Domaine de l’Hortus, Bergerie Classique Rouge 2005:

~$15US, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Pic-St. Loup Languedoc, France

Raspberries and V8 Juice. A round and accessible wine, with a nice viscosity and fleshiness. Plush tannnins. Some subtle wild herbs and spices lead to a minerally finish. A Medium-full bodied wine drinking well right now - I’d pair it with a tomato-beef stew. A distinctive terroir-driven twist on a classic Rhone blend. As with the rest of Orliac’s wines, a strong buy.

Mas de Gourgonnier: Baux de Provence 2006
~$15US, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre, Baux de Provence, France

Rustic and deep - with very clearly articulated violets and lavender on the nose. Mixed berries and lively acidity. A little leather and hay. The tannins here are stiff but ripe and showed much more integration on the second day. Reminescent of a very good Cotes-du-Rhone Village. This has another 3-5 years in bottle to flourish and would do well with a rib-steak or anything that you’d sprinkle (duh) Herbs-de-Provence onto. This is some serious juice under $20 - although I think the Bergerie’s palate was a touch more distinctive and graceful on my palate.

]]> http://bestdrinkever.net/2008/11/18/more-blends-from-france/feed/ http://bestdrinkever.net/2008/11/10/weekend-round-up/ http://bestdrinkever.net/2008/11/10/weekend-round-up/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:13:34 +0000 jseeds http://bestdrinkever.net/?p=270 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.

Sella Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Reserva 2005 $US9: Who turned on the Funk Machine? Barnyard leaping from the class, with mineral oil and red cherries. Violets and dried herbs with air time. Transparent, Pinot-like color. Round palate with medium-weight - excellent acid freshness and balance. If you run with the funkand have some red-sauce and/or game, this is your wine.

Château Tour de Ségur, Lussac-Saint-Emilion, 2005 ~$20US, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon

Black cherries and cream on the nose. Cherries and red currant notes on the palate - not terribly complex but a solid structure with taught tannins, vibrant acidity on the backend and good clean fruit. With time, the nose and palate became more expressive, bringing a softness, but the tannins remained grippy and dusty yet sweet. A medium-bodied wine, offering some elegance at a fair price. A good partner with roasted white meats.

Famille Lignères ‘Le Cabanon de Pascal’ Corbières, 2003 ~$15US, Grenache

This bottle was shared with friends and emptied very quickly, so my notes are scarce. Broad-shouldered and spicy, with cherries, raspberry and garrigue notes. Peppery finish. I touch of clove and orange. Opulent and juicy but fresh and not over-the-top. A taste of Chateauneuf-du-Pape at 1/3 of the price, and more accessible in its youth. At this price, this is the kind of wine everyone should try (and I need to get more of!).

My first Austrian Red. Deep red, more opaque than I’d imagined for some reason.  One the nose cherries and cranberries, with a good deal of funk in the mix (Sweaty socks, wet leaves, a little dirt and green peppers), reminding me of an imaginary blend of a Cru Beaujolais and a Loire red.  But smokier?

On the palate very juicy, round, and medium-bodied - with a really satisfying balance of fruit, tannins, and acidity. Very much a mix of old- and new-world experiences with plump, ripe cherries and a bizarre fringe of earthy flavors. Tomato skins and more cranberries throughout  - even a touch of meatiness. A little bitterness towards the finish, but fair length and some tannic bite, even on day 2.  Some pencil shavings and a hint of oak-spice show in the finish. Quite a bit of complexity actually. Food friendly structure - I’d try it with turkey.

To me, the overall feel was more Burgundian than any other of my points of reference - which is admirable in any $16 wine.  This is not a wine for everyone, but for those into old-world Gamay, Cab Franc, and Pinot Noir, you might be supprised with what Austria can offer. As interesting as it was, I’ll probably not re-buy , but I will be on the lookout for more red Austrians.

I’ve been haunted by the Flor de Pingus I had a few months ago with it’s rich fruit and earthy, primordial robustness. I can’t imagine what the actual Pingus is like - but in any case, I’ve been looking for another Tempranillo that can deliver even a bit of that flavor profile at an everyday price. The Prima does a great job of hitting a few of key flavor buttons in the under $20US range.

Super-dark inky purple. Beautiful nose of plums and blackberries, with an wonderful tobacco and leather underlaying. The oak is poking out a little, but does not intrude - it ads a slight vanilla edge. Volumnous and big on the palate, with blackberries and maduro tobacco. A touch of heat from the 14.5%ABV. Firm tannins. Concentrated and tight still - it needed some time to unwind.

Day 2: A luxurious evolution to a much more velvety and integrated wine. This is not going to win awards for elegance, but there is good scale and complexity, with 2nd and 3rd tier flavors (some espresso, violet and lavender aspects). The oak still there, still not overpowering the fruit, but there. 4-6 more years would probably make this wine rock even more.

This is a genuine and accessible wine - highly recommended and easy to love.

~$45US, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Lone Canyon Vineyard, Napa Valley

Midnight Black Ink.

Of all the wines to spill on the wool rug…

In any case, what was left in the bottle was extremely sturdy (eek Infanticide!) - A tannic beast that evolved very slowly over 7 days to reveal bunches of cherries, plums and leather. Mountain fruit indeed.

For me, this was more of a curiousity at this point - I had no idea what to expect, and I cannot imagine where this will go, and how long it will take to get there - but don’t drink it around toddlers and/or furniture.

Fragrant yellow peach and apricot preserves. Very primary and ripe at this point - leaning towards a touch more sweetness than the acids can balance. After 2 days - more integration and secondary flavors play out, with ripe watermelon, plum candy and slate on the finish. More elegant and food friendly with the air time as the acidity comes into focus. This is drinking well right now, but but there are better values offering much of the same in the near-term. However I believe this has the potential to become an excellent Riesling with 5-7 years patience.

A stark contrast with the Leitz in terms of balance and flavor, once again demonstrating the fascinating breadth of Riesling.

Ruby-garnet color. Shy nose, with some black cherry and plum. A little mildew/seaweed earthiness in the mix to - but not detracting. Juicy palate - with a soft approach supported by some fine tannins. An attractive sweetness towards the finish. Quite drinkable now, and probably for the next 3 years.

A solid wine that opened up nicely over the course of 2 days. I can’t complain, and I can’t find many faults for a Bordeaux in this price range. Quality Cotes de Castillon - but for me, many other $15 wines have left a stronger impression on me.

Slight hay color. The nose brings gobs of marzipan, green apple, white peach, some red cherry and wet slate. Powerful, fresh and vibrant. The wine bursts wide on the palate gripping the tongue with tons of ripe fruit, teasing with a notion of sweetness, then drilling towards a tangy, clean finish.  Passionfruit and guava in the mix. Right now this is a wild ride of a wine - an extraordinary amount of fruit without going into sweet-tooth land, balanced with ripping key-lime acidity.

This is the proverbial fruit scalpel to the proverbial fruit hatchet. I can’t imagine another Riesling at this price I’d rather have with Indian food. Kudos Josef-L - 2007 is looking like a classic and beautiful year in the Rheingau, after a slightly outsized 2006.