Tag Archives: France

Le Clos Château Isenbourg, Comtes d’Isenbourg, Crémant d’Alsace, Brut, France

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This Crémant d’Alsace from Le Clos Château Isenbourg, is great example of a sparking regional wine. This has aromas of green apple and grass and additional flavours of lime and melon. Theres an underlying bready flavour that is very subtle and with the fine bubbles make a refreshing change to the overhyped and full on bread flavours champagnes.

With the high acidity pair with seafood, creamy cheeses or enjoy in the garden on a summers day. At Eur10 a bottle great value, great wine.

Le Clos Château Isenbourg, Comtes d'Isenbourg, Crémant d'Alsace, Brut, France

Le Clos Château Isenbourg, Comtes d’Isenbourg, Crémant d’Alsace, Brut, France

Domaine Zinck, Terroir Pinot Gris 2011, Alsace, France

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Alsace make some amazing wines and this Pinot Gris from Domaine Zinck is a very good example, Zinck produce a fantastic range of wines by the way. Even though this is 9 years old its pretty good on all levels, reasonabe critus fruit aromas and a wonderfall deep yellow colour, very seductive.

This is a bold wine, not quite full bodied but rich in flavour with ripe flavours of pineapple, lemon and minerality. In reality it should have been drunk within 5 years but its still very drinkerable and at wat under £10 a bargin.

Domaine Zinck, Terroir Pinot Gris 2011, Alsace, France

Domaine Zinck, Terroir Pinot Gris 2011, Alsace, France

 

Richou, L’ R Osé, Loire, France

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Richou, L' R Osé, Loire, France

Richou, L’ R Osé, Loire, France

Loire rose often comes second to Provence rose but it does it a disservice, Richou shows what a great rose region the Loire is. Its made with Gamay and Cabernet Sauvignon and you get a darker rose in colour because of these grapes used. This is a not a cheap rose but at £10 a bottle feels priced correctly. This is an off dry, fruit driven rose with just the right amount of acidity. You get strawberries on the nose with redcurrant under notes.

The smell is more noticeable than the taste, you get the flavours but they are down a notch on the smell. In many ways that’s a provence style wine, a bit more flavour would have been nice, buts its great summer wine.

Château Grand Billard, Bordeaux 2010, France

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Made with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot its a good blend. 10 years old you may feel that this red is ready for drinking, esp as its a “Grand” Bordeaux. Its just part of the name, its not a grand vin. That said there is much to commend this wine.

Its still got a dark purple colour but the aromas and flavours are quite light for a Bordeaux. You get blackberries and cherries on the nose and in the taste, some oaky notes and smooth tannins but its the lightness that I’m liking. In reality it should have been drunk 2 or 3 years ago to get a bolder hit of flavours and aromas.

At about £10 a bottle its reasonable value for a lighter red but if you want a full Bordeaux you will be disappointed.

Château Grand Billard, Bordeaux 2010, France

Château Grand Billard, Bordeaux 2010, France

Gérard Bertrand, Joa Rosé, Languedoc, France

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Languedoc, France make some of the most wonderful Rose wine in the world and this Joa, from Gérard Bertrand shows off what you can expect. Its made with shiraz, Grenache and Cinsault grapes.

Its very dry, light, a little acidic, crisp and has subtle aromas and flavours of wild strawberry, redcurrant, melon and floral hints in there.

At £13 a bottle its a little overpriced, but it a bio wine and therefore expect to pay that little bit more.

Gérard Bertrand, JoaRosé, Languedoc, France

Gérard Bertrand, JoaRosé, Languedoc, France

Château de Camensac, La Closerie de Camensac 2009, Bordeaux, France

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2009 Bordeaux from Chateau de Camensac is almost a typical Bordeaux.

Almost! its over 10 years old and this wine has fine characteristics. Its very dry, pretty bold, smoothish tannins, they are definitely there. On the nose you get vanilla, cherry, blackcurrant, a bit of tobacco comes through. these feed into the taste but you then get red fruits and spice notes popping up and hints of earth.

This should have been drunk 2 or 3 years ago but it is very nice, at £16 a bottle it would have been good value 2 or 3 years ago, now a little bit over and a bit overpriced, my fault not the producers.

Château de Camensac, La Closerie de Camensac 2009, Bordeaux, France

Château de Camensac, La Closerie de Camensac 2009, Bordeaux, France

Domaine de Rocheville, Le Prince, Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France

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Made with Cabernet Franc this is a typical Loire red wine, pretty good too getting a bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Its not got the most intense aromas, you get cherry, plum and undertones of pepper and tobacco. Its dry, a decent hit of acidity and firm but not overpowering tannins. You get red and black fruits flavours adding to the aromas.

We had it with and without food and found it equally good. At £16 a bottle its not cheap and a little over priced but its nice.

Domaine de Rocheville, Le Prince, Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France

Domaine de Rocheville, Le Prince, Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France

 

Château de Cazeneuve, Le Roc des Mates 2013 from Pic Saint Loup, France

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This dry, Syrah based red wine is quite something. You get a bit of blackfruit on the nose but its when you taste it that you think this is actually really rather good.

The flavours are soft and subtle but all there. Plum, black cherry, blackberry with pepper and hints of vanilla from the oak its been left in. It feels grown up with good integrated tannins and is a delight to savour at the end of the day. We had this partly on its own and partly with roast lamb. excellent on both occasions.

At about £12 a bottle its very good value and worth trying again.

Château de Cazeneuve, Le Roc des Mates 2013 from Pic Saint Loup, France

Château de Cazeneuve, Le Roc des Mates 2013 from Pic Saint Loup, France

Domaine de la Perruche, Terroir de Craie 2018, Saumur-Champigny, France

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Made with 100% Cabernet Franc I had high hopes for this, I really like a Cab Franc by the way.
You get blackberry and floral notes on the nose. It’s rich, delicious, extracted flavours of redcurrant, raspberries, plum and cherry with subtle herby notes and dryness that makes this a quite excellent. Decanter World Wine Wards and the IWSC gave this a bronze medal but I think its better than a bronze.
At £12 a bottle its a little more than I would want to pay but it is very good.
Domaine de la Perruche, Terroir de Craie 2018, Saumur-Champigny, France

Domaine de la Perruche, Terroir de Craie 2018, Saumur-Champigny, France

Chateau Bonhamme, Mademoiselle, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.

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Made with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault this red from the Minervois area has exactly what you expect, Aromas and flavours of sour cherries, red fruit and oak, with spice undertones, It has balanced fruit and dryness, have it on its own or with food but have it over a few nights so you can enjoy it.

Chateau Bonhamme, Mademoiselle, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Chateau Bonhamme, Mademoiselle, Languedoc-Roussillon, France