Loire Valley Delight - Vouvray Wine

Domaine Pichot Vouvray Le Peu de la Moriette 2020

Talk about an institution - Jean-Claude Pichot runs the domaine the way his family has since 1770.  Vineyard Brands imports it.  All three of the Pichot vineyards yield Chenin Blanc grapes, and the ones for this wine came from Le Peu de la Moriette. The wine was vinified in oak barrels, has alcohol at 12.5% abv and it cost about $18 at Whole Foods Market.

This wine is dry, has a pale yellow tint and smells like lemons, flowers and just a hint of oak.  It is a beautiful bouquet.  The palate shows more citrus along with peaches and nectarines.  There is a bit of orange zest on the finish, which is rather lengthy.  The acidity is as fresh as you need for mussels or other shellfish.  I used it in a mushroom broth - like you would make for mussels, but without them - and my wife raved about it.

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Chenin Blanc From Vouvray

Talk about an institution - Jean-Claude Pichot runs the domaine the way his family has since 1770.  Vineyard Brands imports it.  All three of the Pichot vineyards yield Chenin Blanc grapes, and the ones for this wine came from Le Peu de la Moriette. The wine was vinified in oak barrels, has alcohol at 12.5% abv and it cost about $18 at Whole Foods Market.

This wine - Domaine Pichot Vouvray Le Peu de la Moriette 2020 - is dry, has a pale yellow tint and smells like lemons, flowers and just a hint of oak.  It is a beautiful bouquet.  The palate shows more citrus along with peaches and nectarines.  There is a bit of orange zest on the finish, which is rather lengthy.  The acidity is as fresh as you need for mussels or other shellfish.  I used it in a mushroom broth - like you would make for mussels, but without them - and my wife raved about it.

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Four Great Pink Wines For Spring - Or Anytime

Wine importers are important.  Good ones can sniff out the good stuff and bring it to us from all over the world.  Mack and Schühle are Miami-based importers who find great wine and pass it along at a price that is more than fair.  Founded in 1939, the company expanded to the Miami office a number of years ago.  They produce wine in Italy and Spain and distribute other wines globally.

Here are a few pink wines found by Mack and Schühle which would fit nicely on anyone's porch or patio.

Mosketto Frizzante Rosato NV

This fun, pink wine comes from the Vino d'Italia appellation, from grapes grown in Piedmont.  It's a blend of 80% Moscato and 20% Brachetto grapes which the distributor says is produced in a "modified Martinotti method."  Fermentation is stopped to keep the alcohol low and the fruit fresh.  Alcohol content is only 5.5% abv - a real summer sipper - and the wine retails for $12.

This wine is very sweet, very low in alcohol and as drinkable as it gets.  There is no brain-stumping complexity here, just sweet, simple sipping pleasure.  The Moscato/Brachetto blend is a wine of Italy, one that shows sweet floral aromas and sweet peaches on the palate.  Acidity is fairly low, but the wine pours frizzante and will be suitable for spicy or salty dishes.

Art of Earth Organic Rosé 2019 comes from Michigan negociant Woodberry Wine.  They produce wines from Germany, Spain, Argentina, Italy and this one, from France.

The appellation is Vin de France - I don't have any more specific sourcing for the vines - and the organic grapes are 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah.  The wine has alcohol at 13% abv and a sticker price of $14.

This beautiful, pale salmon-colored wine has a nose which is just as gorgeous - melon, cherry and strawberry aromas dominate, with a little herbal angle in the mix.  Herbs become more focused on the palate, which carries a nice tartness along with the racy acidity.  There is a grapefruit flavor draping the red fruit and adding to the freshness.  It's a really great, and complex, rosé. 

The 2020 Fête de Fleurs Rosé was made in the heart of the AOC Côtes de Provence Region by a cooperative of a hundred local winegrowers, Maîtres Vignerons de Vidauban.  It was formed 110 years ago in the spirit of rosé, the raison d'etre of Provence.  The terroir features the stony galet soil for which the area is known and the vintage was blessed with dry mistral winds.

The importer says the wine is released each year in time for the French celebration of Springtime, the Fete des Fleurs or Festival of Flowers.  The grapes involved are 40% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 10% Carignane, 10% Syrah, 3% Mourvèdre and 2% Rolle.  It was aged on the lees, or sur lie, carries alcohol at 13% abv - possibly as low as 11.5% - and it sells for $19.

