Tag Archives: france

Chateau d’Arcins 2013, Haut-Medoc, France

09 Tuesday Jan 2018

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Medium density purple in the glass.  A nice bright nose of blackberries, cinnamon and  pencil shavings. On the palate the wine is a tad thinner than I had been expecting.  Blueberry, very well integrated tannins, some cassis and a modicum of acidity.  The wine opens up pretty quickly and the cassis really shows up on the mid palate, transcending the medium length finish.  Overall, this wine drinks nicely and will cellar for the short term.  89 points and 3 stars for this $22 effort.  Salut….

Mas de Boislauzon La Chaussynette 2015, Rhone, Vin de France

24 Tuesday Oct 2017

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A reasonably priced number that hails from France, the Rhone Valley to be more precise.  It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre typical for the region.  I bought it on sale for under $10, but it normally sells for $15.

A very pretty medium depth purple color bodes well!  On the nose I get raspberry, spice, a hint of smoky oak and some bacon fat.  The initial palate suggests more of the same, which is really a treat.  I enjoy all those flavors melded together.  The tannins are really nice, juicy and not too dry.  They complement the fruit and don’t overpower. This wine has a great feeling mid palate, with some cassis, black olives and more raspberry making appearances.  The finish is nice, longer than expected and offers an oaky tinge along with the fruit and tannins.  I have to say, this is a really good wine, far more complex than the price would allude to, far tastier than I imagined and it has some short term cellaring potential to boot.  I am drinking it with some Broccoli Cheddar soup, which seems to work really well.  It would pair great with some thin crust brick oven pizza, perhaps even a Beef stew.  I have to go 91 points, which is above and beyond the rating I saw, and award this wine 5 stars for sure.  I wish I ordered more.  Salut….

F E Trimbach Riesling 2013, Alsace, France

05 Thursday Oct 2017

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It’s been a while since I had this brand, always dependable in the white arena.  The wine starts off very pale yellow in the glass.  The nose offers up peach, pineapple and some pecan nut.  It is really a different profile, but enjoyable nonetheless.  The palate shows off lemon curd, stone fruit, cardamom and a crisp green apple note.  The wine is juicy, like mouth watering.  The acidity is ever so present and persistent yet not obtrusive.  The mid palate is more of the star fruit meets pineapple variety.  It is unique and tasty.  The finish is rather short and tart with some more of the lemon hints.  I pulled this wine out for the Blackened Salmon with Garlic infused Kale that I am preparing.  I’m onto something with this pairing.  If you haven’t read my Evolution of a wine drinker, now is a good time to go back to 2014 when I wrote it.  The same rings true today.  Drink this wine now and for the next 5 years.  90 points and 5 stars for this $14 perennial go-to Riesling.  Salut….

Chateau Guiraud 2006, Sauternes, France

02 Saturday Sep 2017

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Gold, but a lighter shade.  It looks waxy when I swirl the glass, which bodes well for a dessert wine.  On the nose it is sublime- apricots, honey, candied pineapple.  On the palate this wine is super smooth, somewhat oily in texture and really delicious.  I get yellow stone fruits- apricots, peach jam and some honey on the initial attack.  The mid palate is silky but I just realized I sense no acidity whatsoever.  Glycerin comes to mind when trying to describe the texture I feel on the mid palate.  The finish is somewhat dry with a hint of tannins and now I see the emergence of some acidity.  Well played Mr. Winemaker, it all comes together right at the end and makes sense.  The finish has great fruit notes- in addition to the apricots, there are some almond hints, orange zest and a pineapple streak.  Lovely.  This is a generous dessert wine that has a nice unctuous texture, plenty of fruit, a nice mouthfeel and the ability to age for decades.  It is young but really enjoyable now.  Drink till 2035 easily.  95 points.  I paid $28 for a half bottle – 5 stars.   It was my dessert after grilling the most massive Tomahawk steaks ever.  Salut….


Domaine Louis Boillot Clos de la Chapelle 2008, Volnay Premier Cru, France

11 Friday Aug 2017

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I wrote about the 2008 Louis Boillot Volnay back in 2012 and promised to re-taste.  It was not a year later, but several.  Anyway, here goes.

