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!

2008 Delas Côtes-du-Ventoux

Even though it's starting to feel like autumn, it's just not time to put away the summer reds for another year, so tonight I am enjoying a bottle of 2008 Delas Côtes-du-Ventoux, a southern Rhône blend of Grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%) that just strikes me as ideal for a late summer afternoon. 

The wine is a lovely deep ruby to purple color, and the nose is thick with ripe fruit, blackberry and plum, and a nice bit of spice that balances the fruit very well.  There is also a good bit of earthiness too, somewhat reminiscent of the forest after a spring shower that reminds me of the flavors of black truffles.  The wine is quite fruit forward, with a lovely balance of ripe black fruit, black pepper and a bit of tartness that doesn't come from the tannins, but I believe comes more from the fruit itself - very interesting.  The wine is quite flavorful throughout, reaching a crescendo of cherry cola flavor midpalate, which gives way to tannins that are well structured providing for a very pleasing finish.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 7.5, it's certainly not a spectacular, make your jaw drop sort of wine, but it's a great value!  I bought this bottle today at my local wine retailer for just $10.49, which seems a bargain for the quality of wine inside.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely Polish dinner of all things!  Some fresh smoked kielbasa, pierogis and sauerkraut, so you see, you can pair lovely southern French wine with just about anything if you try hard enough!

2010 Brumont Cotes de Gascogne Rose

So, continuing with my infatuation with rose wines, tonight I am enjoying a bottle of 2010 Brumont Côtes de Gascogne Rose, a nice blend of Tannat (40%), Syrah (30%) and Merlot (20%).  This wine again follows my logic that if I like the red blend of these grapes, I'll probably like the rose which is just a more refreshing format for a hot summer day.

This wine has a rather orange, or peach tint to the color in the glass, and the nose presents green apple, citrus, and some earthy notes of truffle and fresh cut grass.  The wine itself is very dry, with some very light fruit flavors at the beginning, followed by a hint of melon, and then a mild, refreshing finish.  Overall I would rate this wine a 6.5, as it's really just not very memorable, but at least it was a super value on sale for just $7.

Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some parmesan paprika crusted Canadian walleye, with some steamed heirloom carrots and wild rice.  The subtle flavors of the wine really take a back seat to the milder flavor of walleye, which is certainly helpful in bringing out the flavors. Fish and rose, a wonderful combination!