2009 Chateau Liversan Haut-Medoc Bordeaux, France

By now I am fully on board with the 2009 Bordeaux craze. After sampling several of them, I have figured out that even the most economical Bordeaux is quite satisfying and there are exceptional values to be found between 15 and 20 dollars. This particular bottle is available at my local Costco for 13 dollars among a few other bottles ranging in price from 10 to 20 dollars. This pours dark red into the glass, with a subtle violet rim. It carries aromas of black currant, chocolate, caramel and smoke with delicate nuances of brown sugar and anise. The attack starts with focused black fruit (blackberry and black currant mainly), followed by leather, cocoa and cedar. The mid-palate features chewy tannins, near perfect astringency and some nice acidity that takes the form of semi-sweet, chocolate and caramel dipped cherries. The finish is beautifully long, washing over my palate with flavors of plum, currant, smoke, damp earth, licorice and leather. This is a full-bodied wine that brings a whole lot in the flavor department and leaves an aftertaste of chocolate and black cherry. 

Overall, this is yet another great bottle of wine from Bordeaux, France. This particular bottle features 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc. The fruit is definitely the best part of this wine; each fruit is represented wonderfully though none of the fruits lean too heavily towards the “sweet” area. This is beautifully complex though not on the same caliber as the Chateau Malrome, but it’s darn close. I give it a soli, good QPR, and would recommend it above most bottles of Cab or Merlot at the same price point. This really is a must buy.

2009 Chateau Malrome Comtesse Adele Bordeaux Superieur, France

One of the happiest days for me is the day the mailman drops off the Total Wine & More mailer. I quickly rifle through it glancing here and there for particularly stellar sales or intriguing offerings. After my quick glance, I start over with a Sharpie and begin to read through each wine listed, circling those that I plan to purchase over the next month. Many times my circles far outnumber what my budget can handle and I’m forced to pare down my selections, but I keep all of the mailers I receive and put in notes on the wines I’ve tasted. This particular gem was featured in the March/April mailer reduced to $14.99. a 5 dollar savings. I’d read the hype surrounding the 2009 Bordeaux wines, every wine writer worth their stuff is heralding this vintage as a truly superb year. I figured I’d snatch up some bottles, but in the back of my mind I was skeptical. My skepticism was wrong, very wrong. This wine pours dark red in the glass with a purplish-black core and violet bubbles/rim. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, vanilla and spice box waft from the glass leaving my nostrils positively buzzing with wondrous scents. The attack is amazingly smooth, complex and balanced with intense black fruits (black currant, blackberry and cherry), deep smoke and oak, leather, anise and coffee; every flavor mixing effortlessly with the last in subtle harmony. The attack merely folds into the mid-palate, shifting the focus from the flavors to definitive textures; the mid-palate has wonderful, supple tannins that bring just the right amount of astringency and acidity and center on the oak and cherry flavors drawing them out and further into the finish. The finish itself is medium in length, and as said before starts with noticeable oak and cherry notes then adds blackberry, chalk, damp grass, charcoal and savory. All of these flavors blend and balance each other, playing the fruits against the earthy flavors. This is a nice medium to full bodied wine that finishes with just an up-tick of alcohol that isn’t present in the rest of the wine thus leaving an aftertaste of alcohol, chalk and berries.

Overall this is a very nice drinking experience. Superbly complex, varied in flavor but at the same time balanced and exceptionally graceful. At 15 dollars this is a great QPR and an excellent bottle to pick up for your get together with those “snooty wine folk”. I highly recommend this bottle for drinking now and for cellaring. If this is a “temperature test” of the 2009 Bordeaux wines then I can’t wait to drink through a few other bottles I picked. Truly an excellent bottle with loads of potential, a must buy.

2009 The Vac Vacqueyras, France

I have been toying with this wine for the better part of 4 months, each time grasping a bottle, setting it in my cart only to go back and set it back on the shelf. But after reading through the spring Total Wine & More mailer, I finally decided to purchase a bottle. Rated 92 points by the International Wine Cellar, this wine features strawberry and cherry aromas with nuances of plum and pepper wafting from the rim of a ruby rimmed, dark purple pour. The wine is quite fruit forward, with notes of plum, blackberry and raspberry and lingering hints of cola and smoke. The mid-palate is nicely acidic, bringing up bright textures and a slight pucker factor with subdued tannins and astringency. In my opinion, this wine shines during the finish; pouring on loads of dark, smoky blackberry, black currant and plum with vanilla, leather, pepper and something akin to flower petals. These flavors swirl together mixing in a dark dance of dark fruit, then savory spices and finishes with wood and smoke characteristics. This is a medium bodied wine with cherry vanilla, oak and rose hips. This is a wonderfully complex wine, though it tries to trick you and make you think it is a nice fruit forward “California” red; in reality, it is a textured French red with earthy characteristics that mask the relatively sweet fruits thus transforming a potentially bland, one dimensional Rhone blend into something elegant, compelling and very satisfying.