The Acquesi Brachetto DOC Piemonte is a spumante, or sparkling wine, made from 100% Brachetto grapes grown in the Monferrato area of Piedmont.  The wine carries a very low alcohol content of 6.5% abv and a retail suggestion of $18, although it is usually lower.

This wine colors up in the beautiful garnet red for which Brachetto is famous, and it has a layer of fine, light violet bubbles atop it, which are quite long lasting.  The nose is rich with cherries, strawberries, red currant, flowers and an earthy element - an absolutely wonderful collection of aromas.  The palate is sweet with a cherry pie flavor and baking spices, all rolled into a candy treat.  The acidity is very nice.  While the winery calls this a dessert wine - it is, really - it also pairs nicely with dessert favorites like anisette cookies, chocolates or apricot tarts.

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Bordeaux Legends - Big BDX

There is perhaps no name that is more connected with wine from Bordeaux as the name Rothschild.  The Domaines Barons de Rothschild have for years been benchmarks of French wine, a bar to which other winemakers are compared - and one to which they aspire.

DBR (Lafite) has a line of wines, Les Légendes, a line which they say displays that Bordeaux has been in their roots for generations.  The aim of Les Légendes is to let individual appellations in Bordeaux speak for themselves, hopefully bringing a better understanding of the diversity of the Bordeaux region to consumers.

A recent virtual tasting event, hosted by DBR winemaker Diane Flamand, explored five Bordeaux wines from various notable regions - Saint-Émilion, Médoc, and Pauillac.  The wines were made under Flamand's supervision, as they have been since 2004.  

The grapes for the Saint-Émilion, Pauillac and Médoc wines came from DBR (Lafite)'s own vineyards, while the Bordeaux red and white blends were sourced from partner growers in the Entre-Deux-Mers region.  Flamand said during the tasting event that she purchases the Entre-Deux-Mers bottlings as finished wines, from trusted partners.  

Flamand noted that the Les Légendes wines were made to be immediately drinkable and easy to understand.  She did not want anyone to think that these wines had to be cellared for a decade or two before enjoying them.

Les Légendes Saint-Émilion 2016

This wine is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.  A Merlot-heavy mix is customary in Saint-Emilion.  Aging took place over a full year, but only 40% of the juice saw oak.  The winery describes the 2016 vintage as remarkable, a growing season which started wet, turned dry, got wet again and ultimately sported a surprise warm spell at the end.  Alcohol hits 13.5% abv and the wine retails for $40.

This very dark wine gives off a nose of anise, plums and blackberries, with a savory edge of leather and tar, or forest floor.  The palate offers an exquisite example of Bordeaux - smooth and savory at the five-year mark.  The tannins are fine and sweet, but are more than able to help out with a pot roast, beef stew or pork dish.

Les Légendes Médoc 2018 

The folks at DBR (Lafite) identify Cabernet Sauvignon as the star of the Médoc, and they say this wine gives the star its proper stage.  The wine is 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, with 3 to 9 months of aging in vats, 50% or which were oak.  Alcohol checks in at 14.5% abv and the wine retails for $26.

This wine shows a medium-dark ruby tint in the glass.  Its nose is laden with dark fruit - blackberry, plum, currant - and laced with licorice, leather and sweet oak spice.  The palate puts on an amazing display of fruit while serving up a savory side that stops just short of bramble.  The tannins are firm and the finish lingers quite a while.  It is a delicious wine.

Les Légendes Pauillac 2017

Pauillac is an appellation within Médoc.  It is noted for its gravel-on-clay soil, which drains well and helps the vines grow deep roots.  Cabernet Sauvignon leads the way here at 65% of the composition, while Merlot makes up the rest.  Alcohol reaches only 12.5% abv and the retail price is $54.

This is a wine with a medium-dark tint to it.  In addition to red berries, the nose brings a floral element and a trace of oak.  On the palate, the fruit is forward while the savory oak notes come in behind.  Tannins are quite firm and the acidity provides a tingle.  The finish is long, with a hint of mint in it.  

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Bordeaux Legends - Basic BDX

There is perhaps no name that is more connected with wine from Bordeaux as the name Rothschild.  The Domaines Barons de Rothschild have for years been benchmarks of French wine, a bar to which other winemakers are compared - and one to which they aspire.

DBR (Lafite) has a line of wines, Les Légendes, a line which they say displays that Bordeaux has been in their roots for generations.  The aim of Les Légendes is to let individual appellations in Bordeaux speak for themselves, hopefully bringing a better understanding of the diversity of the Bordeaux region to consumers.

