Tag Archives: French Red Wine

Château Lamartine Malbec 2016 , Cahors, France

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Another french red malbec! I always thought it was in short supply yet and Argentina had the market share but I’ve been drinking quite a lot of french Malbec recently.

I couldn’t quite get a big aroma hit, there are very subtle notes of cooked red fruit and a spice under tone. The taste opens it to more red and black fruit fruits. The tannins are a little harsh and quite oaky with leather poking through.

Have this with food or drink it in 5 years when it hopefully softens, its not smooth enough yet for me. At about £14 a bottle its a bit pricey, a Malbec from Argentina is likely to be better at this price, sorry France.

Château Lamartine Malbec 2016 , Cahors, France

Château Lamartine Malbec 2016 , Cahors, France

Domaine Les Remparts, Gouttes de lune, Malbec 2017 from France

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This is 60% Malbec and 40% Tannat. There are aromas of oak, blackberry, blackcurrant and additional flavours black cherry but the tannins and dryness are too much and detract from any fruit that can be tasted. After trying the wine over a few days we came to the conclusion that this should have been left for another 3 or 4 years to allow it to soft up. At under £10 a bottle there are easier reds to try.

Cotes de Provence rose infinite 2016, France

Cotes de Provence rose infinite 2016, France

Les Jamelles, Vallee de la bretonne, 2017 Syrah from Corbières in France

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France produces lots of Syrah. Therefore to stand out and be remembered a wine needs that extra something that a person remembers, otherwise its a “nice wine” whats next. This does stand out.

Its elegant with aromas of blackcurrant and liquorice and flavours of dark fruits, spice and floral notes of violet, subtle rose hints and vanilla with oak in the background. its good and at about £18 a bottle its not over priced.

Les Jamelles - Vallee de la bretonne, 2017 Syrah from Corbières in France

Les Jamelles – Vallee de la bretonne, 2017 Syrah from Corbières in France

Domaine du Grand Mayne, Revolution 2011, Bordeaux, France

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Its 100% Merlot made partly in new Oak barrels. SO the rest is pretty standard. Its full bodied with firm but soft tannins. The aromas are more relaxed that the flavours, red fruits abound with some black plum thrown in. The length of flavour is good but I would have this with food. I think because the oaking and tannins are a little too much for me. Its either that or try this in a few years. Given its 8 years old already I’m going with too much oaking. It was great with steak though.

At about £25 a bottle its not cheap, its good but just not £25 good.

Domaine du Grand Mayne - Revolution 2011, Bordeaux, France

Domaine du Grand Mayne – Revolution 2011, Bordeaux, France

Chateau Cabezac, Petit Arthur 2017, Minervois, Languedoc Roussillon, France

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A blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache and Carignan this is a southern french blend, plain and simple. Black fruit, spice, medium tannins and pretty dry. Actually really dry and firm tannins when you take the second glug of this wine. You get a smokyness  on the palette but its subtle, there’s some red fruit that then comes in after. These second flavours get lost when this is drunk with food but I think I prefer it with food, usual steak and chips type of food.

At £10 a bottle this is pretty good value.

Chateau Cabezac, Petit Arthur 2017, Minervois, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Chateau Cabezac, Petit Arthur 2017, Minervois, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Costes Cirgues Bois du Roi Languedoc, France

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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

Costes Cirgues Bois du Roi, Languedoc, France

Chateau Bonhomme mademoiselles, Languedoc red wine

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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

Chateau Bonhomme mademoiselles

Cap Insula – Languedoc red wine

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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

Cap Insula – Languedoc red wine

La Seigneurie 2017 by Alban Foucher, Loire Valley, France

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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

La Seigneurie 2017 by Alban Foucher, Loire Valley

Wine GB wine tour – Loire Valley 2019 – Day 3 wine and mushrooms

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Langlois Chateau, owned by Bollinger since1973 and it makes 1.2 to 1.5 million bottles a year. We did the tour of the caves and winery and then tasted some of the wines.
24 pallet gyro pallet for riddling the sparkling wine

24 pallet gyro pallet for riddling the sparkling wine

Wine having a little rest

Wine having a little rest

L’Extra par Langlois, blanc de blanc. Fresh with fruit drive flavours and aroma’s. The Langlois Brut. 60% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin and 20% Cab Franc is drier, less fruit driven but has higher acidity coming through on the tasting. The Brut is a more traditional sparkling wine.
The 2013 reserve millesime Brut is drier with greener notes and is aged another year (3 years), There is more going on but not sure it’s worth the extra Eur5 a bottle.
The quadrille Extra Brut is yeasty, very dry and more champagne and at Eur20 a bottle reasonable if you like champagne.
The Langlois Brut Rose is light, with subtle flavours of red fruit and good acidity, not to high. At Eur11 a bottle it’s good value.
The Saumur blanc is 100% Chenin and is light, clean, fresh flavours. It’s a soft wine perfect for summer, sitting in the garden and at Eur11 a bottle ok value given you’ll drink a bottle at a time.
Quadrille and Saumur white

Quadrille and Saumur white

The other whites I tried crept up the flavours ranking with oakey notes but with the need of food to go with them and priced higher.
The red Saumur Champigny is Cab Franc, served slightly chilled there are lovely red fruit flavours and very smooth. At under Eur10 a bottle good value.
The mushroom museum was next.
The mushroom museum is located in caves and this is where the mushrooms are grown.
Mushrooms growing in the caves

Mushrooms growing in the caves

Mushrooms growing in the caves 2

Mushrooms growing in the caves 2

The lunch at the museum was stuff mushrooms, what else.
Charles Joguet, in the Chinon area was the next stop.
They only grow Cab Franc but uses the different parcels of land with different sold and aspects to create wines that are simpler, red fruit driven flavour based to one’s which are more complex with black fruit and more tannins. These are not cheap wines but they are excellent. The La Cure 2015 is silky smooth, with lots of red and black fruits and a refined texture. At Eur21 a bottle its worth it.
Charles Joguet Cab Franc

Charles Joguet Cab Franc