France

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This is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah.  It comes in an attractive more squat bottle.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is warm with a dusty attic quality.  Lots of cherries with garrique.  Also some old wood notes.  Very comforting.  On the palate, this is ripe/sweet on the attack.  Black cherries and slight cherry pie filling.  Some acidity.  This took about an hour or air to settle out.  Served to a small socially distanced group, this was quite popular.  It drinks well on its own and would be a great match for barbecues ribs or chicken this summer.  It should probably be co

It really is amazing how Rosé's have really stepped up their game over the last ten to twenty years.  And, the buying public has noticed all over the world.  This is a blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Cinsault and 10% Syrah.  Pale silvery/salmon pink in color.  Clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight strawberries and slight tarragon.  On the palate, this is light bodied but has some backbone.  Crisp and refreshing.  It drinks easy with some complexity.  The strawberries carry thru with some underlying minerality.  Drink now.  Great on its own and will drink well with many foods including

Crozes is an excellent source for great values in Syrah.  This is another example.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, slight bacon fat and roasted meats and black olives.  Full bodied.  On the palate, the black raspberries are upfront with underlying minerality and char.  This is drinking deliciously now, but it seems to have the stuffing to improve a bit.  it certainly has ten years left, or more, of great drinking.  A nice match for charcuterie or roasted meats and veggies.   

Always a treat to try this wine which is one of the best, if not the best, wines made in Barsac (next to Sauternes).  This is young but gorgeous.  Light golden in color.  The nose is so pretty with cantaloupe and honey and a slight salinity.  On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying with an unctuous texture.  A nice bit of acidity to keep it lively though not a lot.  The melon and honey come thru to the palate along with some apricot.  Long finish.  This will easily last another 25 years or more if well stored.  It drinks great on its own but also would work well with a less sweet (and non

This was tasted non-blind at the conclusion of tasting a group of 16/17 Bordeaux blind.  A great place to try this wine as it showed well in that spot.  This is a big wine that is drinking quite well at the moment, perhaps due to the large amount of Merlot.  It is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

In a recent blind tasting of 2016/2017 Bordeaux's, this and the 2017 version were my top two wines.  All of the notes can be found on this site.  While the tasting did not include any first growths, it does point out that this Chateau is producing outstanding wines and at reasonable prices.  While today I preferred the 2017, in the long run, the 2016 is the better wine.  It is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Opaque and bright.  The nose is complex with cassis, black cherries, leather, tobacco and spice

Another great showing from this estate.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Opaque and bright.  The nose has slight cherries with a bit of smoke.  Delicate but persistent.  On the palate, this is very smooth.  Light tannins.  Cherries and sour cherries with a slight char underneath.  Nice finish.  This is a more delicate wine with nice acidity and will appeal to those who like more red fruits than say purple.  It will match well to pasta dishes or fowl.  This should improve a bit more over the next few years and then drink well for another ten to twelve after that.  

This is the second wine of La Gaffelière.  It is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.  Dark purple in color.  The nose has nice plums, black cherries and spice.  On the palate, this has nice plums, some cherries with an earthiness underneath.  This is drinking well now.  It won't get better but should make excellent drinking for the next ten to twelve years. It should go well with roasted fowl or lighter dishes as well as on its own.  

This is one of my long time go-to wines for value in Bordeaux.  And this vintage is no exception.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is dusty with cassis and a bit of clean earthiness.  On the palate, this has a nice depth.  Light tannins.  Not a ton of complexity, but that might improve with age.  In the meantime, it has nice cassis fruit with some earthiness and good acidity.  Nice finish.  This may improve slightly, but based on prior vintages, this should continue to drink well for another fifteen to twenty years.  A nice match for chili or stew.  

This was a new winery for me.  Apparently, it had been in the Le Rey family since the 1600's but was sold in 2016.  Nice first vintage.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis and plenty of fresh oak.  On the palate, this is a big wine.  Big tannins, big fruit and big oak.  It drinks nicely now, but should/could get much better as everything comes together.  That might take five or ten years, but is worth watching.  Plenty of sweet cassis fruit.  It would be nice to have a bit more acidity.  Probably better to wait on this than to drink now but it is tasty.