A recent virtual tasting event, hosted by DBR winemaker Diane Flamand, explored five Bordeaux wines from various notable regions - Saint-Émilion, Médoc, and Pauillac and Entre-Deux-Mers.  The wines were made under Flamand's supervision, as they have been since 2004.  

The grapes for the Saint-Émilion, Pauillac and Médoc wines came from DBR (Lafite)'s own vineyards, while the Bordeaux red and white blends were sourced from partner growers in the Entre-Deux-Mers region.  Flamand said during the tasting event that she purchases the Entre-Deux-Mers bottlings as finished wines, from trusted partners.  

Flamand noted that the Les Légendes wines were made to be immediately drinkable and easy to understand.  She did not want anyone to think that these wines had to be cellared for a decade or two before enjoying them.

Les Légendes R Bordeaux Blanc 2020 

The wine is composed of 80% Sauvignon Blanc grapes and 20% Sémillon.  Alcohol is low, at 12% abv and the wine retails for $19.

This white Bordeaux wine is tinted yellow and offers a nose of lemons, limes, tropical fruit and loads of minerality.  The grassiness which is present in Sauvignons from other areas is extremely muted here.  The palate is as crisp and fresh as it gets, with juicy fruit and savory minerals working together with a bracing acidity.

Les Légendes Bordeaux Rouge 2018  

This red blend was made from an equal mixture of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  Forty percent of the wine was aged in oak for nine months, keeping the wood effect to a minimum.  Alcohol is fairly standard at 14.5% abv and the retail price is only $19.

This is an extremely dark wine, and the nose jumps out of the glass so forcefully you don't really need to get too close to smell it.  When the smell reaches your nose, it is dark and savory, with the red and blue berries joined by aromas of cigar box, leather, earth and a hint of oak spice.  The palate replicates the nose, with dark berry flavors and savory streaks of earth and minerals.  The tannins are fairly firm, but they soften a bit with some time in the glass or decanted.  The finish is lengthy and features the savory side of the flavor profile. 

The next post will cover the Les Légendes wines from Saint-Émilion, Pauillac and Médoc. 

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Fine Wine Gets More Portable Than Ever

A new packaging format is being introduced into the single-serving wine category.  It's new to me, at least.  The containers come from Le Grand Verre and are billed as award-winning, ethically-made single-serve bottles.  

The 6.3-ounce plastic cylinders stand about eight inches tall,  have a diameter of only a little more than an inch and are topped with a screw cap.  You could stuff a lot of those into a picnic basket or backpack.  But it's not just the convenience and quantity that impresses - so does the quality.

Le Grand Verre's entire line consists of French wine from various wine regions, like Bordeaux, Languedoc, and Provence.  The company says they curate the wines every step of the way to your glass, partnering with mostly female-led boutique estates which are organic and sustainable.

The tasting samples provided to me were made up of two reds, two rosés and a white wine.

Le Grand Verre Domaine Caylus Rosé 2020

This pink wine hails from the Pays d'Herault region of southern France, a part of the larger Languedoc-Roussillon region.  LGV partnered with Inès Andrieu of Domaine de Caylus for this organic blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache.  Andrieu took over the property from her grandfather, Henri Andrieu who was in charge since buying the property in 1963.  The Domaine Caylus rosé carries alcohol at 12.5% abv and a price tag of $25 for a 4-pack.

The nose of this pale pink wine is loaded with strawberry and tropical notes.  The mouthfeel is full and the palate is earthy.  Flavors of apple, pineapple and ripe red cherry are a delight.  The acidity is somewhat tame, but the sip is juicy and the finish is very long.

Le Grand Verre Château Val D’Arenc Rosé 2020 

Bandol is generally considered to be the top Provence region for rosé, where the pinks are spicier, more structured and more flavorful than typical rosés thanks to the use of the Mourvédre grape.  This one is a critic's darling, an organic-certified Provencal blend of 80% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache and 10% Cinsault.

The wine was produced by young, innovative winemaker Gérald Damidot, and under his leadership the estate converted to organic farming practices in 2015, bringing about an enhanced quality of the wine.  Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and the retail is $30 for a 4-pack.

This wine is a little richer in color than a Provençal rosé, approaching the red side of pink.  The nose brings some watermelon into play with the berries and the citrus notes.  The palate shows a healthy streak of grapefruit through the melon.  Acidity is nice, and the finish is long.  This is a great rosé to pair with seafood or salads, or both.

