The Domaine Sorin was quite the surprise – I’d met friends for a Friday after-work stop at Tarragona on Capitol Hill. Tarragona is a small wine and food shop, run by Paula and Michael Hatch, and they’re running a series of themed tastings. The theme was the Rhone, with several affordable white, rose, and red wines. The standout, in my book, was the 2000 Sorin Tradition, which is a dead ringer for a decent Bandol. Which makes sense, being produced just outside the appellation boundary in St. Cyr-Sur-Mer (the village next door to Bandol on the Mediterranean).
The wine has a deep, dark fruit nose, with a big load of Mourvedre “leather and mineral” stink but no “barnyard.” My friend Vinny calls this “tree bark” as well, which is an apt description but one that doesn’t immediately come to mind for me (I guess I spend less time snuffling trees than he does). The Sorin has a decent though not deep palate, and a reasonable finish. The best part is that it retailed for $10/bottle, about right for having at the house for everyday dinners, etc. And a much better wine than anything you’ll find domestically for the same price.
