Jean-Philippe Charpentier, Vin de Pays des Coteaux de Peyriac Rouge, 2003: A clean, lean and elegant wine from around the Minervois region. I’ve no idea what the cepage is, but I believe there to be a good portion of Carignan and maybe some Mourvedre and Grenache. Strawberries, thyme and balsam zipping around of the palate. The sturdy structure integrated and smoothed out on the 2nd day - but started to fall apart after the third. Medium-full bodied and quitly confident. Crushed rocks and strawberry Pez on the finish - Priorat-like - I wouldn’t be surprised if some there was some schistey/rocky soils in the vineyard. A character-full wine for the price (>$15US) for fellow terroir-heads.

Bernard Baudry, Chinon ‘Franc de Pied’, 2002: This bottle jumped out to me on the wine-list of local wine-bar-restaurant Chalk - at a good price on a bottle I’ve rarely seen at retail. Popped and poured.

Baryard funkdified, murky and massively old-skool. I loved it, but my wife was less convinced, especially by the nose. Classic Cabernet Franc flavors like bell pepper, V8 juice, and cherries. Some curious curry and saddle-leather in the mix. Chewy and round palate - this wine is beautifully open right now and probably wil be for a year or 2. Medium-bodied and a good mate to the duck and burger we had. Unfortunately, this vineyard succumbed to phylloxera a few years ago  - 2006 being the final vintage.

Domaine Oratoire St Martin, Côtes du Rhône, 2005: Probably the most accessible and easiest to love of the 3 wines - this Grenache-based red was singing with a buckets of strawberries and blueberries, pepper-spice, and minerality. Some Quince and plum. Great aromatics - I could smell the fruits across the room. Killer body and palate -  a spicy attack, generous and round-mouthfilling middle, and a welcome acidic lift on the backend. Smacking gravelly finish. Food friendly and still on the upswing in terms of longevity - This will be a repeat performer at our place, no doubt.

In my…commitment…to understand the scope and reach of Bordeaux’s varietals in their blended forms, I had a packed week/weekend featuring three of the five (Cab Franc, Sauv. and Merlot), blended with a few additional curveballs.  The lay of the land is quite interesting. I put the Nolados and the Cambra at the top, the Geol and Picque Caillou on the bottom.

I hope to try North and South American efforts plus an Italian to complete the circle.

Dominio Buenavista, Veleta ‘Nolados’ 2005

~$14US, 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Tempranillo, Vino de la Tierra Contraviesa Alpujarra, Granada, Spain

Deep ruby-purple. Heady aromas of plum, cassis, supported by red cherries and a subtle earthiness and minerality beyond. On day 1, the fruit was had big presence front and center, but it was not overpowered by the acidic lift and fine, but tight tannins. Deftly integrated oak - some spices and caramel, but again, balanced and harmonious. On day 3, the wine was generously evolved, smooth as silk with secondary and tertiary flavors and aromas…leather, tobacco, and a dusty, gravelly road. Tons of old world character lurking behind ripe-new-worldly fruits. And sweet tannins moving towards a clean finish.

I would have probably overlooked this wine, had it not been for a lucky tasting with the head of the estate, Dr. Juan Palomar and wife, locally last year. Their efforts are truly a great success -  This wine is a home run and an astounding value.

__

Rafael Cambra ‘Dos’

~$20US, 50% Cabernet Savignon, 50% Cabernet Franc, Valencia, Spain

While his Monestrall-based ‘Uno’ was less impressive to me, the ‘Dos’ delivered the goods. Deep dark violet color. The shy nose that opening up over the course of 5-6 hours - showing cherries and red currant, with a floral overtone. A little wet straw, bay leaf, green pepper and orange-zest too. The palate was full and vibrant, with a great acidity and structure - which softened to become almost lush, aside from some alcoholic bite on the backend. There’s a zesty Priorat-like schiste flavor on the finish. Sturdy.

This is a very precise and focused wine, with a understated elegance and an exotic streak. Bordeaux meets Priorat. Only a smidge less ABV would’ve made this classic. Maybe the 2004 or 2006  are a little less hot - I hope to try.

__

Thomas Cusine ‘GEOL’ 2005

~$21US, 65% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Carinena, Costers del Segre, Spain

A Monsterous blast of fruit from popping the cork to pouring…This is a ripping, ripe, large-scaled wine, and not your father’s Merlot. Lots of stewed fruit, plums, blackberries, and cherries. Some disintegration with a sweet syrupy oakiness, which turn me off a little. Very concentrated. The tannins seem medium, but the alcohol definitely seems hotter that the 14.5% ABV on label. But beneath lies an energy gives the wine momentum and keep it from flabbing out. This is a full-throttle primary fruit monster right now…It may become more complex and settle down, but there is plenty to enjoy if you’re in the mood now.

