2011 DaMaNation

Happy Wednesday!  We've reached hump day and now it's time to open up a little delicious wine to celebrate the middle of the week.  Tonight, given all of the recent and various wine club shipments that seem to be delivered almost daily, I've decided to open a bottle of 2011 DaMaNation GSM blend from DaMa wines in Walla Walla.  You know how I love me some GSM, and this one is 45% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 15% Mourvedre, so let's see how she stacks up!

The wine is a gorgeous ruby in the glass with bright clarity.  The nose evokes perfumed aromas of blackberry and cassis along with some lovely violet and rose petal notes.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit, blackberry, strawberry and plum that transitions nicely to some earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is divine, with velvety smooth tannins providing the structure for a voluptuous and dry finish that beckons another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's really a nice example of a domestically produced GSM blend that would stack up well with the wines of the Rhone Valley.  Although this wine would be perfect with many Mediterranean dishes, tonight I am enjoying it with a rather uncharacteristic dinner of rare grilled filet mignon, baked potato and grilled Brussels sprouts.  The smooth fruit of this wine is a perfect balance for a hearty meal.  Cheers!

2006 E. Guigal Gigondas

What a lovely Sunday afternoon, I finally had some time to relax and take a nap, then I went to the gym for a bit and now I'm ready to ease into Sunday dinner.  And to go with that dinner, I've opened a bottle of 2006 E. Guigal Gigondas, a nice little Rhone blend (Grenache 60%, Mourvedre 30% and Syrah 10%) that I find to be food friendly, and more importantly, a pleasant drinking wine for nice spring afternoons like I'm enjoying today.

The wine is a deep violet color in the glass, edging toward some nice ruby color.  This wine can be a bit tightly wound, so you might find it more approachable letting it decant or pouring it through an aerator.  I did the latter and still let it breathe a bit in the glass before drinking it.  The nose presents some lovely dark fruit aromas of ripe plum, blackberry and cassis, along with some lovely earthy notes of cedar, anise and forest floor.  The taste has some nice fruit at the outset, that effortlessly transitions to some lovely black pepper and spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are well structured throughout, leading to a smooth, dry finish that is ideal for sipping on the patio on a spring afternoon.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, and it was a pretty good value that I bought from wineshopper.com for $25.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some steak and black bean tacos, something a little off the beaten path for a typical Rhone blend, but what the heck?  The wine pairs well with beef, and it really compliments the spice of the marinade and rustic flavors of the black beans, illustrating how versatile these wines of the southern Rhone and Languedoc can be.  Cheers!

2010 Helix Stone Tree SoRho

Well, we are almost 2/3 of the way through Washington Wine Month, and what better time to try one of the many eclectic blends produced in the Columbia Valley.  While the producers of Walla Walla have done exceptionally well at creating lovely and age worthy Bordeaux style blends, tonight I've opted for a blend modeled after the southern Rhone, the 2010 Helix Stone Tree SoRho, a classic blend of Mourvedre (50%), Grenache (32%) and Cinsault (18%).

The wine itself is a somewhat lighter bodied wine, with bright ruby color.  The nose is a lovely combination of   strawberries, lavender, a hint of black pepper and earth.  The taste is a real treat, with a strong smoky taste up front, along with a variety of dried herbs that slowly transitions to some notes of tart cherry and pomegranate   The finish is quite nice as the firm tannins support a wonderfully long and tight finish, with flavors of spice and a hint of floral notes that linger on and on.  This wine has a lot going on, with the addition of Cinsault making some really sophisticated interactions with the Grenache and Mourvedre that you just don't see in your typical GSM blends.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's such a fun drinking wine that can match well with a broad variety of foods.  Unfortunately it's a little pricey for an everyday red at $33, but perfect for a special occasion or just sharing with some friends.  Tonight I am pairing this with leftover corned beef and cabbage from yesterday's St. Patrick's Day celebration (did I mention this wine pairs with a wide variety of dishes?) as the lighter body and more subtle flavors really make things interesting.  Cheers!

