2022 Domaine des Pasquiers - Cotes du Rhone Villages Plan de Dieu

Another brilliant Bassins Direct Import — and yet another Phil Bernstein find that proves why having a great wine buyer matters. While the Sablet showcases elegance, the Plan de Dieu is Domaine des Pasquiers at its most bold, generous, and powerfully expressive — a different beast entirely from the same four-generation organic Lambert family estate in the heart of Provence.

The "Plain of God" — whose name took on ironic meaning during World War II when Allied forces used it as an airstrip during the liberation of southern France — lies at the foot of the dramatic Dentelles de Montmirail limestone cliffs and is one of the Southern Rhône's most historically significant and prestigious village terroirs. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault aged in concrete prior to bottling — dark and intensely colored, with notes of black cherries and plums dominating the nose, full-bodied and chunky on the palate, compensating for what it may lack in delicacy with raw power, concentration, and a long, slightly dusty finish that is unmistakably, thrillingly Southern Rhône. Juicy structure, garrigue aromatics, and a menthol-tinged mineral finish round out a wine of genuine character and soul. Where the Sablet is the elegant sibling, the Plan de Dieu is the one that shows up to the party with something to say. Another Pasquiers steal — buy both and decide for yourself