The wines made by Marjorie and Stephane Gallet under the Roc des Anges brand are rapidly befoming legendary wines from the Roussillion, much like wines from Domaine Gauby and Clos des Fees are.
Their wines are part of the unheralded in the region with a list that includes Vaquer and Domaine de la Rectorie and Precipitorie. Like Rectorie and Vaquer, there’s a magic to the wines the Gallets produce, and that magic extends to their everyday brand, L’Effet Papillon, both red and white, and soon the rose.
Having been buying wines from Roc des Anges since the 2007 vintage, when the L’Effet Papillion was first sent to the USA I grabbed a few bottles. Each year since then (2014 I think) I’ve been always awaiting what may be one of the best bargains on the planet when it comes to everyday drinking wine that tastest and performs like a wine two or three times the price. The Blanc is a well balanced blend of Macabeu and Grenache Blanc while the Rouge is Grenache Noir and Syrah, and likely some Carignan.
The two wines remind me of the old days of Guigal’s Cote’s du Rhones that always outperformed wines that were in their price range and above. The freshness of the white, the fruitiness of the red, the spice in both, and the distinctive minerality in the wines is both classic Roussillion as much as they are classy wines.
Big bright cherry, blueberry and deep strawberry flavors make the red a real crowd pleaser, while the peach, melon, lime and lemon zest gives the white L’Effet Papillion such a nice twist and kick.
And for those reasons and more, that’s why the L’Effect Papillion wines are today’s WineSiders’ Wines of The Day!!!