2010 Gerard Bertrand Corbieres

It's a Sunday night, and I am getting ready for dinner, so why not open up a nice bottle of wine from the south of France?  Tonight it's the 2010 Gerard Bertrand Corbieres, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, the perfect match for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

The wine is richly colored with deep garnet hues, and the nose is a pleasant combination of ripe berries, and something of a "twang" to it, perhaps some tart fruit to counterbalance the jammy sweetness that is also present.  The taste is very fruit forward, with lovely notes of blackberry, ripe plum and vanilla that is just offset with a bit of tartness as well.  Midpalate the fruit gives way to some tar and spice, a bit of black pepper notes.  The finish is quite nice, very long and dry, supported by some supple tannins.  I've found on this one that as you let it breathe, it really opens up quite nicely, so give it an hour or so if you can't decant it.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a great example of the Mediterranean influences on the wines of the Languedoc, and a terrific value.  I bought a couple bottles of this wine at the World Market for only $9!  I couldn't afford not to get them!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a nice winter meal, some lovely baked chicken breasts on the bone, some garlic mashed potatoes and some fresh steamed asparagus, as the fruit in the wine really brings out the best in poultry, making it feel like Thanksgiving.  Cheers!

2009 Chateau des Karantes Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape

Tonight I am relaxing with a bottle of lovely wine from the south of France from one of my favorite chateau in the Languedoc region, the 2009 Chateaux des Karantes Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape.  This particular producer was one that I first encountered a few years ago at a charity wine tasting, and having met the winemaker, I fell in love with the product!  From the gorgeous vineyard right along the Mediterranean coast to the spicy bold wine, this is certainly my favorite French wine outside of Bordeaux.  Now the wine itself is a blend of Syrah (60%), Mourvedre (30%) and Grenache (10%) that is a classic style of the south of France.

The wine itself is a lovely deep ruby in the glass, and the nose is a wonderful combination of intriguing aromas, from some lovely toasted oak, faint floral notes, anise, cocoa powder and a bit of earth.  The taste is delightfully subdued at first, which is surprising given how fruit forward so many GSM blends can be.  Instead, this one opens with some lovely notes of ripe berries and plum, which transitions to some baking spice and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, supporting a long, smooth, dry finish that makes you immediately crave another sip.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, it's still pretty young but drinking beautifully now, with some good aging potential as well.  I bought this from my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo, and I think it was around $20, so a pretty good value for a wine of this quality.  Tonight I am enjoying this with some crab cakes and sweet potato fries, as the richness of the starch and spice of the crab cakes really balance the richness of this wine.  The perfect end to a long week, bon appetit!

2007 Salinas Monastrell

Tonight I've returned to Spain for a wine selection to go with my dinner, so I've landed on the 2007 Salinas Monastrell, from the Alicante region of Spain.  Now for those of you unfamiliar, Monastrell is more commonly known by its French name, Mourvedre, the third component of the ever popular "GSM" blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.  It's somewhat unusual to find bottles of Mourvedre, but Spain has made it a much more popular option under the Monastrell moniker.

This wine is an inky purple toward the center of the glass, that bleeds to a lovely garnet around the edges.  The nose is a nice blend of tart cherry, leather and some earthy notes of forest floor, or as some of my friends would say, a bit of a barnyard smell.  The taste is very interesting, with some notes of tart cherry up front, quickly followed by a lovely combination of oak, truffle and dried herbs.  The finish is quite tannic, but it's also fairly long, making this a rather pleasant sipping wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, not only because I find it pleasant, but it was also a super value!  I bought this one on clearance at my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's for only $3.50, so how could I complain?  Tonight I am pairing this with a rather interesting dinner of Swai fillet baked with butter, lemon and fresh dill, a baked potato and some steamed broccoli, and the somewhat tannic nature of this wine really amplifies the acidity of the lemon and aromatics of the dill.  You wouldn't think it would work, but it really does!

2006 Féraud-Brunel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Tonight, to celebrate the coming of 2013 and the U.S. going over the "fiscal cliff," I decided to put my wine selection for the evening to a vote of my Facebook friends, and they didn't let me down, choosing the 2006 Féraud-Brunel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a wonderful GSM blend to end my 2012 and welcome the new year!  Now since I gave everyone until 8:00 pm to vote, I just opened this bottle and have had no time to decant, so I've poured this glass through my aerating pourer for better effect, but it's probably advisable to let this wine breathe a bit if you have time.

