Domaine de Piaugier 'Tenebi' Le Counoise Sablet Rouge, 2019

THIS WINE IS SPECTACULAR. Domaine de Piaugier is situated in and around the village of Sablet, which stands proudly at the feet of the jagged Dentelles de Montmirail in the Vaucluse department of the Southern Rhône. The odd duck in the line-up, the Sablet "Tenebi" is mostly produced from the obscure counoise grape: "In 1990, I visited Beaucastel and I tasted their Counoise in barrels and I thought that was extraordinary and since I had some planted and had time to kill in 1991, I decided to bottle the Ténébi and it turned out even better than I thought it would," says proprietor Autran. The Tenebi is indeed on the the Southern Rhone's under the radar treasures!