Overall, I am not a huge fan of Rhone blends as they tend to be more fruit forward than I like; however this wine balances its sugars with equal helpings of spice and earth. It makes up for its shortcomings by providing a very broad range of flavors that blend nicely together leaving me quite satisfied. I don’t often seek out “sweet” French reds, but this would definitely make my list of must haves for rounding out your wine cellar. A bottle of The Vac will please most discerning wine drinkers that stop by for Coq au Vin, Beef Burgundy or a myriad of other savory dishes. It earns a good QPR and a recommendation from me.

Arnoux & Files Vins des Cotes du Rhone 

2009 Domaine Pignard Beaujolais, France

Color – Ruby red

Nose – Strawberry, cherry, floral notes, honey

Taste – This is another 10 dollar bottle of Beaujolais that Total Wine now carries. I didn’t see this a couple of months ago, but on a recent trip this was something new and I just had to see how it compares to the other Gamay wines I have sampled. It looks the same in the glass, somewhat thin, but upon swirling it isn’t watery and clings to the glass nicely. It smells of light red berries, cherries, flowers and what I can only describe as honey or sugar cane (that sweet scent that smells unprocessed and fresh). The attack is very similar to the Georges Duboeuf Flower Label Beaujolais-Villages that I have fallen in love with; layered tastes of strawberry, sour cherry, grass, salt and flowers. The mid-palate is all soft textures; tannins that effortlessly slip over the tongue, smooth astringency and alcohol that just barely bites. This is a light bodied wine with an even, medium length finish that carries more complexity in flavors; showing sour (but not puckering) cherry, cranberry, lavender and just a touch of black pepper. In my opinion this is a wine to drink chilled and with a light cheese or just by itself. It is perfect slightly chilled and will refresh you on a warm summer day.

Overall, this one is another winner as far as I’m concerned. It’s a good-to-great QPR with flavor and complexity that keep your palate happy. I paired it with a pork roast and it fared well, but mostly sipped glasses of it all by itself. This is a red wine for summer drinking for those of us that don’t like to switch to white wines. You can’t go wrong here, I’d say get this wine on your next visit to the wine store.

2009 Domaine Du Riaz Cote-De-Brouilly, France

Color – Very dark purple

Nose – Strawberry, blueberry, flowers, leaves, bubblegum?

Taste – Again I’ve come back to sample another Beaujolais Cru, this one a Cote de Brouilly that sells for 15 dollars at Total Wine. I didn’t rely on the advice of a member of their staff but read through their offerings and randomly chose this wine. All of Total Wine’s Beaujolais Cru’s are between 13 and 20 dollars, and of those most are rated 90 points by one of the “Wine Journals”. This particular wine is rated 90 or 91 from one such magazine. First off the wine is definitely good. It has wonderful depth of flavor from the beginnings of the first sip. I can taste strawberry, grass, dirt, lavender, dandelion, sage and salt. These flavors simply edge into a mid-palate of perfect alcohol tingle mixed with some sour berry flavors and intense astringency. The finish is medium-to-long and made up mainly of leftover sour berries, salt, floral undertones, and of all things grape. I hesitate to call this wine complex, the flavors are diverse, but the wine itself doesn’t feel complex. It is medium bodied and the aftertaste is pleasantly cherry and grape-ish. But the wine seems a little watery, without any real weight. The astringency is just a little over the top, though the alcohol and sour berries are perfect. I began this wine liking it, but by the end of the bottle this particular bottle of Gamay grapes had soured on me.

Overall, this is an OK QPR, certainly a good wine for the price. Are there better examples of this wine? You bet, and quite a few are much cheaper. I’d take a bottle of Georges Du Beouf Beaujolais-Villages or Morgon Flower Label over this wine and both of those are cheaper. This wine has too much going on and not enough connecting all the dots. The flavors taste great and are the only saving grace for this wine, but it’s not enough for me to buy it again. I’d say pass on this one.

