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

Posted on April 28, 2020 by richardgore1200

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

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

Posted on March 18, 2020 by richardgore1200

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

Chateau Bonhamme, Mademoiselle, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.

Posted on March 3, 2020 by richardgore1200

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

Signé Bourgogne Montagny, Burgundy, France

Posted on February 26, 2020 by richardgore1200

Burgundy Cru’s are excellent. You can also get excellent lower tier wines.

This little number has many excellent points, its light with lemon and minerality on the nose, it has subtle flavours of apple, vanilla, honey, citrus, its crisp, acidic and refreshing. It went very nicely with smoked salmon and cream cheese. At under £10 a bottle its very good value.

Signé Bourgogne Montagny, Burgundy, France

Chateau Moncontour, Vouvray, France

Posted on February 24, 2020 by richardgore1200

Made from the usual grape of Vouvray and the Loire, Chenin Blanc, it has ripe citrus aromas, lemon, pineapple with a note of flora in there. Its an off dry, demi sec, and its soft, rounded flavours make this very enjoyable. Personally I would have this with food, chicken or fish. At about £10 a bottle its a reasonable price.

Chateau Moncontour, Vouvray, France

Domaine Pardon Fleurie, Beaujolais 2018, France

Posted on February 16, 2020 by richardgore1200

Pay the extra with Beaujolais because the cheap stuff is generally not worth drinking. The nouveau beaujolais that’s released each year has done more to harm the wine than anything else.

Get a decant Beaujolais and its a light, fruity with light tannins. Some say simple easy drinking wine and that’s what we have here. You get light black fruit with violets in the background and bit of sour cherry and vanilla undertones. There’s a slight hint of bubblegum but the light fruity taste and aromas of blackcurrant is very nice. At £10 a bottle its decant value for what you get. It got a bronze medal at the Decant World Wine Awards 2019 which is on the spot.

Domaine Pardon Fleurie, Beaujolais 2018, France

Domaine Pascal Bouchard Beauroy Chablis, Premier Cru 2004, France

Posted on February 3, 2020 by richardgore1200

Old Chablis is not like the fresh flavour, younger vintages. As it ages it softens and loses some of those fresh green notes. The acidity loses its edge and flavours change.

This is true of this Premier Cru, there are subtle light aromas of green apple and vanilla, a lightness of texture and a light taste of creaminess. Delicate and quite special this has been waiting in our wine store since about 2006 and finally we get to try it.

At 15 years old its not something you are going to get even in a decent wine merchant. That’s a shame as few people will get to try what an older white wine tastes like compared to a much one of the same region or producer, even if the younger Chablis is a supermarket standard one.

Find a 15 year old Premier cru and its going cost you upwards of £40 a bottle, my suggestion is by a few of these when young, put them to one side and wait.

Domaine Pascal Bouchard Beauroy Chablis, Premier Cru 2004, France

Gevrey Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes 2014 from Domaine Rossignol-Trapet in Burgundy, France

Posted on January 31, 2020 by richardgore1200

At £40 a bottle you expect something very special. A friend bought this round for a dinner party we were hosting.

There are delicate aromas of red fruits, redcurrant and hints of raspberries with an earthy and undertone. These come through in the taste but its subtle. Very smooth and elegant but pretty dry.

Its a premium Burgundy and not an everyday wine. We had it with a Norfolk Black Turkey and the extra flavour from this type of turkey worked very well with the light red fruit flavours but also took the edge off the dryness of the wine.

Would I spend £40 a bottle, no, its more my personal taste than anything else. I prefer cheaper fruit driven Pinot Noirs from Burgundy.

Gevrey Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes 2014 from Domaine Rossignol-Trapet in Burgundy, France

Lirac Vignobles Abeille 2017 Mont Redon, Chateauneuf Du Pape 2017, France

Posted on January 24, 2020 by richardgore1200

“I love Chateauneuf Du Pape, its the only decent red wine” I’ve heard people say. Ask them why and they can’t really say. may be they are impressed that it can contain 15 different grapes!

The southern Rhone area has been making and selling wine for hundreds of years, they know what they are doing, balance is the key here between flavour, acidity, dryness and aging.

Deep purple in colour with smells of red fruits raspberry and redcurrants and of blackberry, with subtle herb hints and liquorice. There oakey and earthy notes, this is a robust wine with strong tannins but all in balance. At £15 a bottle pretty good value.

ignobles Abeille 2017 Mont Redon, Chateauneuf Du Pape 2017, France

Bouvet Ladubay, Coteaux Du Layon 2013, Loire Valley, France

Posted on January 13, 2020 by richardgore1200

Desert Wine, this is a desert wine in a full size bottle, its christmas and all things seem good by the end of this bottle. I like desert wine very much, just sipping it, tasting all those rich flavours.

This has aromas of ripe pineapple, lychee and and heavy thick texture that helps those flavours which are added to by condensed citrus and honey.

This is a little lighter than you may get from a traditional desert wine buts its really rather good and at under £10 a bottle, great value.

Bouvet Ladubay, Coteaux Du Layon 2013, Loire Valley, France

The accidental drinker

Wine talk and reviews by an accidental drinker

Tag Archives: 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

Chateau Bonhamme, Mademoiselle, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.

Signé Bourgogne Montagny, Burgundy, France

Chateau Moncontour, Vouvray, France

Domaine Pardon Fleurie, Beaujolais 2018, France

Domaine Pascal Bouchard Beauroy Chablis, Premier Cru 2004, France

Gevrey Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes 2014 from Domaine Rossignol-Trapet in Burgundy, France

Lirac Vignobles Abeille 2017 Mont Redon, Chateauneuf Du Pape 2017, France

Bouvet Ladubay, Coteaux Du Layon 2013, Loire Valley, France