–

Château Picque Caillou 2005

~$20US, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux France

Beguiling aromas of Cherry cordials, tobacco, Spanish cedar, and sandalwood. Interesting and full of character - but a little thin through the palate. Clean minerality in the finish. Firm tannins and forward acidity probaby portent a good chance of fattening up in bottle over the next 3-5 years. Wait on this one - while the nose is cool - the palate is dissappointing right now.

~$15US, 100% Carignan, Vin de Pays des cotes de Thongue, Languedoc, France

The Carignan grape has been quietly awakening in old parcels of land surrounding the Mediterrean for the past decade. The grape was an easy bet in creating the ‘jug-wines’ of 19th and early 20th century - due to the vine’s high production and vigor. Since then, many very old plots have been grafted over to the more ‘marketable’ varieties like Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.

Luckily, a good amnount remains, and vignerons are focusing on taking advantage of these old, ‘wise’ vines. In Priorat, Carignan’s importance has been recognised as a key component (sometimes sole varietal)  in world-class wines, so long as yields are controlled and the wine is carefully vinified. Similar old plantings exist throughout Southern France, where the same care is being used to restore the vineyards- and wine-making techniques like carbonic maceration and whole-cluster fermentation can improve Carignan’s expressiveness and strength.

All that being said, the 100% Varietal Font de L’Olivier is a solid artisanal French wine for $15. Milk-chocolate covered-cherries give way to a very straight, honestly-structured wine. It begins and ends stronger than the midpalate, but there is enough going on to keep things interesting…like good acidity and big tannins, some secondary herby and licorice flavors. Very dry, even after lots of breathing-time, but moutherwatering finish. The stucture here make this a natural food partner, and I’d go with a fattier meat, like duck or sausages.  Old-word styling - It’s probably not going to convert any hardcore-Shiraz drinkers,  but I’d recommend it to them anyway just to try something out of-the-box/critter-kennel.

~US$30, Grenache/Carignan/Cabernet Sauvignon, Priorat Spain

I love Priorat wines for stories and soul that goes into the wines as much as the actual liquid. From accounts and photos of the area, it’s a beautiful and dangerous other-worldly terrain that would seem unlikely to be producing much in the way of agriculture/viticulture. But in the past 20 years,a small group of producers (led by Alvaro Palacios, Daphne Glorian, and Rene Barbier) have proven that through insanely hard work - world-class wines from indigenous varieties can be coaxed from the schisty, terraced cliffs.

Les Terrasses is Palacios’ entry-level Priorat cuvee, comprised of Grenache and Carignan with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. Pop and poured - zingy acidity, red fruits, but tight and astringent - so I put it away for 2 days to see how it developed. Retasted and it put on wonderful complexity and weight. Bing cherry flavors melded with a deep, herbal spiciness - primarily lavender and thyme. Immediately comparable in flavors to a Chataueneuf-du-Pape, just lighter in body. The Cabernet brings some nice cedar and currant to the midpalate with an clean tannic lift. Signature Priorat wet-slate finish, which could be lengthier. Even after 2 days open it still had very dry tannins which mark this for pairings with fattier foods - it could make your gums a little too sticky on its own. There is clearly enough fruit here to carry this wine for another day or 2 in an open bottle, or probably till 2018+ in cellar.

Personally, this is a great value @ $30 - because it affords the ability to be played with over a week - and it’s just delicious and not mind-blowingly alcoholic or too fruity or oakey. This is a finessed wine that probably wont be revelatory to the wine-drinker buying Spanish wines in the $10-15 range - but for those who drink the pricier Rhones, Shiraz, and even certain Bordeaux, this wine will have you wondering why you’d want to spend 2x or 3x this price.

~$US35, 85% Grenache, remainder Mourvedre, Syrah, etc. Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhone, FranceLess opaque than expected, but a nice garnet hue. Killer nose that just gave and gave and gave. The kind of wine you could just sniff and be satisfied for the evening. Explosive red cherries, serious cigar box (like Cuban Bolivars in a cedar cabinet), some herbal tones of basil and fennel and anise. Rich, but not reductive or jammy. The palate showed signs of serious craftsmanship and longevity for a wine in this price range. Medium-bodied, but deeply flavorful and dry, but not tannic. While enjoyable shortly after opening, the wine still was tight after 6 hours of decanting - not tight in a bad way because the flavors were all there the whole time. The wine simple put itself together continuously organizing the tannins, fruit, herbs, wood, acidity, etc in a way that become more and more harmonious.An excellent wine all said and done - one that you might pair with a good dry-aged steak. I think you’d have to enjoy a flavor-profile that favors herbs and cedar with fruit 2nd (I do!) to really enjoy this. This definitely has a long lifespan ahead, and if I get another bottle, I’ll wait till 2010. This is one of those wines, that despite all the recent popularity and hoopla, shows me why C-d-P is so near and dear to my heart. Big thanks to the 3 Wine Guys for the heads up on this bottle.

~$45US - Garnacha, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah,  Priorat, Spain

Night 1: Sweet-tarts. Strong plum and raspberry fruit, black pepper and zippy acidity. Firm tannins. Very tight. Whisper of oak. Must revisit tomorrow.

Night 2: Still tight, but opened up very nicely over several more hours. Plenty of fruit, but much deeper and longer as the tannins smoothed out. Leather and herbal (basil?) aromas float in and out of focus. Sweet-tartness still a primary attribute. Definite chalky and gravelly flavors on the finish that are just delicious in contrast with the fruit and acidity. White pepper.

This is truly and elegant and subtle wine. It has a fascinating structure - a very focused and linear core of fresh fruit surrounded by a periphery of wild, darting flavors- chalk, leather, coffee, herbs, flowers, rhum agricole.

The components of the blend are so well integrated that it’s hard to tell where one’s contribution ends, and another’s begins. This is a family of 4 grapes; each speaking, but telling one story about their home vineyard. A triumph of place over style or variety.

~$28US Carignan 60%, Mourvèdre 25%, Syrah 15%, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Deep purple. A some clear barnyard poopieness on first opening. Aromatic - after the funk blew off, serious cherry and blackberries. Medium-bodied on the palate, lean, and biased towards acidity. Cherries and red fruits coming through on the palate, a strange mix of fresh acidity and damp, earthy straw. Transitions from a round, chewey entry to a sharper, bright midpalate. Long finish that starts sweet, almost confectionery - but a note of orange-pip-bitteress detracts. The carignan seems to characterize this as a more classic wine, with old-world stoicism - the mourvedre and syrah adding the fruity dimensions. Actually opening up quite nicely for a 5-year old Languedoc-Roussillon - I could see this staying fresh for another 3-4 years.

Overall, very easy to drink and not terribly complex, as long as you are okay with a little old-skool funk. It reminds me of a big, earthy Barbera d’alba, or a simple village Burgundy on steroids. Food required for total enjoyment. It worked with braised short ribs, but would work even better with an rustic wild mushroom risotto or braised pork belly. Well made and distinctive, but I can’t decide if this is rebuy - even at the price I paid (well below the $28 retail), as there are so many Barberas, Pinots, and Rhone-blends out there…

Edit - On day 2 I retasted and I realized that the Siete 7 Navarra I had, at half the price, had just as much to offer…

~$27US  60% Grenache / 35% Carignan / 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, Priorat Spain

MAGENTA! Wicked color on this wine. Nose of fresh blueberries, smoked meats, and provincial herbs. Very chewey, deep-toned flavors of berries and herbs, which revealed the balancing acidity over time in the mouth. Then cabernet added a touch of tannic structure that was very well integrated. As it opened, it became softer and more liqueur-like, with some red-fruits coming into play. Very long finish, with stony and earthy notes.

This wine really offered the best of old and new world wine-styles - big and round fruit, with alluring wild herbal notes and an elegance to the overall presentation (no crazy oak, no crazy ABV, etc). Well done. A rebuy.

~$14US Seguret, Rhone, France

A delicious Seguret, selected by the grand dame of the Rhone, Ms. Feraud. This young but ready-to-drink CdR gives off a rich nose of distinctly ripe raspberries, some cherries and a bit of savory herbs and spices (sage and thyme). Broad and velvetly in the mouth, showing a good balance right out of the bottle. Ripe tannins make this easy to drink, but have enough presence to keep everything together, along with some good acidity. The overall feel shows the fruit as the centerpiece, and brings in the French country funkiness as secondary and supporting flavors. The finish is slightly marred by a slight bitterness and a strange iron note, holding this effort back from the WOW range… Not complex, but delicious, a strong value, and an auspicious peek into what the ‘05 Pegau could look like…

A great food companion and a terrific weeknight pop-and-pour. This wine would be a great ‘transition wine’ for someone used to drinking ~$10 Shirazes, looking to move upto the next tier of complexity and flavor. If only these great entry-level-French wines had critters on the label… well….maybe not.

~$18US Grenache and Carignan blend, Roussillon, France

Pop and pour. Ridiculously aromatic. Fresh thyme, rosemary, fresh berries, vetivert, cedar, tar. I’ve never been to Roussillon, but I hope this is what a jog through the hills smells like. Very round and coating on the palate, but a fresh streak of acidity and minerality brings vigor. A balance of sweet and savory, rustic but not clumsy, exotic flavors and aromas (sandalwood? lavender? glove leather?) intertwined with red fruits. Perfectly integrated - the kind of wine that is difficult to pick apart because it is just working. This would be wondrous with roasted pork with fruit or rabbit stew. Utterly compelling juice and a super value to boot. And to think that this is their ‘entry-level’ wine…