A review of a lovely blend, from France.

While checking the shelves for something new I came across a cute label with a black sheep on it. This was appropriate since Mouton Noir means "black sheep."

The Le Grand Mouton Noir Cabernet-Shiraz Vin de Pays D'Oc was reasonable at $9.99. I opened it to pair with a steak that evening.

What we discovered was a wine dark and velvety red in color. It started began with a nice nose of currant, blackberries, and just a hint of cedar. It has been aged in oak for 6 months, but is not overly oaky. There are flavors of currant and blackberries, but also with some black cherry and mineral.

This is a wine to savor. It has a dark fruit sweetness combined near the finish. The tannins are well balanced. It is a blend of 60% Cabernet and 40% Shiraz.

Bella Wine Recommends

Icon: Art of the Wine Label
Wine label design has undergone a renaissance where art meets marketing in the most powerful way, penetrating the subconscious, utilizing the power of suggestion to imply flavor and quality. The acknowledged masters of the new wine label design are Jeffrey Caldewey and Chuck House. Over the past several decades they have played a pivotal role in defining the global wine renaissance. They have created design for some of the world’s most sought after and/or most widely disseminated wine labels. Some labels are even pursued by collectors while others are displayed in the modern household as a design element.