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Tag Archives: france

Chateau De By Medoc 2010

14 Saturday May 2016

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$15, 2 stars, 85 points, bordeaux, france


I just flew across the country on United Airlines.  I chose this half bottle over the smaller, more generic offerings they had for sale.  2010 Bordeaux was a great year! This entry level red was hard to critique in the plastic airline cup but it looks purply enough! The nose is somewhat subdued due to the vessel but if I get my schnozzola right in there I get faint hints of pomegranate, some black berries and a touch of the plastic. My initial taste is quite nice- perhaps a bit rustic. Blue fruits and some plum stone. There are some good tannins swirling around intertwined with blueberry cola. The wine is slightly one-dimensional but is pleasing. It drinks well with some nuts and would pair with olives, a charcuterie plate or even grilled skirt steak. It gets an 85 point rating from me. Here’s the twist…. It is $16 for a 375 ML split, which equates to the same price as buying two of the regular, small bottles on United. Same price but a better wine that needs a corkscrew! I’m not sure how much it retails in the shops so I will guess $15 and give it 2 stars.  Salut….

chateau de by

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Albert Bichot Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes 2006

14 Saturday May 2016

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$17, 3 stars, 88 points, burgundy, france, pinot noir


I bought this bottle at a wine shop that was closing and sat on it (forgot about it) until recently.  Nice, rich looking see-through purple in the glass. A nose of cherry, cola and earth. On the initial taste I got blue berries, lingonberry and a swath of swirling acidity. After a few minutes of air time the wine opens up even more, with sharper concentration of fruit with some tannins mingling with the acidity. A mid palate of plum puree hits me now and the tannins are defined, which for Pinot is rare. This wine is 10 years young and has much life left in it, I reckon maturity will hit in 2020 at the earliest. An entry level Burgundy that I really enjoyed. 88 points. $17 or so make this 3 stars in my books.  Salut….

albert bichot bourgogne vielille vignes

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Domaine Carrette Pouilly-Fuisse 2014

14 Saturday May 2016

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$17, 4 stars, 90 points, burgundy, chardonnay, france


Very light yellow with a citrus infused nose of lemons and slate.  Fresh and zesty on the palate with lemon, green apple and flint. Very focused and clean. Moxie thought it was too tart but I am enjoying it’s minerality. The wine needs raw clams, steamed shrimp or some Alfredo. 90 points and for $17 it’s a 4 star wine to buy for the summer.  Salut….

domaine carrette pouilly fuise

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Orin Swift D66 2011

18 Tuesday Nov 2014

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$33, 5 stars, 92 points, carignan, catalan, france, grenache, syrah


I have sampled Orin Swift’s The Prisoner and am familiar with their full on style.  Heady and high in alcohol with great extraction.  This wine is no different.  It all began with a rich dark purple hue in the glass.  Wild flowers, blackberries, earth and plum come across on the nose.  Violets and plums with layers of dark fruit compote and an earthy component attack the palate full bore.  I loved the very smooth mouthfeel that hides the whopping 15.2% alcohol.  Melded tannins and a balanced acidity contribute to the silkiness.  This wine is made from Grenache, Syrah and Carignan from the Catalan region.  Terroir of the French countryside is evident. Old world in fruit yet New world in extraction and style.  It finishes with a touch of cinnamon and blueberry pie. 2014-2020 would be my guess for a drinking window.  I give it 92 points and for $33 it deserves 5 stars.  Deeeelish.  Salut…..

orin swift d66

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Jean Balmont Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

22 Monday Sep 2014

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$5, 3 stars, 83 points, cabernet sauvignon, france


It’s been a whirlwind 10 days, starting with a trip to Reno for the annual Air Races followed by a night in Truckee with friends before my flight over to Asia.  I returned home for one night before heading to Florida for a memorial service for one of my best friends.  I am sitting at the airport waiting to go home now and have a few minutes to review the amazing wines that we drank over the course of the last two weeks.  This particular wine was on the United flight to Reno, so it doesn’t really count as airplane wine is about as good as airplane food.

From the newly renamed Pays D’Oc classification of the southwest of France this is a charming little wine that does the job it’s supposed to do.  It started out with no nose- airplane air can do that to a wine, especially if it’s served in a plastic cup.  No worries, I wasn’t expecting one.  Slight flavors yet interesting with a  melange of blue fruits and some crunchy cherry. Tart acidity and mellow subdued tannins show up in the composition of this wine that has a finish of herbs and yellow plum.  I can imagine this wine as a workday country lunch jug wine- very serviceable and getting a respectable 83 points from me.  I believe it can be had for about $5-6 per bottle, I happened to pay the trumped up $7 per 187.5 ml on the plane.  It’s hard for me to justify a 3 star rating for an 83 point wine yet I feel compelled to do so based on it’s quality price ratio.  Salut….

jean balmont cabernet sauvignon

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