French red wine values tasted in 2006

The selected French bottlings have given me much pleasure for the price. I have purchased them again for personal consumption. Featured values include 4 bottlings from Provence and other summer reds.
 

The below wines were tasted in France, in 2006 (between April and December).The tasting notes are listed by increasing prices, with the following format:

Appellation - producer - plot or brand - variety
Vintage - approximate price - general impression - on nose - on palate - after swallowing
 

 Vin-de-pays-d'oc - les Chais Beaucairois - [image de soleil sur l'étiquette] - Cabernet sauvignon

2004 - 1.5 € - not flawed (but not impressive either), varietal: the aromas express cabernet sauvignon - yellow pepper and blackcurrant dominate the scent - yellow pepper and blackcurrant, plus a hint of Médoc: like when you cut ivy & you tear the vegetal carpet from the wall, balanced acidity - (be sure to try this wine with a barbecue, the taste is the same as when the wine was one year younger).

This wine is also available in bag in boxes in Norway.

Ed, filiale de Carrefour

 Madiran - Denis Capmartin - Château Barréjat - ("Bag in Box" en poche de 5l)

[2003] - 3 € - not very aromatic - very much fruit, balanced

 Vin-de-pays-des-maures - Richard Martel - La Garnaude

2004 - 3.3 € - red fruit on the nose - red fruit in the mouth, stuff, slightly more dilute than Olympe, balanced acidity

83590 Gonfaron, tél. +33 (0) 4 94 78 20 42

 Vin-de-pays-du-Jardin-de-la-France - A.Michel Brégeon - Cabernet

2002 - 4 € - red fruit, balanced acidity

 Côtes-du-ventoux - Cressenton

2004 - 4.5 € - red fruit - velvety, red fruit, a burned hint, dense but balanced

06140 Tourrettes-sur-Loup, 8 r Bourgade, Cave de Tourrettes, M.Orta, tél : 04 93 24 10 12

 Vin-de-pays-du-var - Patrick Mourlan - Bastide des Oliviers

2005 - 4.9 € - blackberry - blackberry, lively with a vegetable note (garrigue), firm balance

06140 Tourrettes-sur-Loup, 8 r Bourgade, Cave de Tourrettes, M.Orta, tél : 04 93 24 10 12

 Madiran - Denis Capmartin - Château Barréjat - Tradition - [Tannat 60%, cabernet 40%]

2003 - 5 € - better than the later bottlings - blackberry dominates the nose - the wine tastes fruity (blackberry), its small grains dry the palate and the taste buds, with balance (does not show the roasted quality of the 2000 vintage tasted at the same age)

 Côtes-de-provence - Richard Martel - La Garnaude - Olympe

2002 - 5.5 € - blackcurrant on the nose - blackcurrant in the mouth, stuff, slightly denser than the Vin-de-pays, balanced

83590 Gonfaron, tél. +33 (0) 4 94 78 20 42

 Corse-calvi - Francisci - U Munticellu

2002 - 7 € - raspberry and spice on the nose - the mouth shows purity of fruit, spice, little density, balance

Super U

 Côte-roannaise - Lapandéry Paul & fils - [Gamay]

2001 - 7 € - loafbread, oxydized red fruit - oxydized red fruit, strawberry, balanced

 Vin-de-pays-des-collines-rhodaniennes - Jamet - Syrah

2004 - 7.5 € - varietal: the aromas wonderfully express syrah - red fruit, violet flower - red fruit, violet flower, much less structure that an AOC (Côte-rôtie), juicy, balanced - similar to the 2005 vintage tasted at the same age

 Gevrey-chambertin - Domaine Jean-Marie Fourrier - aux Echézeaux

2002 - 18 € - sensual, this wine should overwhelm anybody (geek or not) - cherry, chocolate, toffee - toffee, Morello cherry, a note of vanilla, with balancing acidity [please open in advance and give it plenty of air]

When choosing wines, consider how many wines there are.