulis Lirac Evidence lives up to all Decanter says about the vintage. With our 30% discount and the Lowest Price Anywhere, it’s impossible not to jump on this opportunity to experience one of the Southern Rhone’s best reds—for under $20
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