Loads of red fruits on the nose with a chunk of leather following on the aroma side, for flavour you get spices, floral undertones and cherries.
It’s a simple no nonsense red wine from the south of France, near the Pyrenees. If it wasn’t for the price I could put this as the red wine for every day, but at EUR22 a bottle it’s just too much.
Domaine de la Perdrix Charakter 2016 – Languedoc, France
This is a Languedoc big red wine made with a mix of 3 grapes, Syrah 40%, Grenache 30%, Mourvèdre 30%. It’s an organic, vegan friendly wine where they let the whole bunch grape sit for 20 days, punching down the bunches each day so to extract all their flavours. You get a aromas of strawberry and cherry with hints of mint. The tannins are there but they balance well with the fruit flavours. You get what you smell with subtle flavours of violets and herbs added in. I drank this over 3 nights as I really enjoyed it on its own, just sipping away.
At about £18 is not cheap but really quite excellent.
Costes Cirgues Bois du Roi, Languedoc, France
Nouveau Beaujolais was one of the worst ideas anyone ever came up with for it painted what was a rather good wine region with wine which is not fit for consumption. It took me 15 years to go back to Beaujolais and only after an expert gave me a decent bottle.
This is a dry red with good firm tannins that grip the mouth. There are aromas of sour cherries, oak and over ripe redcurrant but the taste is more redcurrant with smokey and spice undertones.
This got a bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards but I think this is better than that. The International wine challenge gave this a silver medal which I believe was right. At about £20 a bottle it’s not cheap but is ftom Fleurie.
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Fleurie
Cantine do Ora Amicone 2014 (IGT) comes from the Veneto region of Italy and is made with the Corvina grape, just like Amarone. The difference is that he grapes are dried on the vine and not picked and dried in sheds (according to the label).
There’s lots going on here, red and black fruit aromas with spice and medium tannins. This is not as well refined as an Amarone, after 5 years I had hoped it would be smoother. It got a commended in the 2017 Decanter awards but a Silver in the International Wine Challenge, personally a solid bronze medallist in my opinion. It went very well with BBQ meat but I would struggle drinking it on its own and at £13 a bottle I think I would rather stretch to an Amarone for that smoothness.
Chateau Bonhomme mademoiselles comes from the south of France, in the Languedoc area. This is a Syrah Grenache blend and is a good example of a red wine from the region. There are aromas of black fruit and tobacco and flavours of red and black fruits, spice notes and medium tannins. I think the blend with grenache really helps add a big hit of fruit that makes this easier to drink on its own than just having Syrah and the tannins and structure that Syrah brings to wine.
At about £10 a bottle it’s a good solid Languedoc red wine
Chateau Bonhomme mademoiselles
This is a blend of three possibly four grapes depending on where you look the vineyards website or fact sheet. Sarah, Grenache and possibly Caignan or Mourvèdre. There are aromas of black fruit and some spice and pepper notes. On the taste there are firm tannins, flavours of black fruit, spice and Oak.
Like many Syrah and Grenache based wines it does benefit from being opened 20 or 30 minutes and allowed to breathe. The slave is my volume is ready to open up. At about £12 a bottle it’s fair value.
Cap Insula – Languedoc red wine
They have been making wine for over 2 hundred years and it shows. There are aroma’s of black fruit, blackcurrant, blackberry, vanilla and tobacco. Flavours of black fruits, with a jammy over time and smooth silky finish. The tannins have softened in 12 years but can just be picked up, smooth and luscious are 2 words to describe this wine.
Best to buy by the case and open a bottle each year. The 2 or 3 year old bottles are about £14 each so very good value for such a cracking wine
Marque’s de Riscal 2007 grand reserva
Alban Foucher is the 3rd generation wine maker at Earl Goucher in Saumur. The La Seigneurie 2017 is a consumer wine. 40,000 bottles are produced and at Eur10 it’s a decent example of a Cab Franc drink now wine. You get the usual red fruit aroma and flavour but also a decent hit of tannins. It’s not a smooth, silky wine but with a lump of meat or tomato based pasta dish it’s pretty good. Personal I prefer less tannins.
La Seigneurie 2017 by Alban Foucher, Loire Valley
Clos Moleton 2015 from Saumur, Loire Valley, France is one of the better reds from the region. An organic vineyard that produces fine wine made from Cab Franc. There are aromas of red fruit with spice. Flavours of red fruit, black cherry, pepper and a slight flavour of vanilla make this a wonderful red. At about £20 it’s good value.
Clos Moleton from Saumur, Loire Valley, France
4 years ago we came across a little producer south of Saumur. Antoine Butet from Domaine De La Bruyere. Last time we met his father, this time we met the son, Antoine who is the. winemaker The wines were crisp, clear with lovely taste of green fruit and pear flavours for the whites and subtle red fruit tastes, low tannins and easy drinking for the reds. We call him the shed guy because he literally works out of a shed, what looks like an old converted cow shed.
This may not be gold medal winning decanter wine, but it’s fantastic value at Eur4 or Eur5 a bottle and it will not embarrass you if you serve to friends, exactly what wine should be. Ps he also does 10 litre wine in a bag.
The shed guy
Domaine De la Bruyere