2018 Alain Jaume Côtes du Rhône Rosé Reserve Grand Veneur, France, Wine Review
I was pleasantly surprised to see this was still drinking well. Salmon/orange in color, light but clear and bright. The nose has some watermelon and strawberries. Light bodied. Nice texture. On the palate, there is still some fruit left but no off notes and very refreshing. It should have been consumed a few years ago, but no reason not to drink up now. Probably better with some lighter appetizers.
2020 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Baron, France, Rhone, Wine Review
This is a blend of 45% Syrah, 45% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre. Purple in color with ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is earthy with black cherries, black raspberries, spices, dried lavender and a bit of roasted herbs. Medium bodied. Nice texture. Good acidity. On the palate, this is drinking well. Flavors of black cherries, black raspberries, black pepper and spice. Long finish. This is nice on its own but better with food. It worked nicely with Lasagna. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.
2023 Ferraton Père & Fils Côtes du Rhône Samorëns Rosé, France, Wine Review
This Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah from the Rhone Valley in France. Light pink in color, clear and bright. The nose has cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Light bodied. Good balance. On the palate, this is accessible and drinking well. Flavors of Strawberries and Raspberries with good acidity. It is nice on its own but better with food. It worked well with a white pizza with asparagus. Drink over the next year or two. Excellent value.
2022 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Revivew
This is a blend of 54% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise, and 1% Terret Noir. Ruby in color with some purple hues, mostly clear and bright. The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, cherries, plums and spice. Medium bodied. Juicy acidity. On the palate, this drinks easy. Flavors of black and red raspberries, black and red cherries, plums and spice. Moderate finish. This is nice on its own and very food friendly. A great choice for pizza or burger night. Great value for an everyday drinker.
2023 Bieler Père et Fils Côtes du Rhône Villages La Jassine, France, Wine Review
This is a 60/40 blend of Grenache/Syrah from the Rhone Valley in France. Ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is dusty with black cherries, spice, roasted herbs and slight black raspberries. Nice texture. Medium tannins. Moderate acidity. On the palate, black cherries, anise and char. Good finish. A nice wine for casual drinking that won't break the bank. It is nice on its own and will work well with most (not seafood) foods. A nice choice with a pot of Chili on a fall afternoon. Drink over the next five years.
2021 Château Sainte-Eulalie Minervois Plaisir d'Eulalie, France, Languedoc, Wine Review
This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan organically grown grapes from the south of France. Purple/ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, black raspberries, slight floral note and slight spice. Medium bodied. Good balance. On the palate, this drinks easy. Black raspberries, cherries with some spice. Good finish. This drinks well on its own and will work with a wide variety of foods (not seafood). A great choice for Pizza night. Great value.
2018 Fingers Crossed Syrah, USA, California, Wine Review
Whoa. This is a big wine. It is also Fantastic! It is 93% Syrah, 3% Roussanne, 2% Grenache and 2% Mourvedre. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, roasted meats, spices and herbs. Full bodied. Medium to firm tannins. On the palate, this is delicious. Deep with loads of black raspberries, blueberries, some black cherries, spice and char. Long, long finish. This is great now, but if you can wait five years, it will be even better. That said, drink over the next ten to fifteen years. Great on its own, this would work well with Chili
2018 Sine Qua Non Grenache Profuga, USA, California, Wine Review
One of the best Grenache wines made in the USA but it does have a very different profile. Served blind to a group of experienced tasters, no one guessed Grenache although there were some Syrah guesses.
2019 La Bastide Blanche Bandol, France, Wine Review
This is 80% Mourvedre with the rest made up of Syrah and grenache. Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has plums, some black cherries, spices, and anise. Medium to full bodied. Medium tannins. Good balance. On the palate, t plums with spices and some black cherries. This is drinking quite nicely on its own but would be better with food. This would work well with beef stew. Drink over the next ten years.