The wine in the glass is a deep garnet color, about what you'd expect from a nice CdP.   The nose is very mellow, almost surprisingly so, with hints of lovely fruit, black currant, blueberry, some interesting spice notes intermingled with rose petals and the faintest bit of barnyard.  The taste is just sublime, with lovely ripe fruits bursting forth on the tongue, blueberry, ripe plum and a hint of boysenberry, transforming into some lovely jammy notes midpalate balanced with some earthy minerality.  The tannins play well creating a long, smooth finish, with lovely flavors or dark chocolate and gravel.  For a rather young wine, this one really is drinking quite well right now!

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, it's a very nice example of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape that I found at a local supermarket for under $30 about a year ago.  Unfortunately it's 8:30 pm on New Year's Eve, so I'm just enjoying this wine seulement ce soir, but it would pair quite nicely with a variety of spicy dishes, or grilled meats, but I could also see it going very well with a broad array of seafood.  If you can find a bottle, I would highly recommend it!  Bon Année! 

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!

2007 Chateaux des Karantes Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape

It's a beautiful summer afternoon, so what better way to enjoy the day than to open a bottle of wine and start cooking?  So that's exactly what I've done, and for tonight's festivities, I've chosen a bottle of Languedoc from one of my favorite winemakers in the region, Chateau des Karantes.  As I've mentioned in the past, I met the winemaker at a tasting here in Grand Rapids in 2008 and I was so impressed with the wines I was an instant fan.  The blending of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (GSM) has become such a classic in my mind, even as it hasn't seemed to have surged in popularity like some wines.

The wine itself is a wonderful deep purple trailing to bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a delightful blend of fruit, ripe plum, red berries and apricot, layers with a bit of smoke that creates a wonderful reminiscence of the sweet smell of bacon to wake you up on a Saturday morning.  The taste has some delicate fruit at the outset, transitioning to some licorice and dark chocolate midpalate.  Despite how delicate the flavors can be at times, the wine has a lush, smooth finish that seems to last in the minutes!

Now I'll confess, it's been a bit harder to find wines from this Chateau at my usual wine hang-outs, but I happened up on a few bottles of this wine at a local supermarket.  The great news was that it was market down to $22 (already an unbelievable bargain) and then with an extra 10% discount for buying 6 bottles, I had them for under $20!  The drawback (if you can call it that) was that these bottles were actually signed by the wine maker for an even held a year or two ago, so I faced a dilemma.  Do I save the bottle since it's signed or do I crack it open and drink it, sending the moment to the recycling bin?  Well, I did what any good wine drinker would do, I bought an extra bottle, so I had one to save and one to enjoy with you tonight!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's definitely a step down from the Diamant (you can see my review of the '05 Diamant here), but still a wonderful example of the quality of the wines of the Languedoc region of France.  And this seems to be a trend, just like last time, I am enjoying this wine with some chicken and veggies with a bit of Indian red curry over basmati rice.  Yum! So if you happen upon a bottle, signed or not, I highly recommend picking one up!

2005 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape - a celebration!

So today was a very good day, worthy of a celebration!  Today at work I received a promotion to "senior director" and I know that might not mean that much to those outside my profession, but to me it means a lot!  So to celebrate, I decided to open up a really good bottle of wine tonight, and the one I picked was the 2005 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape!

As many of you know, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is at or near the top of the food chain (I would say at) for Rhône wines of southern France, and is typically a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (GSM).  Now this particular vintage from E. Guigal is a blend of 85% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% other grapes. 

The color of this wine is a bright ruby in the glass.  The nose presents a wonderful of blackberry, spice, black pepper and licorice.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with flavors of ripe plum, rich red berries coupled with lovely spices that give way to a taste of smoky grilled herbs, chocolate and earth midpalate.  The lovely rounded tannins provide for a well structured, long, floral finish that just reminds me of the time I spent in France.

This is an absolutely lovely bottle that I could easily sip for days, though I have serious doubts it would last that long!  Overall I would rate this one a solid 9, no question one of the nicest examples of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape that Ive had the pleasure to enjoy.  It would pair wonderfully with a variety of grilled meats, and particularly well with a rare beef tenderloin, or perhaps a lovely choucroute as I recall some of the more memorable dinners from my time in Paris!  But really, why would you let a full meal detract from this wine?  Just enjoy it with a few olives and a bit of cheese and what more could you ask?