Almost an orange purple see-through complexion.  Signs of middle age perhaps?  The nose has an earthiness to it alongside cranberries, strawberries and some wheat kernels.  You probably never saw that one as a descriptor!  The wine tastes much better than I remember, with a nice intro to some strawberry, barnyard and green peppers. It is very smooth with barely perceptible tannins until they reach a crescendo on the finish.  The wine’s acidity is on pointe with a nice cut to it.  The mid palate is all about secondary flavors.  The development is a treat.  This wine has evolved very nicely from what I thought was atypical Burgundy, into the quintessential Pinot Noir that defines Old World charm and character.  I am loving it!  I paid $40 per bottle back in the day and it looks like I ordered 6 bottles, I am hoping to cellar dive and come up with the other 4!  92 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

louis billet volley Close de la Chapelle

Domaine Jean Fery & Fils Les Vergelesses 2010, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru, France

03 Thursday Aug 2017

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I don’t think I have seen a lighter opacity in a wine before.  It is see-through and barely purple, more of a red. After a swirl in the BAG (Big Assed Glass), shaped like a tulip and made specially for Burgundy wines- I get an amazing cherry meets forest floor and mushrooms kinda scent.  Strawberries feature, but only just.  On the palate, super smooth offerings of violet, bing cherry, some acidity and a touch of dryness.  The mid palate has an earthier component to it and the mushrooms pop up again.  The acidity is prevalent here and continues to makes its presence known throughout the rather long finish.  This is an elegant wine that is still too young at 7 years of age.  It will mellow more and develop some nice secondary flavors IMHO.  I would drink until 2025 at the least if not more.  I’m grilling up some bourbon/honey marinated skirt steaks and sauteed creamy Kale.  I think the combo will work.  I reckon this is a 91 point effort that gets 4 stars for its $40 quality to price ratio.  Salut….

Domaine Jean Fery & Fils Les Vergelesses, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru

Lionel Osmin and Cie Cahors Malbec 2012, France

22 Saturday Jul 2017

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Dark purple, neatly black- which is appropriate for the region.  Cherry, tar, blackberry and bramble notes on the nose.  The palate is a touch thin but has black fruits, creosote and hints of lavender.  It has a nice acidity with some very gentle tannins. Mid palate has some good juiciness made up of plums and blackberry.  The tail end is short and sweet, as in enjoyable.  Plums, earth and violets round it out.  88 points and for $12 this is a good value that gets 3 stars from me.  Salut….

Lionel Osmin & Cie Cahors Malbec

Lionel Osmin & Cie La Reserve Malbec 2014, Vin de France

29 Thursday Jun 2017

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A reddish purple in the glass.  On the nose I am getting blueberry, vanilla and red licorice.  My initial impression is slightly tart with blueberry pie, and that’s about it.  The mid palate keeps the blueberry theme alive and adds a layer of tannins and some sour cherry.  The finish is bracing, the acidity and some green tannins really take over. Unfortunately, this wine is a little thin, lacks depth and is off balance.  85 points at best, but for only $9 I could go 2 stars.  We are grilling ribs and corn, might just work.   Salut….

Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Laland 2003, Pauillac, France

24 Monday Apr 2017

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I bought two Magnums of this wine many moons ago and was waiting for the right time…  How about my birthday party.  I opened and poured without decanting.  I was surprised there was no sediment.  The 2003 Bordeaux vintage was very hot and produced many short lived wines, and many wines that were very stewed in taste.  The Pichon Laland from this vintage got a surprisingly high 95 points from several top critics.  The drinking window suggested between 2014 to 2026.  I am glad I opened my first bottle now, it is ready.

Cassis, leather, plum on the nose.  On the palate lively tannins, tobacco, plum and an earthy component.  The tannins are thoroughly in control of this wine, from beginning to end.  The midpalate shows stewed plums and the finish has some lingering notes of more leather and plum.  The fruit on this wine has made way for the secondary flavors sought after in aged Bordeaux.  This does not detract from the wine, it only strengthens its pedigree by the fact that it will mature in such a way.  I really enjoyed this wine for what it was and look forward to the next bottle, perhaps within the year.  90 points from me but 4 stars even though it will set you back $150 or so.  We drank it before dinner, which was a whole roasted beef tenderloin.  It would have rocked the meal, but we thoroughly enjoyed it with some appetizers of cheese and olives.  The greatest part of the whole thing was the ability to pull something out of the cellar that I have had for over a decade, and watch it give others pleasure.  Salut….

Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose 2015, Provence, France

13 Thursday Apr 2017

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I’m not a huge Jolie-Pitt fan, but when they teamed up with the French Perrin Family they caught the wine world by surprise.  I have only just seen this wine for sale and had to try it.  The last time I drank a Rose was…..  no idea.  I must say I am way out of my comfort zone when it comes to drinking this style of wine, which I do not really like nor dislike.

Orangy pink in the glass, it reminds me of peach juice.  A nose of- you guessed it, peach!  I also get some citrus, of the tangerine variety. Intriguing.  On the palate, this wine is offering strawberry, lemon zest and pineapple.  It has very little acidity yet packs a certain bitterness I can’t quite put my finger on.  The mid palate is generous with more fruit and the finish is long.  More strawberry with flower notes on the tail end.  88 points, served with panko/parmesan crusted chicken.  I paid $21 for this light and refreshing wine.  It gets 3 stars from me but scored really well with the pros.  Salut….

Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose