2024 Belles d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I have to confess that I've been completely ignoring rosé season, as I think I may have only enjoyed one bottle this entire summer.  Well, now it's time to make up for my oversight, so tonight I've opened a bottle of 2024 Belles d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé that I bought last month from Wines Till Sold Out.  I have previously reviewed the 2021 vintage and thought it was all right, but still a good value.  This vintage is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan, so let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a very pale peach color in the glass, signaling something crisp and refreshing is on the way for these last few days of summer.  The nose is a refreshing array of summer citrus and tropical fruit, grapefruit, apple and mango with hints of honey and some minerality.  The first sip is delightfully crisp and refreshing, with a cascade of citrus, honeydew, and mango, with hints of red berry and some mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is dry and crisp, a perfect ending for a wine destined for patio sipping.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it impressed me much more than the 2021 vintage.  This wine would be perfect for summer patio sipping (we have 4 more days of summer!) and would also pair well with barbecue, burgers and brats or fajita tacos.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some crispy skin salmon, steamed rice and asparagus.  Cheers!

2021 Le Quart du Roi Côtes-du-Rhône

Happy Sunday!  I confess I've sheltered in place today with the heat wave we've been having, 87 degrees and 78% humidity is not my cup of tea!  So, I did some laundry and a few other indoor chores and now it's time for Sunday dinner and a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2021 Le Quart du Roi Côtes-du-Rhône which I bought last year from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a classic Rhône blend of Syrah (50%), Grenache (30%), Cinsault (10%) and Carignan (10%).  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is chock full of ripe red fruit, cherry, plum and currant with hints of green pepper and dried herbs.  The first sip is a fruit forward affaire, with almost jammy red fruit, cherry, currant and strawberry that eases into some spicy notes of white pepper and a bit of rosemary.  Having tasted many French wines, I come to expect a bit of earthiness on the finish, but this wine is well balanced with firm tannings and a smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully drinking and food friendly wine that was a terrific value at just $12.49!  This wine would be exceptionally well paired with unusual, hard-to-pair dishes, like Asian or Indian, which is a good thing, since tonight I am enjoying this wine with some chicken Tikka Masals with lots of veggies over basmati rice and a bit of naan to mop up the sauce.  Cheers!  

2018 Vallée des Aigles IGP Côtes Catalanes Carignan

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!

2015 Cinco Reserva Red Blend

Happy Saturday!  Yesterday I stopped at my local wine store and went into the "back room" where they have all the better and more expensive wines and I found the wine I've opened tonight.  The odd thing was that this wine was only $12.97, so I'm not even sure why it was in the pricy wine room.  In any case, I was intrigues by this wine, "Cinco" as it's a blend of five different varietals from Chile: Carmenere (38%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Syrah (20%), Merlot (7%) and Carignan (5%).  So. let's see how this Cinco blend is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, a testament to the impact of the Cabernet on the blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, blackberry and cherry with hints of peppery spice undertones.  The first sip is a rush of ripe plum, cherry and blackberry that transitions easily to some earthy notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing for a velvety smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's a wonderfully easy drinking red that could be an everyday wine at this price.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steaks and lamb to barbecue or tacos.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some mustard barbecued chicken thighs, oven roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2017 Domaine de Fabrègues 'Le Coeur' Languedoc

Happy Sunday!  It's been raining her for much of the day, which is good as it's been very dry for the past month and the farmers and my lawn can use it!  After accomplishing some inside chores today, it's time to make dinner and open a nice bottle of wine.  My selection tonight serves two purposes, first to enjoy a nice wine, but second to try out a new gadget I recently bought.  You see, the wine I am opening is a magnum, which I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out, and not wanting to drink to excess tonight, I plan to try my new Rabbit vacuum wine preserver!  So, after a few glasses tonight, I can seal up the rest of this large bottle until I'm ready to enjoy it.  Now, about the wine, the 2017 Domaine de Fabrègues 'Le Coeur' Languedoc is a blend of Syrah (80%) and Carignan (20%) from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of the South of France.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, as you might expect with such a Syrah heavy blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of vanilla, blackberry and blueberry, with hints of vanilla and earthy mineral notes.  Take a sip and you experience a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, blueberry and tart cherry that ease back into some warm spice, espresso and mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and dark, providing for a wonderfully smooth, dry finish than lingers on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a fine example of the wines of the south of France, and it was also a solid value at just $33 for the magnum!  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from braised short ribs to hearty stew, pasta with wild mushroom cream sauce, or hearty fish dishes.  Tonight I am taking the latter approach and enjoying this wine with a crispy skin salmon filet with some roasted rainbow carrots and baby beets and steamed purple asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2021 Feu Follet Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rose

Happy Sunday!  It's been a somewhat relaxing day as my cooking was largely completed this morning - more on that in a minute.  And now, for the second time in as many weeks, I've reached back to the wines of summer for an appropriate wine pairing for this evening.  The 2021 Feu Follet Coteaux d'Aix en Provence rose is a blend of Grenache Noir (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Carignan (20%) and Syrah (10%), and yes, I know that adds up to 110%, but it's what the label said so I don't have the information to correct the percentages, so we'll go with it (incidentally, this is the first time I've ever encountered a percentage blend that did not add up correctly!).  I bought this wine from Wines Till Sold Out last summer, meaning to enjoy it on the patio, but alas better late than never, so let's see how it's tasting in the winter.