Le Grand Verre Domaine Nadal Hainaut Red 2019 

Here is a gorgeous wine for the coming cooler weather this fall, but it takes a chill well, too - for those of us still stuck in summer.  This somewhat rustic Cabernet Sauvignon is made with organic grapes from the Domaine Nadal Hainaut estate in the Côtes Catalanes region of the Pays d'Oc IGP, which covers most of the Languedoc-Roussillon area.  The Château was built in 1826 and has belonged to the Nadal family since 1900.  Martine and Jean-Marie are currently turning over the winemaking duties to their three daughters.  This red wine's alcohol level is 13.5% abv and a 4-pack will set you back $25.

The nose and palate are both dominated by black and blue berries.  Anise aromas make an appearance as well.  The tannins are medium firm, while the acidity is quite refreshing.

Le Grand Verre Château Peyredon Red 2019 

This LGV selection comes from the Haut-Médoc Crus Bourgeois.  Laurence Dupuch of Château Peyredon Lagravette works with her husband Stephane Dupuch to produce this wine.  The fruit was picked from vines over 100 years old.  The blend was envisioned by world-famous oenologist Hubert de Bouard - winemaker and owner of Château Angelus, one of the four most prestigious Saint-Émilion estates. 

This classic Bordeaux is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, with grapes that are sustainably farmed.  Alcohol is a restrained 13% abv and an LGV 4-pack of the canisters costs $30.

On the nose are rich blackberry, cedar, vanilla and bacon grease aromas.  The palate shows elegant dark fruit, very firm tannins and a playful acidity.  This is a wine that wants a steak next to it. 

Domaine Prataviera Sauvignon Blanc 2020

The Côtes de Gascogne region occupies France's far southwestern corner and is known primarily for the white wines produced there.  The grapes which are allowed in the region read like a list of grapes you never heard of:  Abouriou, Duras and Portugias bleu among the reds, Len de l'El, Ugni Blanc and both Mansengs - Petit and Gros - among the whites.  Of course, there are also some grapes you have heard of - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

The grapes at Domaine Prataviera have been grown under the female hand since 1960 - that's when Elisabeth Prataviera's mom took over from her father.  The Prataviera is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, has alcohol sitting low at 11% abv and sells for $20 in the 4-pack.

This SauvBlanc is lightly tinted and offers up a lovely nose of grapefruit and grass.  The citrus/mineral element outweighs the herbal, so it does not come off like a fully New World wine.  On the palate, the grapefruit really shines, with a full mouthfeel, an apricot note and a pretty good level of acidity.  I don’t drink a lot of Sauvignon Blanc, but when I do, it's usually French, and this wine is a perfect example of why. 

In a Zoom meeting to kick off the product, a couple of LGV bigwigs talked with a collection of wine writers.  Nicolas Deffrennes (LGV Founder) spoke about how he started LGV, with an eye towards presenting fine French wines in a format that made it easy for people to sample.  He also said that part of his innovation was to focus on female-owned and organic, sustainable wines.  He estimated that within the next couple of years, the plastic containers will be made from organic, plant-based plastic.

Deffrennes then threw it to Régis Fanget (Brand and Artistic Director) who talked about the inspiration for the pretty little bottles - cosmetics.  He said they wanted to present the wine in a physical manner that resembled the way perfume is sold.

Pauline Nadal (one of the daughters behind Le Grand Verre Domaine Nadal Hainaut Red 2019, a beautiful wine from Languedoc-Roussillon) spoke about all the animals they have on the property - sheep, swans, bees - and the importance of the animals being happy in the absence of chemicals, and the happiness of the vines themselves.  They don't irrigate the vines - she says her grandfather maintained that watering the vines made them "lazy."  

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Perrin Family Scores Big With Bargain Red Blend

The Perrin Family makes great wines in France, and is run by the fifth generation of Perrins to do so.  Their Château de Beaucastel estate is legendary, as are the Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines produced there.  

The 2017 Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Reserve was made from a blend of Grenache grapes - from their Grand Prébois vineyard - Syrah - from their Vinsobres vineyard - and Mourvèdre.  The wine was fermented and aged mainly in stainless steel, which gave it an incredibly fresh and youthful taste.  Only a portion of the wine was aged in oak.  Alcohol hits 14.1% abv and the retail price is around $10, a stupendous bargain.