2009 Martine Galhaud Moulin “MGM” Pinot Noir, France

Color – Dark, inky purple

Nose – Sweet, dark cherry; red and black plum, licorice

Taste – This is an interesting and I would guess un-Pinot-like Pinot Noir. This is quite dark in color, large in aroma, and heavy in weight for a Pinot Noir. That’s not to say this wine is bad, just not a good representation of Pinot Noir. I will say if you drink this with an open mind, you might like this wine. The flavors on the initial sip are of very ripe plums, and dark cherry fruit; the mid-palate is cinnamon, brown sugar, heat and astringency though none of these are out of proportion. The finish is medium-to-long with flavors I can more closely describe as sweet plum liquor. This surprised me and with the first two glasses I was unimpressed and a little put off. But as I began to drink my third glass I decided to drink it with the mindset that I was drinking just another red blend. The wine went down much easier and I was quite satisfied. The flavor profile doesn’t align itself with any wine I have tasted up to this point. At times it has a closer resemblance to a sweet mixed drink or wine cooler than a red wine made only of grapes. The abundance of plum and dark cherry flavors is so strong that you really can’t avoid them or at times find any other flavors. That can be both a good thing and a bad thing, but in all I think it works in this wine.

Overall, this is another decent QPR from Trader Joe’s. It’s not as good as Trentatre 33, Viriato TInta de Toro or Alexander & Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon but this is still a pretty good wine for the money. It’s better than 75% of the wines from supermarkets that are priced in the sub-eight dollar range. I won’t be buying a lot of this or buying it often but I’d keep a bottle around just in case I wanted a very fruit forward, plum flavored red.

2009 Georges Duboeuf Morgon Flower Label, Beaujolais Cru, France

Color – Garnet red

Nose – Raspberry, flowers, lavender, cut parsley

Taste – How I have come to love the Gamay grape, this is another wine that cements that love even further. First off this wine has a “heavier” mouthfeel than the Beaujolais-Villages I have sampled in the past, but it’s not an overwhelming “heaviness”. The flavor itself shows the wonderful depth and character this wine has. There are the normal raspberry and strawberry flavors, along with some candied cherries and lastly grass, lavender and floral hints. The wine is medium-to-full bodied with a very nice long finish that has soft and supple tannins and perfect alcohol characteristics. The wine itself is smooth and rather cool on the tongue mostly because it tastes better at cooler temperatures. It isn’t overly cloying like some heavier red wines rather it actually serves to refresh me more than anything else, strange for a red wine, but something I have come to appreciate.

Overall, this is a great wine with an equally great QPR. It tastes wonderful; every sip reminds me just how much I have come to value Gamay and the wines that come from the grape. Is this better than the 2009 Beaujolais-Villages of Louis Jadot and Georges Duboeuf I have tried in the past? That’s hard to say, on the one hand this is a heavier wine with more flavor, heat and depth. But on the other hand those wines are 5 dollars cheaper than this wine and nearly this good with nearly the same level of complexity and depth. I think it’s a close tie on this count. This wine is superior to the Beaujolais-Villages I have tried, but just barely. I would be just as happy drinking any of these wines. I recommend that you stock up on this or either of the Beaujolais-Villages. Or you could jump in and try just about any 2009 Beaujolais (except Beaujolais Nouveau) and probably have just as good as an adventure as this one, if not one that surpasses my own. At any rate the 2009 Beaujolais Cru and Beaujolais-Villages are both wines to stock up on and savor often.

Georges Duboeuf Wines

2008 Chateau Labrande Cahors Malbec, France

Color – Deep, even purple

Nose – Blackberry, wet soil, plum, compost?

Taste – I was weary of this Malbec due to my last run in with the French offering of this grape, however I was pleasantly surprised upon taking my first sip of this particular wine. It’s deep and dark in color and has interesting aromas that bring to mind very dark fruit, damp earth, and the combination of the two in what I can only describe as compost. The first flavors that come through are both fruit and somewhat savory flavors; I taste sour blackberry and dark plum mixed with bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and burnt caramel. The mid-palate has just a hint of alcohol, perfect tannins, and a nice even mouthfeel. The finish is medium-to-long with the recurring flavor of burnt caramel now joined by clean fruit skins and leather. The wine is full bodied with nice “warmth” to it as the mid-palate fades into the finish. This wine shows just how pleasant and different Malbec from France can be; it’s definitely a journey I enjoyed this time around.

