2009 La Vieille Ferme (Perrin & Fils) Côtes du Ventoux Rosé

On July 28, 2010, In Rose, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 La Vieille Ferme Roseicon from the Cotes du Ventoux in France. This blend of Grenache and Cinsault grapes was purchased for under $7.

Color

Darker in color than some other Rose wines. It is a slightly metallic pink.

Aroma

On the nose I detect a strong floral note. It shows rose petals along with a hint of minerals. There are fruit components including guava and strawberry. Overall it is a weak nose and I had to work hard to find those aromas.

Flavor

The palate is also not very exciting. There are flavors of cherry and strawberry on the attack and mid-palate. It finishes with a note of honeysuckle. This wine is a dry wine which will help it pair well with salads and other lighter dishes

Rating

For my palate, this wine is definitely not a match. I tried it warm and chilled. Both ways, I found it to be too bland. I rate it 75 points.

Have you tried this wine? I am sure others like it more than I do and that is great that it is in tune with their palate. Anyone recommend a dry rose with a bit more flavor and aroma?

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2007 Château de Landure Minervois

On March 19, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Chateau de Landure Minervois from France. In case you are not familiar with Minervois, it is an AOC in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region. This bottle was purchased for under $8 and is a blend of 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre. Great labeling by the importer, Clock Tower Imports. There is a lot of value coming out of the south of France (e.g. 2008 Ropiteau Vin de Pays d’Oc Pinot Noir), so I am intrigued by this wine.

Color

In the glass this is a dark ruby color which I expect with so much Syrah and Mourvedre in the blend.

Aroma

When first poured there is quite a bit of wet dog, sulfur aroma. It quickly blows off and there is a great mix of dark and red fruit components. I get strawberries, blueberries and red cherries mixed with a cedar component.

Flavor

On the attack there is a combination of strawberries and cherries. It is quite fruity at first, then in the mid-palate the cherry remains but is subtle. The wine disappears a bit in the middle. It finishes with sour cherries and mild tannins. I also get a really nice black pepper note on the finish. If you exhale at the end you almost feel like you just put pepper on a dish while cooking. This wine is medium bodied and will pair well with food higher in fat. I think the fruit will complement it well.

Rating

I like this wine. I think it strikes a nice balance of fruit and structure. Think food friendly wine at a good price. I rate it 88 points.

Have you had this wine?

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2005 Chateau Chantemerle

On March 8, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2005 Chateau Chantemerle from the Medoc region of France. This is a Merlot based Bordeaux blend and was purchased for under $12. The 2005 vintage was a classic year for Bordeaux so it will be interesting to see what this wine brings to the table. If you know the percentage of grape varieties that makeup this wine, I love for you to share it in the comments.

Color

In the glass this wine is a good ruby red shade.

Aroma

Heavy oak on the nose of this wine. I also detect some blackberry notes. Unfortunately it is not showing much else right now.

Flavor

On the attack there is black currant and plums. The mid-palate has black cherry and asparagus. Finishes with sour cherry and an herbaceous, woody note. This is a medium bodied wine with big tannins. It is quite astringent and needs to breathe or be put away for a while. I’d love to have some blue cheese with it.

Rating

What this wine lacked on the nose, it made up for on the palate. This is a nice break from the fruit bombs of the New World. I like it, but wish it had less oak. I rate it 86 points.

Have you tried a Medoc wine from 2005?

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2005 Château De Saint Philippe

On February 8, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2005 Chateau De Saint Philippe Cotes de Castillon from the Bordeaux region of France. It was purchased for under $11. Cotes de Castillon is an AOC on the right bank region of Bordeaux where the wines are Merlot based and also contain some Cabernet Franc. I do not know the percentages for this wine. Do you?

Color

In the glass it is a dark garnet color.

Aroma

Notes of blackberry are prevalent on the nose of this wine. It also shows some black plums and a hint of raspberries. Overall a good nose.

Flavor

On the attack there is a good amount of chalky, earthiness to it. The blackberry transitions form the nose. The mid-palate has very faint notes of cherry and it finishes with mild tannins and cherries. This is a light to medium-bodied wine. Thinner than I expected, a bit simple and the fruit is too bland. It pairs well with pasta dishes and burgers.

Rating

This was a little bit disappointing. I was hoping to have found a good value from a minor AOC. I rate this 82 points.

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2008 Doulce France Vouvray Alfio Moriconi Selection

On February 7, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Doulce France Vouvray by Bougrier Depuis from France. Like most Vouvray wines, this is probably made from 100% Chenin Blanc. I acquired this bottle for under $10. Although it has Doulce (Sweet) in the name the back label declares it to be “OFF-DRY”. Vouvray wines come in sec, demi-sec (off-dry), moelleux and doux levels of sweetness with sec being the most dry. So, I am excited to try this demi-sec version.

Color

In the glass this wine is a nice pale yellow straw color.

Aroma

On the nose there is a dominate lemon component. It is accompanied by green apple and pear. There is a hint of a floral component such as lilies. Overall it comes across as fresh and showing the aromas of raw fruits. Very pleasant.

Flavor

On the attack there is peach and apple. The mid-palate has some honeydew melon in the mix and it finishes with a hint of lemon and red grapefruit. This is a sweet wine. I was a little surprised at how sweet it tastes. Not a lot of acidity but will pair well with a desert that isn’t too sweet. I am thinking of a pound cake or lemon cake.

Rating

For my palate this wine was a bit too sweet and awkward. Perhaps I need to find a sec or even a sec-sec (dry-dry) Vouvray next. I rate it 82 points.

