2006 Mas de Boislauzon Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Fall is on the way, time to stock up on sturdy reds. Here’s a Chateauneuf-du-Pape at a great price. Christine and Daniel Chaussy and their family have been making wine in the southern Rhone for five generations. This blend of mostly Grenache with a little Syrah and Mourvedre is their basic Chateauneuf -- juicy, ripe, a little smoky and wild. It’s a bottle to break out with friends who truly enjoy wine.

Pour it with braised meats (maybe a recipe from Daniel Boulud’s “Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine”), coq au vin or a pot roast. Open the bottle half an hour or so before dinner or decant it just before serving.

The Chaussy family also produces a couple of special Chateauneuf cuvees -- le Tintot and Cuvee du Quet -- in a higher price range, which are worth seeking out as well.

-- S. Irene Virbila

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Quick swirl

Region: Rhone Valley

Price: About $42

Style: Rich and full-bodied.

Food it goes with: Braised meats, pot roast, coq au vin.

Where you find it: Available at fine wine retailers.