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

NV Caves de Grenelle Peche Imperiale, France, Loire, Wine Review

Score: 
80
Grade: 
B-

This is a Chenin Blanc based sparkling wine that is infused with Peaches.  It is not meant to be a serious wine that should be cellared for long term.  It is made to be a fun wine, buy it, take it home and pop a cork.  At $13, it does this nicely.  Deeper golden in color.  The nose is unmistakably - peaches.  Duh!  There is a slight effervescence to the wine.  The peaches carry thru to the palate.  Light bodied and easy drinking.  Nice for a party.   

2017 François Chidaine Sauvignon Touraine, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B+

From a top producer in the Loire Valley, this is a basic Sauvignon Blanc.  For $16, this is a nice value.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose is a bit dusty with some pine notes.  With air a bit of grass and minerals emerge.  On the palate, this is like eating sweet tarts.  It has a dry but sugary quality to it.  Tart citrus.  It took some getting used to but then it drank fine.  Long finish.  Worked great with an assortment of cheeses which really helped the wine come together.  

1976 Zind-Humbrecht Eau de Vie Marc de Gewurztraminer, France, Alsace

Vintage: 
1976
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This is an Eau-de-Vie ariginally made by Leonard Humbrecht back in 1976.  It was bottled in 2017 by his son Olivier and purchased at the winery a few weeks later.  This bottle had been opened last winter and about halfway consumed.  It seemed a perfect drink to finish off an Alsatian Gewurztraminer tasting.  Deep red-orange in color.  The nose has a lot of alcohol.  There is also some peach schnapps and lychees and a dried tea note.  On the palate, this is warm.  63.1% Alcohol will do that.  After the first sip it was welcoming though.  It has a nice depth and complexity to it.  Certainly,

2015 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Furstentum, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This wine is quite sweet.  How good the wine is depends on if you are ready for it and if you like sweet wines.  Light silvery gold in color.  There are a slight amount of bubbles in the glass on opening but they are resolved quickly.  Great nose of Lychees with minerals and apricots.  Full bodied.  Oily texture.  This is quite deep and tightly layered.  It unwinds in the glass in layers of apricots, minerals and sweet syrup.  This would be quite at home with an array of blue cheeses for dessert.  There is enough acidity to carry it thru some spicy food as well.  Its best days are in front

2015 Trimbach Gewurztraminer, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Honestly, this was a puzzler.  It was good, but Trimbach is known for dry wines.  This was not.  Slight to medium sweetness (say 3% to 5% RS?).  Of course, not that there is anything wrong with that, but was this a representative bottle?  Light golden in color.  The nose is fruity with slight lychee and apricots.  Slight simple syrup.  On the palate, this has a note of hay along with peaches.  Slightly sweet.  Nice finish.  This is food friendly.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

2014 Trimbach Gewurztraminer, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

Always a top notch value and wine.  Trimbach is known for their dry style.  Light gold in color.  The nose has lychees and slight apricots.  It has a perception that the wine will be sweet.  On the palate, however, this is dry.  Minerals and a slightly sour tangerine note which is quite enjoyable.  It has a nice depth and complexity.  Good finish.  Quite food friendly with a wide variety of foods.  $30 in Ohio but only between $15 or $25 in the free wine world.  Drinking great right now, it should last for five years easily and probably more.  

2012 Domaine Bechtold Gewurztraminer Engelberg, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Light silvery gold in color.  There are a small amount of bubbles in the glass but they blew off quickly.  The nose is nice with lychees and minerals.  The palate is slightly sweet with a candied quality to it.  Like a hard candy with a sort of tropical fruit/citrus flavor.  It also has an interesting wheat note (think wheat beer).  Overall, drinking well but starting to show its age.  It depends on how you like these wines.  $34

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