France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled

2020 Cave de Tain Cornas Héritiers Gambert Arènes Sauvages, France, Northern Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

This  is a Syrah from the northern Rhone Valley in France.  Purple  in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is serious with black raspberries, black olives, chocolate and slight violets.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nicce backbone of acidity.  On the palate, boysenberries with some char and black pepper.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  It is drinking well now but will improve.  Hold for five years and drink for ten to fifteen after that.  It would work well with Roasted Fowl in a mushroom sauce.  

2012 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

From Magnum.  Deep garnet in color, partially opaque and bright.  The nose is clean and very nice with black cherries, black raspberries, black pepper, black olives and roasted herbs.  Medium to full bodied.  Great energy and balance.  On the palate, this is not yet at peak (maybe it is for a 750ml) but close.  Light tannins.  Great black cherry fruit with some black olive and black pepper.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  It would work well with a Beef Stew.  Drink over the next five to eight  years.  

2009 Domaine Paul Autard Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This is their basic CdP.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, slight roasted herbs, slight black olives and black pepper.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black cherries and cherries with some black pepper and slight char.  Good finish. This seems to be at peak but should drink at the level for another five years.  Better with food.  This would work well with roasted squash.  

2005 Jean-Paul Magnien Clos St. Denis, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

This is nice but perhaps given the vineyard and vintage, it fell below hoped for expectations.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, slight black cherries, a bit of spice and just a hint of sour cherries.  Medium bodied.  No tannins.  Persistent acidity.  On the palate, this is nice with black cherries and some cherries, but it just sort of stops there.  Not much depth and no complexity.  It is enjoyable and certainly worth drinking but that is it.  Food will help.  Drink up as this doesn't seem likely to improve.   

2009 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$259.00USD

One of my favorite Champagnes.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  A good amount of very tiny bubbles make a nice mousse.  The nose is pronounced with red apples, pastry dough, and toast.  Full bodied.  Great energy and balance.  On the palate, this is delicious with flavors of apples, slight ginger and underlying char.  Deep.  Long finish.  At age 15, I am not sure this is at peak yet.  it should drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  it will work with most foods and worked great with Brie in a Pastry Dough. 

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