France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled
Obviously young, it was nice to drink this early to check in on it. It is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère.
Always a pleasure to drink Dom. Amazing that they can make so many bottles at such a high quality level. For me, this is not up to the 2002 or 2008 but still a fantastic wine. Light golden in color with a nice mousse of small bubbles. The nose has toast, some citrus and a touch of chalk. Full bodied. Great acidity. On the palate, some lemon peel with smoke and minerals. Long, long finish. This one is starting to show just a bit of age but if well stored, should easily go another ten years. Very food friendly, this will go with just about any food although my favorite match is stil
This is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Golden in color, clear and bright with a nice mousse of tiny bubbles. The nose has lots of peach with some strawberries and spice. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, the peach comes thru along with a touch of pineapple. Clean, long finish. A tasty wine that is drinking very well. Drink over the next few years. This is very food friendly and will go well with many foods. It worked nicely with Thai food.
Arguably the best winery in the world. This was not their best vintage (IMO 2001), but it is amazing. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is gorgeous with pineapple, mango, beeswax, floral tones and vanilla. Medium to full bodied. Viscous. Great balance. On the palate, Pineapple, mango, slight lemon rind, a touch of salinity and peach. Long, long finish in which the peach notes just keep expanding. Slightly sweet but nowhere near cloying. Delicious. Great on its own, but went well with less sweet pastries. Drink over the next fifty years.
This is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre from very old vines. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The boisterous nose has black raspberries, plums and black cherries with spices and roasted herbs. Full bodied. Great texture. On the palate, this is young and raucous with big fruits; black raspberries, raspberries and black cherries along with char and spice. Energetic acidity. Long finish. Delicious on its own, this needs bigger foods right now but will settle down soon. For now, it would work well with some spicy Indian cuisine. Drink over the next twelve to fifteen years.
This is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, ad 10% Syrah. Purple in color with ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, black cherries and garrique. Full bodied. Great plush texture. Excellent balance. Very concentrated. On the palate, this is delicious. It has shed some youth for maturity but should continue to develop. Black raspberries, plums and black cherries with some char. Long finish. Delicious on its own, this worked very well with Sheppard's Pie. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.
Very pale yellow gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is very nice. Some lemon drop candy with a bit of an herbal note (Chervil?). Slightly viscous texture. A nice backbone of acidity. On the palate, lemon, and lemon candy notes with a bit of Granny Smith apple notes. Long finish. This is nice on its own but better with food. It went well with an Israeli styled salad, but would be better something a bit richer so that the acidity could really stand out. Perhaps grilled Salmon with a rich sauce. It is young but drinking well. It should have no problem going another seven to t
100% Chardonnay from two parcels in Bouzy (Le Mont de Tours and Les Ramonnieres) and Grauves. Pale gold in color with a nice mousse of small bubbles. The nose is very clean with some red apples and a bit of yeasty dough. Medium bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, this is crisp and leaner in style. Granny smith apples with some minerality. Long finish. Very nice on its own, this is very food friendly. It was a nice foil to baked tofu made in a "Buffalo Wings" style. Drink over the next few years.
This is a GSM blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre. Purple core with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright. Nice nose of fresh black raspberries, cherries and spice/garrique. Full bodied. Medium tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, black raspberries, black pepper and some spice. Nice texture. On the palate, black raspberries and black cherries with some underlying char. Long finish. This is an easy drinking red that is a step above and should get a bit better with age. Drink over the next ten years. Very nice on its own, this would work well with a bowl of chilli.
Bordeaux is famous for its amazing wines that come with amazingly high prices. There is also a sea of wine made for very affordable prices. This is a lovely wine from a great vintage. Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose is spicy with cigar box, black cherries and cherries. Medium bodied. Firm tannins (true to the vintage). On the palate, black cherries, cassis, anise and char. Good finish. Overall, a very nice showing. Drink over the next five to seven years. Nice on its own and would be a great meatloaf/burger wine.
