EAST COAST PALATE

So it begins.  An aftertaste of bacon and mushroom omlette and coffee still lingers as I venture in to a bottle of 2007 Côtes du Rhône - the Réserve by Perrin et Fils - that I opened last night after work.  Some say that the palate is freshest in the a.m. hours, and so best for doing tastings.  This wine is young enough that 12 hours time (with the screwtop cap back on) definitely will help it open up.  Last night I noted that the initial aroma was like raspberry jam smeared in an oiled up baseball glove.  The plummy and peppery flavors had to fight a bit to get through the alcohol's heat (a surprise given the 13% alc./vol.) , but the fresh fruit and acidity came though nicely.
Alright...pouring a glass.  Vibrant red in the sunlight coming through my bedroom window.  The cherry and raspberry notes don't have to elbow their way past that pungent chemically alcohol burn any more.  Not a fruit bomb by any means, this wine now seems more subtle, but the leather component is still there. 
A sip... ripe cherry and that peppercorn spiciness (likely coming from the 20% Syrah in the wine) come through on the palate, with some of that tartness that would be in a not-quite-ripe plum.  It's not a complex wine, but it's well made and decently balanced.  Last night I rated this blend as a B wine, which is to say in the mid 80's as far as points go.  This wine only costs ten bucks, so for the value it's a great wine to have on a weeknight with some takeout Italian from Mamma Lucia's.