Wine of the Week

This is an incredible wine for $10. Inky dark red in color, absolutely luscious with no rough edges, it’s ripe and smooth on the palate, tasting of blue-skinned plums and spice. It’s clearly unfiltered--that sediment in the bottom of the bottle is a good thing. The grapes are mostly Carignan, with some Syrah and possibly a little Mourvedre in the blend.

Underrated and unappreciated in this country, Corbieres is the leading appellation in the Languedoc region of southern France. For the price of a movie ticket, you can try this truly Mediterranean wine, which is just right for summer.

Keep an eye out, too, for the Chateau Mansenoble reserve from the same vintage, which is this wine squared--for just a few dollars more.

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About $10. Available at Woodland Hills Wine Co. in Woodland Hills, (818) 222-1111; Wally’s in West Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454; Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (714) 650-8463; and Vintage Wines Limited in San Diego, (858) 549-2112. If you can’t find it, have your local wine store call the distributor, Angelus Wine Co., (818) 764-2221.