This wine, a cabernet sauvignon merlot blend from Paul Mas and the Languedoc in the south of France, over delivers for its price. It has correct varietal aromas of blackcurrant, smoke and leaf. The palate is full bodied with savoury fruit and medium tannins that are ripe. Ready to drink now. Rating: Good. Website: https://www.paulmas.com/en/home/;…Continue readingDomaines Paul Mas Vignes de Nicole Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2019
Tag: France
February seems both long ago, yet only recent, with both the rhythm of seasons and life partly frozen and confused by lockdowns. This tasting took place in Napa in February 2020. Writing in September 2020, in Melbourne, we remain in lockdown. In our city, this means being permitted only to travel up to 5 kilometres…Continue readingBordeaux 2015 in bottle tasting in Napa
Categories
SC Guillard Bourgogne Rouge 2018
This is more or less what I am searching for, but irregularly find, in a Bourgogne rouge. It opens to brooding aromas of blackcurrant, with a cedar backdrop. The palate is medium bodied with game notes, medium tannins and lingering length on the finish. This rather delicious Burgundy overachieves for its quality classification and is…Continue readingSC Guillard Bourgogne Rouge 2018
Categories
Château Capbern Saint-Estèphe 2015
We see so few Bordeaux wines in Australia that are from the left bank appellations of Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Margaux and Saint-Julien and are not a cru classé. This is a mistake, as with the improvements and price increases in Bordeaux, there is wonderful value in these villages at below cru classé level. This wine, from…Continue readingChâteau Capbern Saint-Estèphe 2015
From Delas, this is a sound Côtes du Rhône rouge from the 2017 vintage. It has aromas of berry and spices. The palate is medium bodied with moderate acidity and chalky tannins. Ready to drink now. Rating: Good. Website: http://www.delas.com/en/; wine-searcher.com. Reviewed: June 2020.Continue readingDelas Saint-Esprit Côtes du Rhône 2017
This is a good, classically styled Côtes de Provence rosé from Saint Sidoine. It is a very pale salmon/copper in colour. It opens to aromas of unripe strawberries and firm red fruits. The palate is medium bodied, the acidity between medium and high, and the finish dry and harmonious. Rating: Good. Website: http://saintsidoine.com; wine-searcher.com. Reviewed:…Continue readingSaint Sidoine Côtes de Provence Rosé 2018
Categories
Triennes Rosé 2018
I wasn’t convinced by this Triennes rosé from the 2018 vintage and the IGP Méditerranée in the south of France, although I have previously enjoyed an earlier vintage (2017). Its aroma is fruity with characters reminding of lavender soap, and quite strongly so at that. The palate is better: dry, medium bodied, the acidity between…Continue readingTriennes Rosé 2018
Domaine de Bellene’s Côte de Nuits Villages from the 2018 vintage is a lovely wine. It opens to attractive and fragrant aromas of spice and blackcurrant, with an end note of smoke and cedar. It can only be Burgundy. The palate is medium bodied and more workmanlike with characters akin to red currants. This attractive…Continue readingDomaine de Bellene Côte de Nuits Villages 2018
Categories
Trénel Côte de Brouilly 2017
La Maison Trénel is part of the Chapoutier stable. From the Côte de Brouilly, this cru Beaujolais is particularly good. It has aromas of red fruits and a cedar like character despite its maturation in cement tanks. The palate is medium bodied with delicious and quite firm tannins. The finish is towards long. This wine…Continue readingTrénel Côte de Brouilly 2017
Sablet is one of the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellations in the southern Rhône Valley in France. This wine from Domaine de la Roubine is a blend of 70% grenache, 25% syrah and 5% cinsault. It has aromas of stalk, rosemary and a green bouquet garnis character. The palate is full bodied, with medium tannins…Continue readingDomaine La Roubine La Grange des Briguières Sablet 2017
This wine is a blend of grenache blanc, viognier, marsanne and bourboulenc. So a couple of less frequently seen grape varieties in an Australian context (grenache blanc and bourboulenc). The distinctive feature of this wine is its very full bodied, viscous palate. The viognier seemingly tries to break out of the wine and go it…Continue readingPaul Jaboulet Ainé Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2018
I’ve tasted a couple of vintages now of this entry level syrah from the Cave de Tain and the Collines Rodaniennes IGP in the Rhône Valley, France. The 2016 vintage is reviewed here. The 2018 vintage is also of good quality. It has typical syrah aromas of wet rosemary, spice and bouquet garnis. The Australian…Continue readingCave de Tain Première Note Syrah 2018