Le Caveau - Wine Tasting - 06/04/2011

Le Caveau - Wine Tasting - 06/04/2011

1) 2009 Domaine de Menard Colombard-Sauvignon Cotes de Gascogne Blanc - $11.99
(logo has seashell, because their vineyards are on top of a famous marine geological site and they occasionally find fossils between the rows of vines). Southwest France.
50% Colombard, 50% Sauvignon Blanc
...What is Colombard? I had to ask that also. It is an early fruiting white wine grape.
There is a French drink, similar to Cognac called Armengac - and Colombard grapes are used for this. Anyway, back to this delicious wine...
Tasting Notes from Le Caveau
"The nose on this wine is very aromatic, showing the exotic fruit and pineapple of the Colombard along with the aromas of grapefruit, passion fruit, and herbs delivered by Sauvignon Blanc along with crisp acidity. This is a great summertime aperitif and also really sings when paired with roast chicken or fish/shellfish.

2) 2010 Domaine du Vieux Chene "Cuvee des Seigneurs" Cote du Rhone Villages Blac - $16.99
1/3 Marsanne, 1/3 Roussane, 1/3 Viognier (Ecocert Certified Organic)
100% organic, husband/wife team, even use mule-drawn plow, very traditional wine-making.
Tasting Notes from Le Caveau
"This wine has a pale straw color, with greenish tint and a nose of red dates, acacia, flower and honey. It has very nice weight and gorgeous texture. A white designed to be the perfect foil for Provencal spices and sauces. Owners Beatrice and Jean-Claude Bouche harvest by hand and use native yeasts to produce wines of great harmony and elegance."
We thought it had very nice legs for a white - sexy. Very light, perfect for summer.

3) 2010 Chateau d'Esclans "Whispering Angel" Cotes de Provence Rose - $18.99
Grenache 73%, Rolle 4% (same as Vermentino), Cinsault 9%, Syrah 8.5%, and Mourvedre 5.5%
Tasting Notes from Le Caveau
"This Rose has a light pink color with savory notes on the nose followed by tart orange/tangerine and red fruits on the bone dry palate. This wine is perfect for a picnic, trip to the beach or backyard barbecues. Winemaker Sacha Lichine (son of Alexis Lichine who ran the fourth growth Chateau Prieure-Lichine in Margaux from 1951-1989) is at the helm of this gorgeous property in Provence. "
They use pressed and free run juice. Stainless steel fermenting to keep wine cooler.

4) 2007 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay - Saratoga Cuvee - $23.99
Santa Cruz Mountains 13.8% alcohol. one of the oldest estates, smoky nose, toast on barrels, rich texture, sticks to the tongue, declassified fruit (normally in estate wine), also has nice legs for a white.

5) 2009 Domaine Joel Rochette Regnie Cru Beaujolais - $17.99
100% Gamay
Tasting Notes from Le Caveau
"This wine has concentrated bright red fruits on the palate with palpable minerality which lifts the fruit and keeps it from veering into heaviness. It finishes long on a really attractive mildly tart cherry-skin note. This Regnie comes from 50-yr old vines on stony-sandy soils on granite bedrock."
Delicious!