Overall, I would say this wine is a good-to-great QPR. At 9 dollars a bottle and with the depth, complexity and flavors provided you’d be hard-pressed to find a better full bodied Malbec than this. I would say stock up on this while it’s available at Costco. Don’t expect to find the same flavors as Argentinean Malbec since the terroir in France provides this wine with a more savory flavor profile and a heavier “weight” to this wine. It’s still a winner, a wine I would compare to the Bodegas Flechas de los Andes Gran Malbec but for 4 fewer dollars this is one you want to find right now.

2009 Blason de Bourgogne Pinot Noir, France

Color – Translucent, brownish red

Nose – Cherry, cranberry, pepper, earth, celery?

Taste – Pinot is not one of my favorite red wines. To be honest, it’s down at the bottom of my red wine list only beat out by Valpoilicella and Zinfandel. It’s not that I don’t like Pinot, I just don’t know that much about it and according to those “in-the-know” it can be hard to find a decent Pinot for under 25 dollars. But I have been slowly sampling Pinot at the sub-10 dollar mark for a few weeks now. What I can say about this wine is that it is very light, both in color and in weight. It has a strange nose (to me) with the earth, cranberry and what I can only describe as celery. And the flavor is quite mild as well. The first thing I notice when I take a sip is that this wine tastes much better served slightly chilled. As it warms the tart fruit flavors can feel overbearing and there seems to be a little too much pucker for me. When it’s chilled the flavors play well together going from sour cherry/cranberry to earth and raspberry and finally some pepper on the finish. I am hard pressed to find any tannins, though there is some nice acidity here that keeps the mid-palate interesting and follows through to the finish. The finish is medium in length and has more cranberry and this is where I can also taste what to me resembles celery (you know that clean, slightly bitter taste that celery has?). The texture and mouthfeel are pleasant but there isn’t a lot of depth or character in either the flavor or texture department.

Overall, I would call this an OK wine given my limited knowledge and experience with the varietal. It is inoffensive and subdued but that is what you want some times. It has a pretty darn good price coming in at 6 bucks at Trader Joe’s. I would advise to use this as an aperitif or maybe chilled with salad or hors d'oeuvres. It’s not going to amaze you, but it won’t let you down either. Simply put this is a pretty decent light red wine with a very humble price tag. All-in-all something that’s right up my alley.

Blason de Bourgogne Wines

2007 Louis Verge Morgon “Les Pierres Fines”, France

Color – Light, nearly transparent red

Nose – Cherry, blueberry

Taste – I am pretty sure this Morgon is truly from the Gamay grape and an actual Beaujolais Cru though I could be wrong. The bottle does not identify the varietal, however, this wine is quite similar to other wines I have tasted featuring the Gamay grape. That being said this wine does not fare as well as any of those wines. I have read online that 2007 was not a particularly good year for Beaujolais winemakers and this wine definitely shows that. The wine itself needs a chance to breathe, at the very least decant this for 10 minutes, though 30 minutes would be better. If you don’t decant this you will find the wine acidic, bitter, and tannic; three things you don’t want to find in your Beaujolais. After breathing this wine mellows quite nicely and the flavors can actually be deciphered. The wine is light-to-medium in body. There are flavors of cherry, strawberry, and some floral notes as the wine first touches the tongue. These transition quickly into a mid-palate of sour cherry, smoke and grass. Finally the finish is short and features hints of dust and more smoke.

Overall, this wine surprised me. It surprised me where the actual flavor of the wine is concerned. It surprised me that it might actually be a Morgon Beaujolais Cru for under 10 dollars. And it surprised me that it has tannins and acid that actually show up when you drink it. Not all of surprises are good surprises. Sure it’s nice to drink Beaujolais and not have to fork over 15 bucks, but in all honesty I’d rather buy the 8 dollar Georges Debeouf Beaujolais-Villages than this bottle. This wine isn’t bad, I’d drink it again, but not when I want Beaujolais. But if I want a light red that I can pick up for under 8 bucks this is pretty good. It’s not going to win any awards and it’s definitely closer to the” Red Table Wine” on its label than actually being a Beaujolais.

