One of our favorite producers in Chateauneuf du Pape is Domaine de Marcoux. The six foot, six inch tall Philippe Armenier may be the tallest person we visit in France on our yearly trips to the Rhone Valley. His wines (Cuvee Classique and Cuvee Vieilles Vignes in red, Cuvee Classique in white -- all biodynamic farming) are among the best Syrah/Grenache blends found anywhere in the world. This 1996 Classique is no exception. Rich, peppery and spicy, balanced, and more-than-reasonably priced considering the quality. The famous wine writer Robert Parker has touted Domaine de Marcoux for quite some time… 'Philippe Armenier is making some of the most compelling wines of the region… yields are kept very low and, not surprisingly, the quality is exceptionally high.' It's interesting to note that the Armenier families roots can be traced back over 500 years within Chateauneuf du Pape.