French red wine values tasted in 2008
The selected French bottlings have given me much pleasure for the price. I have purchased them again for personal consumption. I would consider doing so even with a 50 percent mark-up. (My criteria are explained here.) You’ll learn the availability of wines if you enter a location name in the search box at the top of the page.
The below wines were tasted in France, in 2008 (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 - Domaine des Cauzes - Cabernet sauvignon
NV - 1.9 € - decent, partly made with underipe grapes - the nose shows red fruit, red pepper, and a note of tyre - the palate shows red fruit, red pepper, a note of tyre, balance - chemical banana lingers
Leader Price
Vin de pays d'oc - Intervins - Mis en bouteille à F-11000 - Cabernet sauvignon
2006 - 2 € - can be enjoyable depending on the bottling, conventional agricultural practice leads to a scrambled fruit - the nose mainly shows earth and lead pencil, with a note of red pepper - the balance is food friendly, with flavours of varietal fruit, red pepper and lead pencil, with a hint of chocolate
Ed, filiale de Carrefour
Vin de pays des Coteaux de l'Ardèche - Vignerons ardéchois - (en cubitainer ou en vrac) - gamay
2007 - 2.5 € - aromas of ripe strawberry - the palate is conventional (unlike a natural wine), firm
Vin de pays des Coteaux de l'Ardèche - Vignerons ardéchois - Cuvée Modestine - gamay
2007 - 3 € - cherry on the nose - cherry in the mouth, the fruit is not clean, as if pummeled, the balance is firm
Côtes du rhône - SCA les Vignerons d'Estézargues - Le Pape noir
2006 - 5 € - served at a cool temperature, this wine has more intensity of fruit than Le Pape noir 2005
2005 - 6 € - this wine improves with airing, it is a beauty of delicacy, balance and perfume - it's like you go out to a garden after a shower: dust, raspberry, flower, an herbal note, then black licorice and a hint of cocoa, very pure and enticing - so lively in the mouth! flavours echo the nose, the wine dries the palate, with a nice texture, light on its feet (unlike a cahors or a Malbec): firm and a great complement to food
2005 - 7 € - a wine with structure and a complete maturity of the grapes - the nose shows blackcurrant, blackberry and roasted notes -b rich on the palate, red fruit, violet, firm, dries the palate, balanced, a keeper - final notes of blackcurrant, cherry and spice
2005 - 9 € - strawberry on the nose - strawberry in the mouth, a slightly incomplete ripeness, juicy, balanced en grande distribution
2006 - 7.2 € - nicely perfumed - the nose is very fruity (plum) - a muscular entry, red fruit, cutting acidity, ponderous and yet very lively
2005 - 9 € - red fruit jelly dominates the nose - onctuous, red fruit jelly, the wine is not drying the palate
2006 - 11 € - Morello cherry dominates the nose - little onctuosity, Morello cherry, a note of fur, light, firm, asks for more!
When choosing wines, remember to buy according to your needs.
Cahors - Clos Siguier - (Malbec, 95%)
Crozes hermitage - Cave de Tain - [syrah]
Saint joseph - Cave de Tain - Les Perdrigolles - [syrah]
Saint chinian - Jean-Marie Rimbert - Les Travers de Marceau - (cinsault, syrah, mourvèdre, carignan)
Vin de pays de l'Ardèche - Le Mazel - Saint-Philippe - (syrah)
Alsace - Audrey et Christian Binner - pinot noir