2009 Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages, France

Color – Nice even red

Nose – Raspberry, strawberry, cherry

Taste – Quite some time ago, a wine clerk at Total Wine recommended that I try 2009 Beaujolais Cru as the 2009 vintage is the best to have been produced in quite some time. I shook it off and didn’t think much of it until a few days ago when I picked up a bottle of Beaujolais-Villages at the local supermarket. Now this isn’t the same as the Cru, but its pretty close according to Wikipedia, and boy was I impressed. It’s a very low tannin, high acidity wine with flavors of strawberry and rose petals. The mid-palate has characters of sour cherry but not enough to bring out the pucker. And the finish is medium-to-long with more floral notes. The wine is quite light, but very pleasant. Honestly this is perhaps one of the best varietals I’ve had the opportunity to try. Though this is light-bodied, quite floral in flavor, and astringent, it is a fantastic glass of red wine. It’s refreshing but pairs well with food. You can drink this all by itself or try it with some good cheese. For a decent red that’s not too heavy and more accessible to the average person, you should pick up a bottle of Beaujolais-Villages.

Overall, this is a pretty darn amazing wine with complexity, depth, flavor, and versatility. I would recommend this as a wine to drink just about any time, any place. Sure it’s not a big, bold red like I normally enjoy, but that’s what makes this wine so good. It has TONS of flavor, with hints of flowers that run through it making the flavor very compelling. The QPR on this is quite good at 8.99 a bottle, I would say this is one of the better wines at this price point. Serve this to anyone including those that don’t like red wines, I would be willing to bet they’d like this. Pick this one up!

Louis Jadot Wines

2008 Mouton Cadet Bordeaux (65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc), France

Color – Dark red, with a garnet rim

Nose – Currant, blackberry, flowers, spice

Taste – Beautiful flavors of red currant right from the first sip. This wine is very smooth and easily very accessible. The red currant mingles with some sour cherries, then a mid-palate of blackberry and well balanced acidity. The finish is very smooth, medium in length, with flavors of red currant, leather, floral hints and some creamy textures as well. All in all a very nice quaffable effort. This is closer to a medium bodied wine than a full bodied red. It nicely mixes the three varietals of grapes, Merlot, Cab Sauv and Cab Franc to the betterment of the wine. The red currant flavors and smooth texture from the Merlot come right through and stay from first sip through the finish. The Cab Sauv adds some weight, tannins and acid to the wine and defined flavors in the mid-palate of blackberry and cassis. Finally the Cab Franc helps balance the “heaviness” of the Cab Sauv and the delicate Merlot with hints of floral characteristics in the nose and on the finish. I think this is a great entry level Bordeaux, you aren’t going to find anything cheaper with the word Bordeaux on it or the quality you will find here. But you aren’t going to find the depth, complexity and wonderful character of the terrior you will find in more expensive Bordeuaxs.

Overall, this is a good red wine with a good-to-great QPR. It has nice flavor, texture, and decent depth. It’s not going to suck your wallet dry and it is very drinkable. It will let you get your “toes wet” where Bordeaux wines are concerned but it won’t break the bank. It’s also not going to teach you a lot about Bordeaux wines, but it will satisfy your desires for a good red wine.

Mouton Cadet Wines

Wine, the Journey So Far pt. 3

(I do not own the rights to this picture)

Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century. It has been often cultivated because it makes for abundant production; however, it can produce wines of distinction when planted on acidic soils, which help to soften the grape's naturally high acidity. - source Wikipedia-

On a recent trip to Total Wine & More, one of their wine experts recommended that I try a 2009 Beaujolais Cru. He had seen me perusing their rather paltry offerings of Bonarda and thought I would like either Beaujolais Cru or Cabernet Franc. After a brief glance of both varietals I opted for the Cabernet Franc only because I have had red blends with Cabernet Franc and at the time knew nothing about Beaujolais-Cru or the Gamay grape. Hindsight is 20/20 and I now wish I had gone the other route.

I purchased a few bottles of Beaujolais-Villages over the last two weeks and boy was I eves surprised at how much I enjoy this varietal. I’ve done some research now on the grape, Gamay, and on the wines that feature this grape. While the Beaujolais-Villages is not as complex, proud, and revered as the Beaujolais Cru, it comes in a close second. And I am finding myself enjoying this grape for reasons that other reds just can’t satisfy.