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass, which seemed to be the trend for 2021 roses.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of citrus and strawberry, with undertones of lemon and hints of apple over the top.  Take a sip and flavors of melon, apple and peach dance on your tongue before easing into some modest mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is at first crisp, but then it smooths out to a lingering dryness.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it continues to evolve as you sip, and makes me sad that I didn't enjoy this wine while the patio furniture was still out.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer fare, from burgers and barbecue, to summer salads and seafood.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some split pea soup that's been simmering in the crock pot all day, made from the ham bone left over from the Christmas party, the richness of the soup is a perfect foil for this wine.  Cheers!

2021 Belles d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé

Happy Sunday!  I haven't posted in a bit since between fighting a cold and an incredibly busy time at work, I just haven't had the opportunity.  But tonight that changes as I've opened a bottle from a rosé four-pack that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out, what better way to enjoy some nice summer wines from Provence?  The 2021 Belles d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan from Provence in the south of France.  So, let's see what the Mediterranean rosé has to offer!

The wine is a very pale peach color in the glass, as has been the trend with recent rosé vintages.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, honeydew, tart grapefruit and a bit of lemon zest.  Take a sip and out comes the sun (despite the cool, rainy weather here today) with bright citrus, strawberry and hints of melon, intermingled with some mineral notes that characterize the region.  The finish is somewhat crisp, but very dry, making this wine ideal for outdoor summer dining.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a solid rosé at a good value, but it's not as impressive as others I've enjoyed this summer.  This wine would pair well with summer salads, barbecue, burgers and brats as well as hearty fish dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some crispy skin salmon done mid-rare, some wild rice and haricots verts almondine.  Cheers!

2015 Kivelstadt Cellars Father's Watch Red Blend

Tonight has been a remarkably warm evening, and since I just got back from the gym, I feel as though I need a glass of wine and a nice dinner.  For the wine, I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 Kivelstadt Cellars Father's Watch Red Blend, a blend of Syrah (35%), Carignan (30%), Grenache (35%) and Mourvedre (10%) from the North Coast of California.  Given that I'm having a little Asian inspired seafood for dinner, I thought a lighter red blend might be appropriate, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose is a wonderful combination of spring floral aromas intermingled with ripe cherry and plum over some mild note of fresh cut grass.  The taste is a rush of tart cherry and blackberry that transitions easily to come earthy mineral and notes of peat midpalate.  The finish is quite dry, with rather tight tannins that seem to cut the finish a bit short.

Overall, I would rare this wine a solid 7.5, as it's pleasant drinking and food friendly, but it somewhat lacks that wow factor.  This wine would pair well with a variety of Mediterranean dishes, seafood or even summer fare of barbecue or hamburgers.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a sesame crusted Ahi tuna filet along with sauteed baby bok choy and steamed jasmine rice.  Cheers!

2008 Gerard Bertrand Minervois

Tonight I am going to the south of France for some wine, where hopefully the taste and terroir will give me a feeling of the bright sun shining on my face as the cool Mediterranean breeze envelopes me...but I digress...it's still May in Michigan and there's a freeze warning tonight!  At any rate, this wine is a blend of Syrah and Carignan, a perfect example of the Minervois appellation.

The wine is a brooding dark color in the glass, and the nose is a pleasant combination of blackberry, cocoa powder and a hint of coffee.  The taste is somewhat less fruity than I would have expected given the nose, but it was quite nice, with initial flavors of tart cherry and black currant, which gave way to some chalky earth and green herbs midpalate.  The finish was just lovely, with some dark chocolate notes over some evolving tannins that made way for a long, smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's drinking quite nicely now, but it will likely evolve over the next few years.  And it was a good bargain as well, as I think I got this one from wineshopper.com for about $15!  As for pairings, tonight I am going 180 degrees against the grain, as the label suggest this would pair nicely with beef, sausage or pasta with red sauce, but tonight I am enjoying this with some pan seared ahi tuna, prepared with a bit of olive oil and Mediterranean spices, along with some roasted potatoes and fresh steamed asparagus that I picked up at a farm on the way home from Chicago yesterday.  Cheers!

2003 Le Signal Domaine Lignères

So tonight I've decided to open up a bottle of wine from the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France, certainly one of my favorite wine regions outside of Bordeaux, with the signature blends based on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, they tend to be much more fruit forward and in many ways more food friendly wines than some other regions of France.  This particular wine is a blend of Carignan (80%), Grenache (10%), Syrah (5%) and Mourvèdre (5%), which is interesting as I've not tried many wines based primarily on Carignan.  This wine also had an interesting story on the label (yes I do read these things!) and apparently in the 1920s the winemaker delivered the domaine's wines in a Berliet truck designed to carry barrels.  He took 22 hours at an average speed of less than 7 mph to go from Alaric Mountains to Lourdes where he finally delivered his wine!

The wine itself is a deep purple color in the glass, and the nose exhibits scents of mint, ripe plums and blueberries and a good bit of earthiness, perhaps a hint of truffle.  The fruit was pleasant at the outset, with some chewy plum and black cherry flavors, there were some spice notes and a bit of cinnamon midpalate.  The tannins were very subdued, making for not much of a finish, though it was still pleasant.

Overall, I would rate this wine a mid-range 7, it's a pleasant one that might be a year or so past its prime, but at least it was a bargain - I picked it up at my local D&W for only $13!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled pork tenderloin with a wasabi marinade, some steamed broccoli and a baked potato, a wonderfully fall dish, and the best part is that fruit in the wine really compliments the flavors of the pork and spice of the wasabi, so delicious!