1998 Domaine de la Morderee Co^tes du Rho^ne, Southern Rho^ne

Wow! This is a lot of wine for the buck. It’s lush, vibrant and full-bodied, dark ruby in color, bright with the taste of cherries, laced with ripe tannins. Its perfume practically jumps out of the glass. It’s the perfect bistro wine, just the thing for duck confit, roast chicken, baby lamb chops--in short, just about everything.

Christophe Delorme, one of the rising stars in the southern Rho^ne, also makes both a white and a red Lirac, along with two excellent roses, a Tavel and a regular Co^tes du Rho^ne. He’s a producer to watch.

About $9. Available at Beverage Warehouse, Marina del Rey, (310) 306-2822; Liquor and Wine Grotto, Montecito, (805) 969-5939; and Mission Wines, Pasadena, (626) 403-9463. If you can’t find this wine, ask your retailer to call the distributor, Adventures in Wine, (415) 467-0130.