Happy Saturday! I was planning to do yard work today, but it was too windy to get the leaf blower out, so instead I decided to build my raised garden bed and dig around the foundation of the shed and fill it with river rock to help drainage. So a productive day of hard work and now I'm ready for a nice meal and glass of wine. Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2018 Vallée des Aigles IGP Côtes Catalanes Carignan that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out. Carignan is mainly used as a blending grape with Southern Rhone blends, and I think this is the first time I've tried the single varietal. This wine was made from fruit harvested from 60-100 year old vines in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France near the Spanish border and the Mediterranean. So, let's see how this wine is tasting.
The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, somewhat reminiscent of a nice Cabernet. A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of sweet cherry, raspberry and aged leather, with soft floral undertones. Take a sip and you're palate is awash in sweet fruit, cherry, raspberry and currant, that has acidity that at first blush makes you think of sweet-tarts candy, but then the taste evolves into some rich minerality and white pepper spice, before the smooth tannins kick in for added complexity on the long dry finish.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a surprisingly pleasant expression of a varietal that happily lives in the background. This wine was also a terrific value at just $14 (I wish I'd bought more!). This wine would pair well with hearty lamb dishes, beef stew or hearty pasta dishes. Tonight, I am taking a bold departure and enjoying this wine with a sesame crusted tuna steak topped with sunflower sprouts, steamed rice and broccoli, with a citrus wasabi dipping sauce. Cheers!
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