WineLife365

Posts Tagged ‘France’

Well I’m officially into holiday gift-buying mode.  My first stop and purchase was at the world famous Golden Arches, McDonalds, of all places!  If you’ve got young kids like us, ‘nuff said.

So, I was at said McDonalds for one very important holiday purchase – the magnificent Holiday Coupon Book that I remembered receiving as a stocking stuffer on Christmas morning when I was a kid.  You know – that magical book of golden McTickets that opens a young child’s bright and gleaming eyes on Christmas morning as they envision McNuggets, McFries, McCheeseburgers and McMint flavored, green-dyed vanilla milkshakes all doing the “Mcarena” together.

Where has this storied Holiday Coupon Book, offering endless fast-food ecstasy, gone? 

I went up to the counter and asked the nice young man behind the cash register for two Holiday Coupon Books and he said to me, “I’m sorry sir, but we don’t sell them.  We only carry gift cards.”  Oh well…I’m sure my sons will still love their McCredit cards when they look into their stockings on Christmas morning.

Which leads me to a cheap and tasty adult stocking stuffer…and if you ask nicely, I’ll Super-Size it for you, too! 

As we all now, France produces gallons upon gallons of terrific and consistently good juice.  But let’s face it – many times the good stuff goes well beyond the price of an affordable Happy Meal.  Here’s one French white that falls into the category of One of the World’s Greatest Wine Values, and it can even be Super-Sized if you’d like!

Day #4 sings the praises of the 2010 Cave de Pomérols, Picpoul de Pinet, HB.  For around 10 bucks a bottle, this 100% Picpoul (aka Folle Blanche) will give you a lot to cheer about. Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of Picpoul de Pinet:  it remains a foreign name to most American consumers.  (That’s probably why it’s still so damn cheap!)  This white wine offers pinpoint acidity derived from a shot of grapefruit, lime and pineapple with a honey-suckle finish.  It’s crisp and versatile and a great affordable choice for upcoming holiday gatherings and stocking stuffing.

If you’re looking for more fun, consider Super–Sizing your Folle Blanche to the 2010 Cave de Pomérols, Picpoul de Pinet, La Petite Frog, Bag in Box 3 liters.  Why pay 40 bucks for 4 bottles when you can get the same primo juice in this cute “petite” box for less than $30?  Trust me (and the box ) everyone will love it!

Ok, what word in this title doesn’t quite fit?  If you said, “Bordeaux” – give yourself a big attaboy (or girl) and slap yourself on the butt!  Most wine drinkers (at least the ones I know) wouldn’t include ALL of these words in a sentence meant to describe wines from one of the most storied wine regions.  In an effort to change this perception and to elevate awareness about reasonably priced (i.e., under $20) Bordeaux wines available in the US, the folks at Planet Bordeaux initiated a campaign to educate, share and showcase examples of what Bordeaux, and in particular Bordeaux Supérieur AOC wines, has to offer consumers in the under $20 category.

Yesterday, we decided to try the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge and the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge with grilled salmon and a thick piece of grilled steak .  

The first wine we tasted was the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge (Sample, MSRP: $13 US).

Right off the bat – before ever seeing the vintage date on the label – I thought to myself, “this wine has seen a few moons.”   Reason being that the color of the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge was a tad cloudy and had a dull ruby color to it.  That being said, though, we don’t judge any wine by how pretty it looks in the glass – it’s all about how it tastes.  As my wife and I tasted the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge, I commented several times that it tasted a bit tired; it was not at all vibrant and tasted one-dimensional to me.  Made of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, it lacked any interesting herbal and spice flavors.  I kept it open for a few hours, in hopes of tasting some violet and black currants; unfortunately, over the course of the evening, I just couldn’t find them.  2 Stars out of 4 for the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge.

Our second rouge of the evening was the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge (Sample, MSRP: $15 US).

Like the Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge, the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is comprised of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Unlike the first red, though, the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge exhibited a beautiful vibrant ruby color.  How did it taste?  This claret coats your entire palate – front, middle and end – with raspberry, strawberry, cloves, violets and black current.  AND…I absolutely loved the chewy tannins gripping my teeth and gums with every sip!  Now this is what I was hoping to discover in an everyday-sipper, red Bordeaux!  3 Stars out of 4 for the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge.

For more information on these and other Bordeaux wines check out Planet-Bordeaux.com.