So another side of my palate is coming to maturity. That of the side that enjoys lightly-tannic, red wines that are less fruit forward with a nose that has more floral tendencies rather than fruit tendencies. I usually go for the big, bold red, something that you would drink with a great big steak, barbecue ribs, or a juicy burger. Beaujolais-Villages is a red wine that falls into the exact opposite category. That’s not to say that it’s a “sissy” wine or a flat, tasteless wine. In fact, it actually seems more complex than Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Malbec. The flavors that come across or more fleeting and delicate, and the wine itself can be hard to pair with food. But it is extraordinary when consumed by itself. This is truly a wine to savor on its own.

One of my favorite things about Beaujolais-Villages is that it’s a rather refreshing wine. Sometimes a red wine can be more “filling”, overwhelm my palate or just end up being too “heavy”. Beaujolais-Villages does not have that problem whatsoever. It feels and tastes light, but with a nice complexity and flavor transitions that are very pleasant. I have come to enjoy the aroma and flavor of flowers just as much as I enjoy wines that feature spice box aromas and flavors.

So my new favorite “go-to” wine on a given night is a nice Beaujolais-Villages. Now I understand that Beaujolais Cru will taste different, and I intend to sample a few bottles of Beaujolais Cru in the coming month, but Beaujolais-Villages is a good enough wine for me right now. According to wine experts the 2009 vintage of either Beaujolais-Villages or Beaujolais Cru is the best that has been produced in years due to a rather hot summer with little rain. The vines produced grapes of superior quality and ripeness for this sweet, small thick-skinned grape. I would say stock up on wines featuring the Gamay grape and of the 2009 vintage. Though you should definitely sample them rather than randomly buying a case as there are still a few “loser” bottles out there.

In all, this part of my journey with wine has been educational, as well as eye opening. My palate has once again been broadened where wine is considered. I’ve learned to love another red wine, this one light bodied from the Old World, specifically France. And I’ve found yet another wonderful wine to drink after a hard day at work. I would have to say my journey’s coming along quite nicely. What about yours?

2008 Georges Vigouroux Pigmentum Malbec Cahors, France

Color - Deep purple with a dark red rim

Nose - Wet soil and unwashed lettuce (I know, sorry, this is what I get from this wine)

Taste - This wine got me right from the first sip, actually from the first whiff. There is minimal or muted fruit in the flavor though there are hints of smoky dark berries on the mid-palate and finish. Mostly I taste the following: (in order) damp soil, lettuce and celery, wood smoke, berries, lots of minerals and an almost bitter aftertaste. This is all after decanting the wine for two hours and then again tasting a glass on day two and another glass on day three. There is a strong level of astringency and a lot of tannins. The wine is medium-to-full bodied with a quite long finish. It would probably do well to be paired with a decent steak, savory game dishes or sharp cheese.

Overall, this wine is what you get when you don't pay attention when picking out a new wine. I am familiar with Argentinian Malbec and the flavors of their particular terroir. Until this wine I'd only read about French Malbecs and how they differed from their Argentinian brethren. I now have a first hand experience. This is not a wine I would drink often. It's not bad at all, in fact, it's pretty good just not my preference. I'll stick with the Argentinian Malbcs, but I would recommend this as a good wine with a decent QPR and if you are looking for a change of pace or want to be a little adventurous, try this out.

Georges Vigouroux Wines

2009 Cave de Saumur Saumur Champigny Reserve des Vignerons, Cabernet Franc, France

Color - Ruby red

Nose - Cherry, red currant

Taste - This has quite beautiful flavors of cherry and flowers. Yes literally something similar to rose petals that I picked off my mom's roses and ate as a child. This wine is dry but not very astringent though it does go through a lot of changes on the palate. Cherries then flowers meld into sour cherries and there is a slight bitterness in the aftertaste but it is mild and unoffensive. This is a medium bodied wine with a nice long finish and rather subdued tannins though they come alive with the right food (pizza, hearty beef stew, cheese). I like this wine though I'm not used to the peculiarities of Cabernet Franc. This is fruity but it's more floral-forward than anything else. It's like drinking potpourri or one of those "rose hips" teas. While not bad it's definitely an acquired taste.

Overall, this is an interesting wine, but something that will only please certain people. Personally I think it's easier to grow accustomed to Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, or Merlot than Cabernet Franc. I'd say try this or another good sub-fifteen dollar Cabernet Franc, but if you're like me you'll stick ot other wines and varietals. That's not to say this isn't a really good wine, it definitely is, it's just not my particular cup of tea, though it might grow on me. I'd pick it up if I couldn't decide on that last bottle and wanted something different yet pleasant.

Cave de Saumur Wines