France

• Alsace
• Bergerac
• Bordeaux
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• Burgundy
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• Loire Valley
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  • Mont Louis
  • Sancerre
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  • Touraine
  • Vouvray
• Rhone (Rhône)
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  • Cornas
  • Crozes-Hermitage
  • Gigondas
  • Hermitage
  • Lirac
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• Provence
  • Bandol
• Savoie
• Tavel

Tasted over two nights, it was better on the second.  This carries the name Pinot Noir on the label as well.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has raspberries, rhubarb and slight cherries.  Also, a slight dill note.  Odd as this sees no wood at all.  On the palate, the red fruits carry thru if a bit thin.  There is a green note especially on the finish.  This was disjointed on opening but with air settled a bit.  It is an easy going Pinot Noir that is unremarkable in most aspects.  It will work better with some lighter food, perhaps chicken salad.  Dirnk over the next couple of ye

Gorgeous wine.  Pop and pour, this kept improving.  Still needs another ten to twelve years to maturity.  Ruby in color with slight brown hues, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, black cherries, black tea, and moist earth.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is layered but tight.  Complex layers of earth, cherries and spice.  Light tannins.  Still has plenty of fruit and also oak to  integrate.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This should easily go another twenty to thirty years.  Drink on its own or with any fowl or hearty sea food.  This could easily work with a roast or

Splendid bottle consumed while still youthful but showing some maturity.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, macerated cherries, slight earthiness, just a hint of oak spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Layers of cherries, black cherries, funk and spice.  Light but present tannins.  Yes, some funk and oak but overall very clean.  Enough fruit to finish the job in another five years, but great now.  Long finish.  Contemplative on its own, this will work well with food as well.  Anything from roasted duck to Kung Pao Chicken.  This should easily go another f

Always one of the top Chateauneuf's and also a bit different than most due to the higher amounts of Mourvedre in the blend.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic Beaucastel which can be polarizing.  Black cherries, plums and a fair bit of barnyard.  Very earthy.  Full bodied.  On the palate, lots of black cherries and plums but cleaner earthiness than the nose.  Complex, deep and layered.  Long finish.  This is at peak right now if well stored.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  This drinks well on its own but will be better with food.  Braised meats or roasted ve

One of the top producers in Chateauneuf, at age 15, this is singing.  Deep garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, kirsch, licorice, slight dried flowers and spices.  Medium to full bodied.  What a great texture.  Lush yet energetic.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Lots of kirsch notes with underlying clean earthiness.  Complex and layered.  Long finish.  Sure seems just about at peak but should drink well for another ten years.  Great on its own, even better with food.  Stews or roasts would be great.  

Alsace is a nice source for affordable dry Rieslings.  This one is light gold in color.  The nose has grapefruit, slight peach and minerality.  Medium bodied.  Dry on the palate.  More about minerals than fruit.  Easy to drink.  Nice finish.  This was under $20 and certainly worth the price.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  This will work well with Thai food.  

Another new winery for me.  This was quite good.  A blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre.  Deep ruby in color with purple swirls.  Great nose of cherries, black cherries, floral notes, and spice.  Clean.  On the palate, this is medium bodied and quite concentrated.  Black cherries and cherries over a clean spice and earth.  Nice balance.  Good finish.  This still needs three to five years to maturity and should be good for ten after that.  It worked well with vegetarian chili.  

My current favorite in value wines.  Even better than the 2017.  And, under $20!  Purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black pepper, slight bacon fat, and slight roasted meats.  Great texture.  On the palate, lots of concentrated black raspberries over char and  clean earth.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This has some complexity and might still get better.  It should drink well for seven to ten years.  Great on its own, it will work well with fatty fried foods.  

Tasted from a Magnum.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose is earthy with cigar tobacco but plenty of fresh cassis.  The wine is mostly clean with just a hint of funk.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is tart cassis and cranberry fruit with underlying earthiness.  Showing some complexity.  Good finish.  In Magnum, this is drinking well today and probably close to peak.  This certainly could go another ten years but I doubt it gets better.  It will work better with food and went well with a tomato tart, but fatty meats would be a good choice.  

Great showing for this wine.  Drinking wonderfully at this time.  Seems fully mature, possibly, just slightly past (depending on your tastes).  Purple in color, ruby swirls, but no browning.  The nose is great with cigar box, earthy, some Bordeaux funk but still with some cassis left.  On the palate, this has faint tannins.  Very earthy with cassis, dried black raspberries some tobacco.  Complex.  The layers unwind in the glass.  Wonderful texture.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own, but would be even better with food.  Roasted veggies or duck would be great.  At this age (34) ever