This is a blend of four grapes in the French portion of the Alps; Jacquere, Chasselas, Chardonnay, and Altesses. Light green gold in color. The nose is all about the minerals. Not much fruit. Oily texture. Good acidity. Lean minerality on the palate. This win begs for food but nothing too heavy. It retails for $14. A nice lunch wine but more pleasing for those with European wine tastes.
100% Chardonnay. Light copper/gold in color. The nose is interesting with lanolin, yeast and very slight ginger. It dies have a nice acidity. On the palate, a light citrusy note along with some ginger. Slightly sweet. Good finish. This retails for $25 and competes with Champagnes in that price point. Food friendly with a wide variety of foods.
I haven't had this in a few years but it hasn't changed it seems. This retails for around $25 and for people who like this style, this is a great price point. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, black raspberries and cherries in a very perfumed liqueur package. Also plenty of "toasty oak". On the palate, this is warm but juicy. Plenty of red berry pie filling. Plenty of toast and spice. Medium tannins. Easily gulpable. More of a love it or hate wine perhaps, but those who love it will drink bottles (and add 2 or 3 points to the score) and for those who don't, one glass will sti
Ruby in color, purple at the core. The nose has cinnamon, cherries, and dark cherries. Some cedary spice. On the palate, this has nice tart cherries with an underlying earthiness. It seems open and drinking well although will certainly mature. Some depth to it. Would work with a lot of different foods. This retails for around $35 which, for Burgundy, makes this a nice entry point.
This is always one of the best Cotes du Rhone and in good vintages it is worth stocking up on. It cellars well for five to ten years. Drinking great right now. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is very nice with black cherries, violets, spice and slight cedar. On the palate, juicy black cherries, spice and gravel notes. Not quite layered but more of a mosaic. Good acidity. Food friendly. This retails for close to $20 which makes it a great value. Better than a lot of Chateauneuf du Papes!
Light ruby in color. The nose is great but a bit tighter than the Clos Vougeot. Cherries, and some rhubarb and cranberries. Also some cedar. On the palate, this is medium bodied with nice cherry and cranberry fruit. There are slight tannins. Lots of depth. This continued to improve in the glass but really needs more cellar time. It has good acidity. Long finish. A lovely wine proving why the better wines from Echezeaux justify its Grand Cru status.
On opening the cork fell into the bottle. It was fished halfway out and removed with a Durand corkscrew. Anytime one gets the opportunity to try a Cheval Blanc it is truly a treat! Of course, this is not a great year and it might be getting a bit old but it still has plenty to offer. It took about 15 minutes to really open up. Purple in color, slight browning at the edges. There is some initial bottle stink but that blows off leaving cherries, slight dried cherries, spice, dust and blood. Interesting. On the palate, this has nice tart cherries layered with dry forest floor and some
Gavi's a nice refreshing white wines from the north of Italy. They are meant to be drunk young and this one is pushing it but still drinking well for immediate consumption. Light golden in color. The nose is nice with a steely minerality and some melon. On the palate, it turns more citrus (grapefruits?) and still minerals. Good acidity. This is very food friendly and works with a wide variety of foods. Long finish.
This was way above my expectations for a not so great vintage and their regular cuvee (although they didn't make a Felix in 2014). Deep ruby in color. The nose is a bit musty but clears to show raspberries, slight strawberries, a bit of pine and spice. On the palate, this has a lovely slick-ish texture that makes it imminently drinkable. Bright acidity. Nice finish. Drinking quite well right now, this is not going to make old bones.
Pop and pour. This is very solid but given the release price ($50) and ten years from a great vintage, it seemed to under perform a bit. Purple in color. The nose is tight at first but eventually opens up to cassis and spice. On the palate, this has a nice enough texture. Nice cassis fruit but a bit one dimensional. Perhaps there is still time to develop but it seems that if that was the case, there would be glimpses. Still, it is enjoyable and if straightforward, at least that is a good direction.