If someone were to ask you, “What’s the best red wine under $20 that you’ve tasted so far this year?” – could you easily come up with a hands-down favorite without giving a second thought?  In my quest to uncover one of (my) life’s little mysteries, I asked myself this very same question…

While looking in the rearview mirror, I sure have tasted a hell of a lot of wine in the under $20 category during 2011 – most of which have been fairly good.  But if I had to pick only one extraordinary bottle of wine that without question has left a lasting impression on me and my taste buds since the very first sip, that wine would have to be the 2009 Domaine Saint-Amant Grangeneuve.

The 2009 Domaine Saint-Amant Grangeneuve (>$20 US) is a beautifully crafted blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 5% Viognier.  It’s suitable for everyday drinking, yet has the moxie to grace a white linen-covered table at the finest restaurants. 

The winemaker says, “the Grenache will release in your mouth silky, velvety plum and cocoa flavors.”  There’s really nothing to add to this description except the fact that this red wine from France’s Beaumes-de-Venise AOC (wine region) just flat out kicks serious ass at this price point!

A big THANK YOU to John Ryan at Ryan’s Wines & Spirits for sharing this magnificent discovery with me!

4 Stars out of 4 for the 2009 Domaine Saint-Amant Grangeneuve (>$20 US).  This wine is a winner:  scoop it up by the pallet until it runs out!

A few weeks ago, I was asked by Spark Magazine to provide some advice for wine consumers based on my experiences in 2010.  My response was:

“If I could offer consumers one piece of advice that I learned in 2010, it would have to be: don’t judge a wine by its package.  I’ve had several terrific box wine experiences in 2010 – I hope to see this category continue to grow and that consumers give them a try.”

Now I’m sure that some of you that are reading this may have just spit out your wine in laughter or think that I was completely hammered when I made this statement.  However, I assure you that I was not inebriated…so get a napkin and wipe your chin!

In 2010, more than just a few boxed wines were damn fine, and actually earned the right to put the words “Premium Wine” on its cardboard outer shell.  Don’t get me wrong – there’s still plenty of undrinkable plonk on the shelf that deserves to be put in a time machine and dropped back into the 70’s with plaid bellbottoms and polyester suits, with no hope for return.  However, the wine industry is moving in the right direction by offering several boxed wines that taste good and are affordable to the masses.  That is something definitely worth cheering about!  So here are my picks for the best boxed wines of 2010:

Best All-Around Boxed White Wine

Winner:  La Petite Frog, Picpoul de Pinet, 3L box. It’s a box full of 100% Picpoul, otherwise known as Folle Blanche.  It has terrific acidity, supported by grapefruit and a zest of lime.  This wine is superb alone or with chicken, fish, Mediterranean foods, salads and even Tex-Mex; and the best part – it costs less than $30 for the equivalent of 4 standard bottles of wine.

Honorable Mentions:   The Octavin Home Wine Bar line-up.  Octavin has completely elevated the box wine category to a whole new level with Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), Big House White (California), and Monthaven Chardonnay (California).  These wines are all crowd-pleasers and CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!

Best All-Around Boxed Red Wine

Winner:  Big House Red (3L Box).  This past week, I had several folks taste a bar-length table full of boxes filled with red wine, and the Big House Red garnered the most compliments and universal approvals among these tasters. 

Some comments from them were: 

“A lot going on the front, middle and finish.”
“This is a nicely put together New-World style wine.”
“It’s very pretty.”
“Complex, yet very easy drinkin’.”
“Tastes like you’re trying something new.  It expands your palate without being intimidating.”

I sum up the Big House Red, as being a killer value-red for under 20 bucks that pairs well with just about anything.  It’s a very food-friendly red wine.

Honorable Mentions:  My little tasting group also had lots of nice things to say about the French, terroir-driven La Vieille Ferme (3L Box) Rhone blend.  Tasters remarked of its “Good Character,” that “Everything is in balance”, and it had “Nice layers of flavors.”

Finally, California’s popular Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon (3L Box) made a lasting impression on our tasters as well with its “Brawny,” “Big,” and “Meaty” black-cherry and vanilla-spice flavors.

All in all, I’d love for more wineries give the box a shot and see more wine drinkers try these box wines with a fresh and open mind. Still can’t get past the box – especially when entertaining?  Try pouring the wine into one of your fancy decanters and hide the box in a cabinet!

Very special thanks to my friends at Branmar Wine and Spirits for agreeing to an impromptu tasting and for helping me to power through the boxes of red!