2009 Domaine Les Grands Bois Cotes du Rhone ‘Cuvee Les Trois Soeurs’

Like their brethren here, sommeliers in France are making their own wines. One is Marc Besnardeau, a Paris sommelier, who married Mireille Farjon and became a vigneron. Her family estate, Domaine Les Grands Bois in Sainte-Cecile-les-Vignes, has vines that are 30 to 60 years old, which give the estate’s wines a depth they wouldn’t have with younger vines. Its Cotes du Rhone “Cuvee Les Trois Soeurs” is a blend of two-thirds Grenache with one third Syrah and Carignan.

The 2009 has that spicy, sauvage character of reds from the southern Rhone, richly perfumed and full-bodied, tasting of wild berries and herbs. This terrific Cotes du Rhone is perfect for a winter daube or stew, a roast or grilled lamb chops with herbes de Provence.

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Quick swirl

Region: Rhone Valley, France

Price: About $14

Style: Rich and full-bodied

What it goes with: Daubes and stews, roasts, grilled lamb chops

Where to find it: Beverage Warehouse in Los Angeles (Marina del Rey), (310) 306-2822, www.beverage

warehouse.com; Bob’s Market in Santa Monica, (310) 452-2493, www.bobs

mkt.com; K&L; Wine Merchants in Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, www.klwines

.com; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, www.winex.com; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, www.winehouse.com

--S. Irene Virbila