This wine has a dark tint in the glass, foreshadowing a rich and deep nose and palate.  It actually comes off fresher and brighter than expected, with aromas of cherry and earth and flavors to match.  The wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel, so the profiles tend to be bright and focused.  The finish is full of fruit, juicy and long. 

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Pink In Provence: Love By Leoube

Most of the wine made in France's Provence region is pink.  It's what they do - they make wonderfully dry and crisp rosé wines.  I was recently supplied with several examples of Provencal pinkies, and this is one of them.

Love by Léoube 2017 is a Côtes de Provence wine blended by Romain Ott for Love Wine, a wine merchant in Jersey in the Channel Islands.  The store was founded by Chris Rogers - first as an e-commerce site, later as a brick-and-mortar outlet.  Château Léoube is located in the commune of Bormes-les-Mimosas.  

The rosé wine is made from Grenache and Cinsault grapes, pressed directly and fermented in stainless steel tanks.  Alcohol hits a restrained 13% abv, and the retail price is about $15.

This wine looks beautiful in the glass - medium pink, leaning towards orange.  The nose is fruity and laced with minerals.  Big strawberry and cherry notes are abetted by lemon and orange peel.  The palate is flinty and dry with a racy acidity and a long finish laced with citrus.  Pair it with fish or chicken, or with turkey or ham. 

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Pink In Provence: L'Excellence Des Muraires

 

Most of the wine made in France's Provence region is pink.  It's what they do - they make wonderfully dry and crisp rosé wines.  I was recently supplied with several examples of Provencal pinkies, and this is one of them.

The Bernard Magrez L'Excellence des Muraires 2019 is a great example of what you get when you seek out a Côtes de Provence rosé wine.  Magrez is mainly known for his four grand cru châteaux in Bordeaux, but this pink wine comes from his estate in the south of France, Chateau Des Muraires.

Made from three grapes - 46% Grenache, 41% Rolle (Vermentino) and 13% Syrah - the wine was fermented in concrete and aged in huge oak barrels, on the lees.  Alcohol sits at 14.5% abv  - a little higher than a typical Provence rosé - and it retails for about $35.

This wine shows a very light color in the glass, sort of an onion skin shade.  The nose offers minerality first, a flinty aroma with strawberry and cherry notes more subdued.  The sip is beautiful, with minerals again leading the way and a fresh acidity that is softened by the creaminess of the lees.

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Beaujolais Rosé

In the U.S folks may know very little about Beaujolais wines except that they see them stacked in their grocery store's wine aisle every Thanksgiving.  It is true that for many, Beaujolais Nouveau is a holiday tradition, but the Gamay grape is not just a one-trick pony.  They also go pink.

Beaujolais vineyards account for more than half of the world's Gamay grapevines, and most of them go into red wines, the youthful Nouveau as well as the more respected Beaujolais Cru wines.  Some of them, however, are used to make rosé wines, giving Beaujolais a usefulness in the spring and summer as well as the fall and winter.  Of course, good rosé goes great with leftover turkey and ham, too.  I was given the opportunity to sample a handful of Beaujolais rosé wines.

Château Cambon Beaujolais Rosé 2018

Château Cambon is a small parcel of Beaujolais vineyard land between Morgon and Brouilly.  They make their pink wine from whole cluster Gamay grapes, stems and all, keeping the skins in contact for two days.  The wine is aged for five months and bottled with minimal SO2.  Alcohol hits 12% abv and the retails price is around $20.

This pink Gamay wine has a fairly rich color, rather like salmon meets orange.  There is a bit of a Jolly Rancher note to the strawberry nose, and an herbal angle.  Strawberry plays big in the flavor profile, too, with a distinctive earthy tone to it.  It has great heft - it drinks like a red - and a very refreshing acidity.  

Château Thivin Beaujolais Villages Rosé 2018

Château Thivin dates back to the 14th century and is now under the guidance of the fifth and sixth generations of the Geoffray family, who bought the property in the 18th century.  The Château Thivin Beaujolais Villages Rosé is imported by Kermit Lynch, which is as good a recommendation as you are likely to get.  The wine’s alcohol level sits at 13% abv and the retail price is somewhere around $18.

This wine is delicately tinted light salmon.  Its nose is quite fruity - cherries, strawberries, orange - but also graced with a minerality that serves as a bedrock base for all that beauty.  The palate brings ripe red fruit, a hefty mouthfeel and a zippy acidity into play.  It’s great for salads, and even better just for sipping. 

