France

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Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, slight raspberries, a bit of minerality and spice.  On the palate, this is mid-weight.  Drinking well right now.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  Ripe enough black raspberry fruit.  This will work well with stews and roasts and is better with food.  Some peppery qualities on the finish.  Probably needs to be consumed in the next five years.  

This a very nice value in Cabernet Franc made from biodynamically grown grapes.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is nice.  2010 was a warmer vintage and that matters for Cab Franc.  If under ripe, it can be a bit green.  Very nice black cherry fruit along with some cigar tobacco.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  The black cherry fruit carries thru.  Good acidity.  There is some forest floor which is nice.  This begs for food and worked well with middle eastern fare.  Good finish.  Drinking well now but should cruise thru the next ten years.  

Opened to celebrate my son's 23rd birthday.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The mousse is thick with lots of tiny bubbles.  On the nose, this is mostly mineral driven but there are some green apples and slight toast.  On the palate, this veers toward the leaner side but not all the way.  Green apple fruit with a nice minerality.  Good acid.  Long finish.  Went great with a shaved mushroom with lemon juice salad.  

Part of a 40th Birthday party celebration.  I am not sure if this was a great example of this wine, but the wine was sound if old and still with plenty of life left.  Pop and decant for sediment, it took about 30 minutes to blow off the bottle stink.  Purple in color, ruby/brown at the rim.  The nose has leather, some funk, cherries and dried cherries and dust.  On the palate, there is still some cherry fruit left.  Also some underlying earthiness.  A nice bit of acidity is keeping it lively without being over the top.  Fades at the finish.  It's always fun to drink older wines and this one

A very nice Rose Champagne.  Pale pink/blue in color.  A nice mousse with small bubbles.  The nose is very nice with strawberries, and hay.  On the palate, this has good cut.  It's not the biggest wine in the world but drinks quite well.  Works nicely with a wide variety of foods.  Long finish.  

Light golden in color.  The nose is nice with hay, seltzer and slight ginger.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, slight cider/oxidized notes.  Also a bit of fresh red apples.  Very nice balance.  Long finish.  This is very food friendly and will go with just about any food.  It seems like this should last for at least a decade and develop a bit more.  

One of the great Chateauneufs Du Pape and from a great vintage.  This is 100 percent Grenache.  Ruby/purple in color, clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with cherries, spices and "garrique".  On the palate, black cherries.  The depth seems a bit lacking for the pedigree but perhaps is is a bit shut down at this point.  It is a delicious wine and enjoyable.  It's more of under-performing high expectations.  Tasted twice over the last six months with consistent notes.  It is food friendly but will take heartier stews and meat dishes.  

Nice to revisit this wine.  It had been about 4 years since it was last tried and it hasn't really changed.  It is open and drinking quite well.  This is a big wine that one might peg for California if drinking blind.  Of course, 2005 was an excellent and ripe vintage.  Vibrant garnet in color.  The nose is dusty, slightly earthy with nice cherries and a bit of plums.  What a lovely texture.  Soft yet structured at the same time.  On the palate, layers of cherries, slight smoke and earthiness.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  This would pair with everything from hearty seafood to a steak.  No

An excellent bottle of Champagne.  Light golden in color with a nice mousse of fine bubbles.  On the palate, this has red apples, slight ginger, minerals and a bit of saline.  On the palate, this is a bigger wine.  More so than prior vintages which is not bad or good.  It is still a very crisp wine which is a good thing.  Slight citrus, slight green apples and lots of minerality.  A long/tart finish.  This will go with a wide variety of foods and is delicious on its own.  At $60 per bottle, this is fairly priced.  

Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries and slight strawberries.  Good acidity.  On the palate, strawberries.  A bit of orange peel on the finish.  The finish is long and tart (in a good way).  A very refreshing bottle of Champagne.  A bit less complex but at the same time, it has a very nice intensity to it.  Very food friendly with almost any food.  12.5% Alc.