Welcome to my French Wine section. I hope you enjoy
and learn.
2003 Domaine de la Solitude Cote du Rhone
As many of you know,
I love Cotes du Rhone. This was tasted December 27, 2006. I was blown away by
this wine. Bursting with intensely ripe fruit aromas - blackberry, raspberry,
plum. Just enough of the gamy, black olive character imparted by the rocky terroir (which is the Rhone valley earthiness I love) in which the vines grow to
make this wine more interesting than most. This wine is a mouthful. Full bodied
and fat with big smooth tannins providing structure. Long and round on the
finish with a touch of smoke en finale.
I purchased several
bottles of this wine.
2003 Notre
Dame de Cousignac Côtes du Rhône Hommage Leon Pommier (Po-me-a)
Tasted November 18, 2006. Wow! Is all I can say. This
is the kind of wine I can really get excited about. Great taste of
cherries and licorice. Strong pepper. Very dry on the palate. This one improves
after a couple hours of decanting. Exhibits copious quantities of
black cherry fruit intertwined with currants, licorice, smoke, and underbrush.
This is a full-bodied wine, very heady. Expect to pay to pay between $16 - $20.
2003 Bois de Meges Gigondas
(jhee-gon-dahs)
I have not yet tasted this other than with Rex, the wine distributor, who was
kind of enough to open a bottle.
I plan on a Filet Migon to have with this. I know I like it, but I hope to
provide more of a full description of the experiment.
I can tell you this is from the region of France, I
believe produces the best wines in the world, The Rhone Region in Southern
France.
Notable Facts:
The wines of Gigondas are muscular and robust. Kind of an old-school type wine
if you will, not concentrating on being high-tech, easy-drinking or smooth, this
wine is an in-your-face red daring the consumer to try it’s spicy, leathery,
soulful juice. Good producers are making wines able to age for up to 10 or 15
years, Grenache is the main player, making up to (but not to exceed) 80% of the
wine, Syrah & Mourvedre make up the majority of the extra 20%, although some
other Cote-du-Rhone varietals can be found in small amounts. Roses are seen less
outside the area, but make good, spicy, dry wines.
Tasted November 26, 2006: I tasted this along
with the Italian Barolo. Though the Barolo was superior, this Gigondas is a
great wine. Just like the description said, it was in your face, tasting the dry
tannins, spice, and leathery feel. I really liked this red wine. Worth buying a
few more bottles. I think with a couple of more years, the tannins will soften
and it will be even a better wine; though I am not complaining about it now - it
was great.
Chateau Haut Gardere 2003 (aught-gore-dare)
This is a classic French Bordeaux. Tasted November 11,
2006. This is an excellent wine. I paid $26 but is probably worth more.
This has a nice fruity nose, medium bodied with tannins that do not overwhelm or
dry out the mouth. I had four friends taste this wine and everyone loved
it's taste. Wine Spectator gave this 91 points.
Gary Vaynerchuck
says it is worth much more. This is a blend of Cabernet Fran and a
little Merlot. Exact amounts I am unable to find yet.
There are five red grape varieties used in Bordeaux.
The three principal red varieties used are: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc.
The other two red grape varieties occasionally used are: Petit Verdot, Malbec.
There are three white grape varieties used: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc,
Muscadelle.
2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Saint Laurent Domaine
Tasted November 4, 2006. Had this with a
roast Saturday night. The
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge comes from an assemblage of 90% Grenache Noir grape
and 10% Syrah grape. It has a deep red colour with purple shades and a fragrant
bouquet, combining mocha, violet, blackberry, blackcurrant and a hint of
cinnamon. It is a full-bodied wine that improves with age. On the palate, it
reveals flavours of kirsch, dark chocolate and candied fruits with hints of
flint and oak.
Domaine Saint Laurent is a family-run vineyard in
the Rhone Valley (in south-east France). The Domaine Saint Laurent vineyard uses
traditional methods to cultivate wines across its 30 hectares and four different
soil types. Grapes are still harvested by hand and no pesticides are used on the
estate.
http://www.domaine-saintlaurent.com/
Chateau Ollieux Romanis - Corbieres 2003
This is a excellent red wine from the Rhone region of France, best know for the
wildly popular Chateauneuf du Pape wine. However, this wine grown in the same
region and same quality of grapes is about half the cost. This particular wine
can be purchased at Dallas Fine Wine &
Spirits.
The
Corbières have been known in the past for cheap, uncomplicated red wine produced
in vast quantities to quench the thirst of northern France. However, over the
past twenty years things have been quietly changing. The producers have
organised themselves and attained Appellation d'Orignine Controlle (AOC) status,
and adopted new technology while still retaining the best of their old
traditions; poor quality vines have been pulled up and replaced with better
ones. The best Corbières wines can now hold their own with the classic French
vintages of Bordeaux and Burgundy, and prove it by regularly snapping up prizes
at national competitions. Some of the very best wines, by their nature, are
produced in small quantities and it is rare to find them outside the region of
production. Yet at the same time, compared to better known wine regions, prices
are still very reasonable. The producers are justly proud of their achievements,
and willing to demonstrate the point by offering tastings on the spot. Many
local restaurants also make a point of showcasing local wines alongside regional
specialties.
