France

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This carries the Euro label of IGP or what used to be called Vin De Pays (VdP).  It is grown in the Provence are of France on an Island in the Rhone River.  It is a Bordeaux blend of grapes though certainly has a unique personality that is quite different.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is dusty and earthy with some cherry fruit.  With air, some cloves emerge.  It is light bodied with tart cherries and cranberries.  Slight tannins.  A bit of anise on the finish.  At $9, this is a very nice value.  Food friendly for a wide variety of foods.  Very much a European styled wine but

$12.  This is a nice value although the world of Muscadets in filled with nice to amazing values.  The best Muscadets will age, many will hold if not improve in the cellar and some need to be drunk younger.  This one seems to be in the later category.  At this point, it doesn't have that crisp freshness that makes Muscadets so welcome.  Medium gold in color.  The nose has apples and slight dust and even slighter lemon juice.  On the palate, this is fat.  Sour apple notes.  A bit clipped on the finish.  That said, it is reasonably food friendly.  A solid wine at a very fair price.  Perhaps a

This is really drinking quite well now.  It has taken some time, but is finally ready for prime time.  Purple in color.  Black raspberries, black cherries, slight cedar, slight dust and slight dried violets.  On the palate, this still has fresh black raspberry fruit layered with dry forest floor and spice.  Complex.  Very nice texture.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This would work with heartier foods.  It demands attention but is quite delicious too.  Probably nearing peak, I would drink in the next decade.  

Great showing for this.  Silvery gold in color.  The nose is great with slight orange peel and quince.  Nice minerality.  On the palate this has a great texture.  Slightly oily texture.  Notes of oranges and minerals.  Great acidity.  This kept improving in the glass.  Long finish.  Very food friendly.  This wine retails for under $30 and is great now but should hold and maybe improved for a while.  This is made from Chenin Blanc which ages better than most people think.  

What a delicious wine.  Golden in color.  The nose has honey, quince and slight apricot.  On the palate, this is viscous.  Sweet but not overtly.  Good acidity.  Honey and slightly bitter apricot notes make it easy to drink a second glass.  Long finish.  Easily has a couple of decades left.  Just delicious.  

A collaboration between Gérard Bertrand, and Jon and Jesse Bon Jovi.  HW Wine Company is essentially a company that commissioned this wine to be made in France to celebrate the good life.  Light salmon pink in color.  The nose is all about watermelon and strawberries.  It has a nice texture.  Nice acidity.  This wine is really all about summer fruit.  Not a lot of depth or complexity but tasty and easy drinking.  While it is probably made as a summer sipper it went well with a summery watermelon salad. Fun wine.  

Apparently, this bottling was done for the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Championship.  This was not in the locker room, but part of the same bottling that was.  Go Cavs!  Orange pink in color.  There is a nice mousse with a lot of tiny bubbles.  On the nose there are a lot of cherries and oranges.  Very strong and interesting.  On the palate this is sweet.  Oranges.  The finish is oddly enough almost dry.  This wine's sweetness proved a bit divisive, but was quite enjoyable for me.  It has a nice depth and the acidity works with sweetness and this is very food friendly.  

So glad to be able to review this as a bottle last week was not that good.  This one was much better and more what should be expected.  Bad bottles do happen.  Deep salmon pink in color, but not as deep as the prior bottle (heat damage?).  The nose has cherries and light rhubarb.  On the palate, this is clean, dry and no bitterness.  Persistent cherries on the palate.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Worked well with food.  Nice bottle.  In retrospect, that first bottle was probably damaged in shipping at some point.  

This wine has a reputation of being a bit oxidized and advanced in 2014.  This bottle was a bit advanced but it was also spot on drinking right now.  Medium golden in color.  The nose has anjou pears along with minerals and a salinty which is very nice.  This has a slightly oily texture.  The pears continue and if this has any oxidation, it is quite small.  There is good acidity.  Nice finish.  Enjoyed with a Ginger Parsnip Pear soup, this was a perfect match with a nice synergy.  It might not make old bones, but it is drinking quite well right now.

Golden in color.  A good amount of small(ish) bubbles.  The nose is clean with some toast and also some pears.  On the palate, this is nice but could use just a bit more of everything; fruit, acid, minerality.  Pears are prominent.  Clean.  Worked well with foods.  Solid finish.  Very solid wine.