France

• Alsace
• Bergerac
• Bordeaux
  • Barsac
  • Bordeaux Supérieur
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  • Sauternes
• Burgundy
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• Rhone (Rhône)
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  • Cornas
  • Crozes-Hermitage
  • Gigondas
  • Hermitage
  • Lirac
  • Saint Joseph
• Provence
  • Bandol
• Savoie
• Tavel

This is a Rose blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah from France.  13% abv.  This is a very tasty wine that represents a nice value.  It is a deep salmon pink/orange color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with strawberries, slight pomegranate, with a hint of dried herbs.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, raspberries with pomegranate.  Clean.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This drinks nicely on its own and will work well with lighter foods but also fried chicken.  Drink now.  

Pop and pour, this was surprisingly open and accessible.  Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  This is big and bold.  On the nose, cherries, sandalwood, some black cherries and baking spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, lots of fresh cherries and sour cherries with some underlying char.  Delicious and vital.  Long finish.  This seems to be a five to ten years from full maturity but drinking well.  It is great on its own and would delicious with salmon or tuna.  

Sadly this was corked (TCA).  Underneath it seemed like a very good, bold wine with plenty of depth.  The TCA showed up almost immediately and but 30 minutes in, it was overwhelming.  

Great showing for this wine and in a perfect place of maturity.  Garnett in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is beautifully perfumed with cherries, cinnamon, sandalwood and slight earthiness.    Full bodied.  On the palate, this clean with bright cherry fruit.  Some underlying earthiness.  Levels of complexity.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This has big fruit.  The oak is now integrated and the tannins are silky.  Everything one could want in a Grand Cru at age 20.  It drinks great on its own.  Contemplative.  It also worked well with food.  While it might last longer, drink over

Tasted two bottles of this.  They were part of a cellar purchase from which most of the bottles had been in excellent shape.  On opening, this was old and off a bit.  With a couple hours of air, it improved quite a bit although never got to the point of not being past prime.  Depending on one's level of enjoyment from wines with this much age, it seemed mostly a miss among the tasters.  I enjoyed it for what it offered.

Spectacular Champagne.  The P2 series is held back for almost 15 years before being released.  This one is from the excellent 2002 vintage.  The extra time has served to make this a bit fuller and rounder but with all the verve of the original release.  Golden in color with some green hues.  A lovely stream of tiny bubbles in the fluted glass.  On the nose, this is smoky with lemons, salinity and spice (ground coriander?).  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is incredibly smooth and seamless.  Deep.  Notes of lemons, limes, smoke and salinity.  Great balance.  Incredibly long finish.  And, d

This is 100% Pinot Noir from an excellent producer if a bit under the radar.  Light golden in color, with a nice mousse of fine bubbles.  The nose has slate, chalk, apples and Meyer lemons.  Medium bodied with moderate acidity.  On the palate, the  Meyer lemons come thru along with some chalk.  Very tasty.   Good finish.  This is drinking very well now and should continue over the next five to eight years.  It is nice on its own and will work well with almost any food.  

Ruby in color with a touch of browning, clear and bright.  The nose is classic with cherries, slight barnyard and spice.  The tannins seem resolved and this is at peak.  Layers of fruit and tertiary notes.  Complex.  Cherries, earthy dried fruit and flowers.  Good acidity.  Slight barnyard on the palate.  Good finish.  This is exactly what this wine should be at this point.  If you live that, you will love this.  Better with food such as a stew or vegetarian chili.  Drink over the next five years.  

This is a new project of the Maurel brothers of Clos St.

This is 100% Grenache from vines that are over 100 years old.  Incredible wine with only 400 Magnums being released.  Purple in color, slight ruby line at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, slight raspberries, minerals, slight anise and floral notes.  Full bodied.  Incredible texture.  Its a big wine but with so much energy and so light on its feet.  On the palate, this is complex and concentrated.  As it unwinds on the palate, there are black raspberries, lots of minerality, some anise and spice.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is drinking quite well now but just s