Wine of the week: Two Birds One Stone 2019

Cheap French red wine that’s worth drinking – who knew it still existed?

I tasted the 2018 version of this wine last summer, and was impressed. It wasn’t quite wine of the week material, but it reminded me of the kind of everyday red wine that was common not all that long ago.

And, of course, no longer is.

So get out the debit cards, Bitcoin, and even cash — because the Two Birds One Stone 2019 ($10, purchased, 12.5%) is wine of the week material. It’s a fruitier and more polished effort than the 2018, and a noticeable step up in quality.

The wine is made with carignan, usually used for blending. That’s because the grape can be difficult to work with as a varietal since it has lots of tannins and acidity. These were noticeable in the 2018 (the wine geek term for the result is “rustic”), but are well under control in the 2019. In fact, it’s dark and deep in flavor, with lots of almost syrah-style black fruit and a finish that reminds me of the legendary Mont Gravet Carignan.

Drink this – and you can even chill it – with almost any summer roast, beef or chicken. There is apparently a 2020, but I haven’t seen it or tasted it.

Imported by Wine Circle Imports