Le Rosé d’Folie Beaujolais Rosé 2019

The owner and winemaker of Domaine des Terres Dorées is Jean Paul Brun.  The 40-acre family estate is in the village of Charnay, in the southern part of Beaujolais, just north of Lyons.  The area is beautifully nicknamed "the Region of Golden Stones."  The wine is imported by the well-respected Louis/Dressner Selections.  

Le Rosé d’Folie is made from 100% organic Gamay grapes, aged in concrete tanks, on its lees with malolactic fermentation.  The contact with the spent yeast cells and the allowance of malolactic fermentation give the wine a hefty mouthfeel.  Alcohol tips a mere 12.5% and the retail price is around $15.

This wine glows salmon pink in the glass, and smells of fresh, ripe strawberries and cherries.  On the palate the strawberry takes the lead, while a note of stone fruit slips into the arena.  There is a fairly zippy acidity to go along with the flavors.  It's Beaujolais, but bears a striking resemblance to Provençe.  

Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais Rosé 2019

This pink wine comes from the southern Beaujolais hamlet of Le Breuil, where Domaine Dupeuble has been turning out wine for about five centuries.  Importer Kermit Lynch says the estate has only changed hands three times over that span, most recently in 1919.  Lynch began his involvement with the brand in the 1980s, by importing the estate's Beaujolais Nouveau.

The vineyards are tended through the practice of lutte raisonnée, which literally means "reasoned fight" but is translated in English as "supervised control."  The practice shuns synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and fungicides in favor of a more natural approach.  It is seen by many as a first step towards organic farming, but is also a happy medium for some growers.  Alcohol comes in at only 13% abv and the retail price is $17.  

The Lynch website describes the 2019 Gamay rosé from Domaine Dupeuble as the gold standard of Beaujolais rosé.  Promised are aromas of white flowers, rhubarb, and wild berries, leading to a palate which is smooth and rounded yet full of those Beaujolais minerals and a hint of citrus on the finish.  A subtle herbal quality and vibrant acidity make it a perfect match for light summer fare.

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Pink Wine From Under The Saint-Tropez Sun

Château Minuty promises their rosé wine contains all the good that's found "under the Saint Tropez sun."  The estate has been in the Matton-Farnet family for 80 years, overlooking the Saint-Tropez peninsula.

The winery says the grapes for 2019 Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence - Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren and Syrah - were grown in "a rigorous selection of the best Côtes de Provence vineyards."  Three of those grape varieties are familiar friends, but Tibouren - also known as Rossese di Dolceacqua in Italy's Liguria region - may not be on everyone's radar.  Tibouren has a highly aromatic quality which centers on earthiness.  It is believed to have come from Greece or the Middle East, introduced to France through Marseille or Saint-Tropez.  Alcohol is a restrained 12.5% abv and I see it selling at a lot of places for $18.

This barely-peach-pink wine is loaded with nose - cherries and berries for days with a hint of earth from the south of France.  The palate is also fruity, and juicy to boot.  Easy acidity will pair well with the usual salad and seafood suspects, but it's not exactly a mouthful of pins and needles.  Quite a nice Provençal pinkie, just what we expect.  It will play very nicely under the spring and summer sun wherever you are. 


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White Wines For Winter: Côtes du Rhône Blanc

White wines are not just for summers and salads.  There are rich, full-bodied whites which are bold and warming.  They also pair beautifully with winter dishes - root vegetables, stews and herbs like fennel go particularly well with a nice, well balanced Chardonnay, for example.  I find that whites aged in oak serve me better in the winter than unoaked wines.  In fact, oak makes a white wine feels like Christmas to me.  I prefer an easy touch on the wood, however. 

Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Réserve 2018

The Perrin family heads up a French winemaking company which includes the noted Château de Beaucastel of the Rhône Valley.  The grapes for this wine were picked from vines growing between the Ouvèze and Aigues rivers.  Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier fruit was vinified in stainless steel - no oak at all - to an alcohol level of 13% abv and it retails for about $12.

This white Rhône blend shows the Viognier best, all floral and citrusy.  The tart apple notes of the Grenache Blanc play off of the savory aspect of the Roussanne and Marsanne.  The palate is mineral-laden, with citrus, peach and pear appearing.  Nice acidity, too.  These are some great grapes, and they do not disappoint. 

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White Wine For Winter: Bourgogne Blanc

White wines are not just for summers and salads.  There are rich, full-bodied whites which are bold and warming.  They also pair beautifully with winter dishes - root vegetables, stews and herbs like fennel go particularly well with a nice, well balanced Chardonnay, for example.  I find that whites aged in oak serve me better in the winter than unoaked wines.  In fact, oak makes a white wine feels like Christmas to me.  I prefer an easy touch on the wood, however. 

