Opened Tuesday night, and finished off last night.

A Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, et. al. blend. This wine is very dark red/black. The nose was pretty reserved, a little plum and a wiff of toast. The toasty / yeast flavor carried on to taste. I'm not sure if this is a fault or what. Toast in a red wine seems kind of freaky, it was not toasty like "toasted oak" but "toast" like bread, or yeast, in a sparkling wine.

The wine was thick and extracted, with light tannins for all the color and thickness. Truthfully I think Phelps is going more for feel than taste on this one. There is some black fruit, and it tastes ripe, but it's more of a texture wine. A hint of pepper on the finish.

Overall an 85-87, Id recommend this if your new to Rhone blends and want an easy introduction, or if you have a crowd to please with an easy drinker.

Paul paul@hockeyguy.com

I recently acquired 2 cases of the 98 Le Mistral at a substantial discount. I had in past posts commented not favorably on this Le Mistral bottling as opposed to the 97 which was stunning. The 98 has evolved quite nicely and drinks much better now than previously. Haven't tasted the 99 or 00. I do however think this is a very nice style of wine. It does require a few years of time before its ready.

How's it going?
You mention a peppery finish, would you pair this juice with a spicy(not hot) beef?
I had a Guenoc Petite Syrah a few weeks ago, that paired very well with a Korean or Asian spice steak.
Are you familiar with the Guenoc?
If so, would you mind comparing the two?
Gracias.-

Named after the winds that cool down the Rhone valley, Le Mistral is primarily a syrah, grenache and mourvedre blend.

Dark red, almost purple. Plum, pepper and spice on the nose. Full bodied with dark berries and liquorice on the taste. Nice long finish with slight silky tannins. 91 points

Paid $39.95 CDN.