France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled
This is an under $20 easy drinking wine from the south of France. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, some leather and slight violets. On the palate, this is medium bodied. Nice acidity. Works well with food. Nice black raspberry fruit. Not a lot of fruit nor complexity, but works nicely as a package. Drink sooner than later.
Purple in color. The nose has cherries, black cherries, slight chocolate and cedar. On the palate, this is still not at peak but drinking very well. Layers of black cherries, cherries, earth and spice. Nice texture. Good finish. This is a nice value for top (not the very top) Bordeaux. Still some upside for this wine as well as it matures. Better with food. There is plenty of fruit though.
Possibly my favorite Cotes du Rhone wine. I bought a case of this back on release and this was the last bottle. No regrets, but it would be fine if I still had more. It is drinking just fine. It might be a good idea to try and track some down from the 2016 vintage. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is nice with black cherries, black pepper, slight earthiness, garrique and still some floral notes. On the palate, this has some complexity. Slight layering. Still some sour cherry and black cherry fruit. Tannins are integrated. Good acidity and balance. At around $15 per bottle on relea
Another inexpensive, relatively easy bottle to find of very nice wine. Purple in color. The nose is nice with black raspberries, some cherries, a bit of leather and earth. On the palate, this has nice black raspberry fruit. A bit of earthiness to it. Easy drinking. Enough acidity to carry food. Long finish. Available for under $15, its a very nice bottle. Should last a few years. I suspect the 2015 and 2016 vintage will be even better.
Wow, is this good. $30 retail and a great value at that price. Ruby in color with some purple swirls. The nose has sour cherries, cherries, anise, slight spice. On the palate, this has a wonderful texture. Medium bodied but lush. Great acidity. Juicy black cherry fruit. Deep and some complexity. Light tannins. Great with food. It is delicious.
Light golden in color. Nice mousse with lots of small bubbles. The nose is nice almonds, slightly yeasty, and some ginger. This is spry and a bit shy at first. Ginger and slightly chalky. Good acidity. Works well with food. Some complexity. Good finish. Not a big wine but certainly persistent. Good value for Champagne.
Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, slight bacon fact, black olives and slight violets. On the palate, this is drinking well. Not yet at peak, but getting there. Some depth. Great balance. Black raspberries, slight char and a bit or earthiness. Good acidity. Long finish. This has a bit more fruit than a "typical" St. Joseph but still shows a nice sense of place. Should be good for a decade or more. Around $25 on release, a great value. A Fass Import wine.
Pop and pour and consumed over two nights. Much better on night 2. I know many people say 2003 was such a warm vintage that the wines are already mature. That might be true, but this one's best days are still to come. 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, graphite, cedar, and smoked cigar. On the palate, this is full bodied with medium tannins. Lush cassis and black cherry fruit layered with forest floor, damp earth and tobacco. Tightly layered. Long finish. This is delicious but very much from Bordeaux a
Light golden in color. What a gorgeous nose. Lychees, peaches and minerals. On the palate, this is slightly sweet but not much. Great minerality. Some peach notes. Wonderful mouthfeel. Good acidity. Went great with spicy Indian food. Long finish. A beautiful wine. It is still quite young and will continue to improve for a decade at least and be good for another decade after that. $75 but might just be worth it!
This is drinking youthfully but quite nice right now. Purple in color. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, chocolate and cigar tobacco. On the palate, this has a lovely lush texture. Lots of fruit; black cherries, some cherries with a bit of earth. There is some oak but mostly integrated. Light tannins. Nice very smooth finish. Drinking very well, it works well with food. There may be some upside as it develops but I think mostly this is as good asa it gets.