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2008 Domaine de la Presidente Côtes du Rhône Grands Classiques

On February 2, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Cotes du Rhone Grands Classiques by Domaine de la Presidente from the Southern Rhone region of France. This Rhone blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, and 10% Carignan was purchase for under $10.

Color

In the glass it is a light, but bright ruby red.

Aroma

This is a very aromatic wine. It is bursting out of the glass and taking over the room. Strawberry and red currant are definitely present on the initial inhale. There is also a earthy clay aroma. Overall the nose has no artificial notes.

Flavor

On the attack there is a cherry component. The mid-palate has more of a sour cherry cola flavor. The finish has some mild but enjoyable tannins and a little heat, but not much else. Unfortunately, the finish does disappear quickly. This is a wine that will be at its best when consumed with food. On its own, it is just too light and simple. It will pair with pork and turkey.

Rating

For my palate, this wine is not a good match by itself. It does work with food. I rate it 80 points.

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2007 La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux Rouge

On December 2, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rouge by the Perrin Family from the Rhone Valley in France. This blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault was acquired for under $8. It comes in an attractive bottle with a screw-cap (yeah!) and a drawing of a rooster and a hen. It reminds me of A Year in Provence (amazon affiliate link), so I am already happy with it.

Color

In the glass it is a dark ruby red. A little darker than I expected for a Rhone Valley blend.

Aroma

There is some dark fruit on the nose at first. Blackberry is noted. I also get strawberry after a while.

Flavor

The strawberry on the attack is sweet. The mid-palate is quite strong with nice raspberry notes taking over from cherry. There is also some black pepper on the mid-palate. It finishes with licorice and smooth tannins which have a black tea flavor. It is well balanced and will pair well with food. I recommend it with chicken and pork. It isn’t quite big enough to pair well with steak.

Rating

I believe this is a decent wine for pairing with food. I rate it 88 points.

This is a widely available wine, have you tried it?

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2007 Noel Bougrier Vouvray

On November 21, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today we are tasting the 2007 Noel Bougrier Vouvray from the Loire Valley in France. This wine is probably 100% Chenin Blanc; although, Vouvray wines are occasionally blended with Arbois. In Vouvray, the Chenin Blanc wines are made with different levels of residual sugar. The categories are from driest to sweetest (percent risidual sugar in parens): Sec (0-0.4%), Demi-Sec (0.4-1.2%), Moullex (1.2-4.5%), and Doux (4.5% or more). The Doux is sometimes known as liquoreux. We did not find any labeling on the bottle to declare which category this wine is. We acquired this horribly labeled bottle for under $12.

Color

This wine is very golden in the glass.

Aroma

There is not a lot of aroma from this wine. It shows a little chemical component which reminds us of chlorine. It also shows some white grape juice component. Not a very good nose.

Flavor

Upon first sip of this wine, the syrupy sweetness is overwhelming. Keep this in mind if you are going to pair it with food. It must be in the Doux category because it is close to a dessert wine. Once you get past the sugar, there is apple, peach, clover honey and papaya components. Although the fruit is present it is underwhelming. Surprisingly, for a Chenin Blanc there is very little acid.

Rating

Because of the high residual sugar and the muted fruit, we didn’t enjoy this Vouvray. We rate it 82 points.
Question for you. Should I abandon ratings? Do they help you? There is a lot of discussion of this lately. What are your thoughts on it?

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2007 BV Coastal Estates Pinot Noir, Vin de Pays dOc

On November 15, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 BV Coastal Estates Pinot Noir, Vin de Pays dOc by Beaulieu Vineyard from California. Note that this wine is actually from French vineyards in the Languedoc region. It is aged in stainless steel tanks and in oak barrels. It will be interesting to see if it is styled “old world” or “new world” or a combination. I found this bottle for under $7.

Color

It is easy to see your fingers through the wine in the glass and is a nice ruby color overall.

Aroma

The nose is medium in intensity with some earthy notes. It has wood and dirt in it similar to freshly dug up woody roots. There is also some smoky bacon components. Some fruity notes such as raspberry are also present.

Flavor

On the palate this wine is dry with slightly disappointing flavor profile. On the attack I get some sweet cherry. The mid-palate and finish show some cola flavors so that it turns into a bit of a black cherry cola. The oak also shows up on the end and there is some heat on the finish. It has some tannins and should pair well with pork or even strong fish. It does tend to be more of an “old world” style.

Rating

I was hoping for something a little more complex on the flavor side. I rate it 85 points.

More wines from Beaulieu Vineyardsicon (affiliate link)

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2005 Domaine des Rouet Chinon

On October 30, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2005 Chinon from Domaine des Rouet in France. These Loire Valley wines are commonly made of Cabernet Franc blended with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. I found this bottle for under $11.

Color

This wine has dark shades of purple and is a little thin.

Aroma

The nose of this wine is dominated by vegetables. Green pepper is present and some hints of thyme and other herbs. After smelling so many fruit driven noses lately, I find the aroma of this wine pleasing.

Flavor

The attack is dull, but the mid-palate has a lot to offer. There are sour red cherries and red raspberries and it finishes with some nice tannins. The finish shows some true lasting power which indicates to me that this wine could cellar well. If you like a wine to have flavor and not be over sugar driven, then this wine definitely qualifies. It may pair well with pasta and vegetables.

Rating

I like this wine. It is a bit plain and simple, but is decent. I suspect it won’t appeal to many palates and recommend having it with food. I rate it 86 points.

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