Domaine Matrot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2017

The Matrot estate is based in Meursault, not a bad place to have a field of grapevines.  The estate extends far beyond that region's borders.  The grapes for this wine were picked "near" Meursault.

Husband and wife Thierry and Pascale Matrot head up a family business which has been around for more than 100 years.  Their daughters, Adèle and Elsa, are the winemakers.  The younger ones are poised to take the reins someday, as Thierry did from his father, and his father from Grandpa Matrot generations before. 

This wine was fermented in oak barrels, only a fifth of which were new.  There the wine aged on the lees, the spent yeast cells, for eleven months.  Aging "on the lees" gives a wine more heft and creaminess.  Full malolactic fermentation was also achieved, which further adds to the depth.  The wine is imported in the U.S. by Vineyard Brands.

The Matrot Chardonnay smells of tropical fruit, mainly lemon, lime and pineapple.  On the palate, citrus dominates, with great acidity and a creamy mouthfeel coexisting.  This is a great Chardonnay, vibrant and youthful, with zip enough for salads, seafoods and white meat.  The oak effect is possibly a little too much for me.  It comes across stronger than I expect in a Bourgogne blanc, but ouis not terribly overdone. 


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Great Red, Great Price - From Southern France

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He sniffs out good wine which has already been produced by established makers, then buys it on the down-low with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club - he calls it a wineocracy - bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middleman, the distributor and retailer through which store-bought wines must pass.

Cameron Hughes Lot 681 Cesseras, Pays D’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot 2017

The Pays d'Oc IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) covers most of the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southwest France.  IGP classification offers winemakers more freedom than the tightly controlled AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) regulations.  This wine hails from the tiny rural community of Cesseras, in the Minervois AOC.  Smart seekers of wine bargains know to look to the south of France for great deals on great reds.

The Cameron Hughes Lot 681 Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot blend clocks in at 14% abv and sells for $13.  Hughes says it is his first French lot release in more than five years.

This is a dark wine, one with some heft to it, and a brawny feel.  The nose is full of blackberry and plum aromas, laced with earth, vanilla and mocha.  The palate is a burly delight - fruity with a savory, herbal edge, firm tannins a healthy acidity.  If you want steak, get this wine.  It's ready to pair.


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Provence Is For Rosé

Provence's Chateau Roubine is one of only fourteen wineries in the Cotes de Provence region which has earned the esteemed "Cru Classe" designation.  Vigneron Valerie Rousselle bought the estate in 1994 and now grows more than a dozen different French grape varieties in the chalky, clay-limestone soil.

Their 2018 La Rose features 50% Grenache grapes, 35% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 5% Tibouren.  The latter grape is reportedly often used in rosés of the Provence region, but I've never run across it.  The grapes were macerated for a scant three hours to give the wine its soft pink hue.  Alcohol reports in at 13% abv and the wine retails for $24.  A sample was provided to me by distributor Quintessential Wines.

This Provençal rosé has herbal and floral notes on the nose, with fennel-laced strawberries and cherries.  The palate is gorgeous, with the red fruit abetted by a savory salinity.  The acidity is somewhat tame, but the flavor and finish are a real treat.

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Get Your Wine Kicks With D66

Dave Phinney's Department 66 Grenache hails from the Cotes Catalanes region in Languedoc-Roussillon, in southern France.  The wine is made by Dave Phinney, who says he fell in love with the land around Maury on his first visit there.  He boasts that the red soil is peppered with black schist, granite and limestone.  He not only fell in love with the dirt, but also the people.  So much so that he has a home there.

The vines used in sourcing grapes for this wine range from 10 to 65 years old.  The blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan was aged for a year and a half in French oak barrels, nearly a third of which were new.  Another five months aging took place in the bottle.  Alcohol is heavy at 15.2% abv and the wine sells for $38.

This is a big, bold wine.  On the nose, blackcurrant and blueberries take a lot of leather, tobacco, allspice and licorice along for the ride.  The palate is rich with blackberries and plums, with savory aspects equally forceful.  The tannins are somewhat stiff, but would be welcome with a big, fatty steak on the plate.  A zippy acidity embraces the wine’s minerality, providing a lip-smacking refreshment.

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This Rosé Is Not Fragile

From the IGP Côtes Catalanes region in Languedoc-Roussillon, in southern France, Fragile Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Carignane, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes.  The Department 66 wine is made by Dave Phinney, who says he fell in love with the land around Maury on his first visit there.  He says the black soil is full of schist, granite and limestone.  Phinney fell in love not only with the dirt, but also the people, so much so that he has a home there. 

The 2017 Fragile is made largely from Grenache grapes with small percentages of Syrah and Carignan in the blend.  It was vinified in stainless steel tanks.  Alcohol hits a high-for-rosé 15.3% abv and the wine retails for $18.

Fragile - I don't believe it’s pronounced frah-ghee-lay - has a big, bright nose full of big, bright red fruit.  A bit of heat pokes its head through, too, owing to the 15% alcohol content.  That cherry-red fruit comes through on the palate as well, with a boatload of acidity to boot.  The winery notes say Fragile pairs well with lighter fare and warm, sunny days.  I'd have it with pork chops in a heartbeat. 


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Rosés For Spring: One Of The Better Bargains

Hey, is it rosé season already?  Maybe it creeps up on me because it's always rosé season at my place.  We are taking a couple of weeks to spotlight some worthy pink wines which will help get us in the swing for spring.

We covered the Perrin family last time, along with their French winemaking company which includes the noted Château de Beaucastel of the Rhône Valley.  The La Vieille Ferme label - it means "the old farm" - houses a bubbly rosé as well as a very nice still rosé wine.

La Vieille Ferme Rosé 2018

This cheap pink wine was vinified in stainless steel before bottling.  the grapes - Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah - were grown "high on the slopes," but the winery does not say where those slopes are.  Alcohol clicks in at 13% abv and the price tag sits below $10. 

This 2018 bargain rosé is light salmon pink in the glass.  The nose shows red fruit with herbal notes.  There is plenty of fruit on the palate, strawberry and cherry, with a light minerality and easy acidity.  The finish is short, but fruity.


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Rosés For Spring: A Pink French Sparkler

Hey, is it rosé season already?  Maybe it creeps up on me because it's always rosé season at my place.  We are taking some time to spotlight a few worthy pink wines which will help get us in the swing for spring.

La Vieille Ferme Reserve Sparkling Rosé NV

The Perrin family heads up a French winemaking company which includes the noted Château de Beaucastel of the Rhône Valley.  The La Vieille Ferme label - it means "the old farm" - houses a very nice still rosé wine and one that bubbles up in the glass. 

The bubbly one, La Vieille Ferme Reserve Sparkling Rosé, is a festive non-vintage pink made in the same method used in the Champagne region.  The winery website champions the limestone soil in which the grapes are grown, but does not specify where that dirt is located.  The grape varieties are 40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault and 20% Pinot Noir.  After the separate wines are blended, they rest in stainless steel tanks until bottling.  Alcohol hits only 12% abv, while the retail price stays under the $20 mark.

This lightly frothy, salmon hued, sparkling rosé smells of peaches, strawberries and flowers.  The palate falls in line with a sense of wild cherry cough drops sprinkled into the mix.  It's fun and it's refreshing, as well as being a little more complex than I anticipated. 

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French Sweetie

Monbazillac is in France's Côtes de Bergerac region, in the southwest part of the country, along the Dordogne River.  Bordeaux is to the west, with its more expensive cousin wine, Sauternes.

The wines of Monbazillac are sweet, white wines made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes.

It's a pretty good bet that a wine produced in a land that's been making wines since the Middle Ages will be a good one.  Even better when it's a sweet one, too.

Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac 2013

Claudie and Bruno Bilancini leased the Monbazillac property in 1992 and bought it '97, during a time of rebirth in the Monbazillac AOC.  One of the more noted wine writers compares the outfit to Château d’Yquem, a fairly noted outfit on their own.  Their wines have been fully organic since 2012. 

The Cru de Tirecul sports, on average, 40-year-old vines of Semillon and Muscadelle.  They are harvested late in clusters showing advanced botrytis, or noble rot.  That's where the sweet comes from.  The wine bears some resemblance to the wines of Sauternes, but with less oak effect.  The wine was aged for 25 months in French oak barrels, hits 12% alcohol and retails for around 20 bucks.

This golden sweetie smells succulent, with the nose showing honey, apples and chalk.  The palate is pure dessert, with some razor-sharp acidity thrown in just to make us want to pair it with a steak or something crazy like that.  It's all sweet all the time, yet does not even go near the "cloying" signpost.

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