One of the top producers in Chateaneuf and one with out a luxury cuvee. This is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah. Served pop and pour, this took about 30 minutes to really open and then drank beautifully. We shared the bottle with friends while listening to Latin jazz at an outdoor café.
This is a blend of 75% Grenache, 11% Mourvèdre, 11% Syrah, and 3% Roussanne. One of the best Grenache wines from California. This is concentrated and intense, but not over the top. Deep garnet in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with black cherries, spice, game meats and roasted herbs. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this is delicious. Black cherries, some black raspberries, roasted herbs and slight beef notes. Long finish. Almost seamless texture. This is drinking well but will no doubt improve over the next couple of years. It should drink well for an
This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah from various vineyards across California. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The e nose has black cherries, black raspberries and some smoke. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Nice texture. On the palate, this is ripe but short of cloying. It has a balance to it that makes it easy to drink and very tasty. Black raspberries with underlying char. Alcohol is noticeable on the finish. This probably drinks better on its own than with food but would work with a burger. Drink over the next five years.
This an attractively packaged Rose from the South of France (Provence). It is a blend of 40% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, 10% Syrah, 3% Mourvèdre, and 2% Rolle (Vermentino). Pale pink/orange in color, clear and bright. The nose has slight cranberries, cherries, thyme and slight salinity. Light to medium bodied. On the palate, this is refreshing. Well balance, this drinks easily. Cranberries and light cherry fruit. Clean. Slight bitter cherry notes on the finish. This is nice on its own and will work well with salmon or tuna. Drink over the next few years.
This is a Rose blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah from France. 13% abv. This is a very tasty wine that represents a nice value. It is a deep salmon pink/orange color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with strawberries, slight pomegranate, with a hint of dried herbs. Slightly oily texture. On the palate, raspberries with pomegranate. Clean. Good acidity. Nice finish. This drinks nicely on its own and will work well with lighter foods but also fried chicken. Drink now.
An Eric Solomon selection sporting a new label. This is always an excellent value that is a blend of 50% Garnacha, 30% Merlot, and 20% Syrah. Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries, cherries, spice, roasted herbs and slight black pepper. Full bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, this is easy drinking and very tasty. Lots of black cherry fruit with some black raspberries and cherries. Clean. Works great on its own and enough acidity to work well with pasta or burgers. Drink over the next five years.
Ruby in color with a touch of browning, clear and bright. The nose is classic with cherries, slight barnyard and spice. The tannins seem resolved and this is at peak. Layers of fruit and tertiary notes. Complex. Cherries, earthy dried fruit and flowers. Good acidity. Slight barnyard on the palate. Good finish. This is exactly what this wine should be at this point. If you live that, you will love this. Better with food such as a stew or vegetarian chili. Drink over the next five years.
This is a new project of the Maurel brothers of Clos St.
Charvin always makes a more elegant styled Chateauneuf with a larger amount of Grenache. At age 15, this is drinking quite well. Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, spices, slight dried floral notes and a bit of clean earthiness. Medium bodied. Bright acidity. On the palate, cherries and black cherries with underlying spice, slight char and minerality. Depth and layers of complexity. Delicious. Great on its own, this will excel with the right food such as beef or bean stew. Fully mature, drink over the next ten years.
This is in a great place right now (as seem to be many of the top 2005 CdP's). Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, slight black raspberries, char, black pepper, nutmeg and black pepper. With air some dried flowers and roasted meats. Full bodied. Complex and layered. This is a big, "masculine" styled type of CdP. On the palate, black cherries, with layers of forest floor, spice and earth. Lively acidity. Good balance. Long finish. This bottle is at peak but should have another five to seven years at this level. Great on its own, it will be even
