Le Caveau Wine Tasting - Rhone Wines - Saturday, 09-03-11

1) 2010 Domaine du Vieux Chêne “Cuvée Friande” Rosé $11.99
100% Grenache, 13% alcohol
With a dark salmon color and nose of sharper cherry fruit, this wine offers up pure strawberry, cranberry and citrus on the palate balanced by perfect acidity making it almost weightless. This rosé begs for food like grilled whole Red Snapper or cheeses like Saint-Marcellin spread on a warm baguette.
In the heart of Provence, filled with heritage dating from Roman and medieval times, this organically farmed winery is located between Orange and Vaison‐la‐Romaine, not far from Châteauneuf du Pape. Certified by Ecocert, the grapes are organically grown.
Husband and wife wine team!

2) 2007 Domaine Puech Noble Coteaux de Languedoc Blanc $19.99
50% Grenache Blanc, 35% Rolle ( Vermentino) and 15% Viognier
(Puech = Pesh)
The aromas on this wine are of honeysuckle, acacia (flower, ingredient in Fresca), lemongrass and a hint of salinity. The palate is lovely, honey-rich, built with citric acidity on the back end to balance the richness. The mouth-feel is generous but not cloying, complex with hints of sherbet.
This wine is from an estate in Côteaux du Languedoc near Nîmes that was purchased and now run by Rene Rostaing, a renowned winemaker from Cote Rotie. Rostaing’s ethic in these wines is elegant, yet concentrated; expressive, but subtle; hedonistic, but cerebral.

3) 2008 Domaine Charvin “Le Poutet” Côtes du Rhône $19.99
85% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 5% Carignan (aged in concrete tanks and unfiltered)
Bright ruby in color, this wine shows elegant cherry and strawberry fruit mixed with licorice, leather, and black pepper on the nose. The palate echoes juicy red fruit and Provençal herbs, all supported by lively acidity and fine tannins.
-Very good, the finish is more rounded and smooth than I was expecting.
Laurent Charvin’s wines are silky, velvety, and smooth. There are no harsh or dry tannins and they are always impeccably balanced, often drawing comparisons to the iconic Château Rayas. This little CDR blows away many Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines from the vintage.

4) 2009 Domaine Gramenon “Les Laurentides” Côtes du Rhône Villages $31.99
Old vine Grenache and Syrah (Demeter certified Biodynamic)
15% alcohol (but you can't feel the heat on the nose)
(Cotes du Rhone Villages = highest of the Cotes du Rhones)
Dark ruby red in color, this wine shows pure fruit with raspberry, notes of plum, underbrush and anise on the nose. On the supremely balanced palate there is ripe dark cherry, pomegranate and currant with graphite/crushed asphalt coming through on the finish. These wine are amazing in their purity, focus and balance.
Very Dry, and has surprising finish.
The wines from Gramenon are known for being rich and ripe, without being jammy. All of their wines are Grenache based, but some are blended based on the vineyard. They do not fine or filter, use only indigenous yeast, and sugar and acid are never added. The wines are always bottled in late spring before their first summer with minimal to no sulfur. They have achieved almost cult-like status in France and very little is exported to the US.

5) 2009 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône – Brézème $29.99
100% Syrah (Demeter certified Biodynamic)
(Brezeme = bruh-zem)
Deep garnet in color, this wine shows smoky tar and game over huckleberry and blackcurrant fruit on the nose. It has great acidity and a fleshy mid-palate supported by round tannins (due to carbonic maceration - also done for Beaujolais) leading to a long finish. This classic example of cool-climate Syrah from the northern Rhône and is best after decanting.
Brezeme is a steep, limestone-rich terroir approximately 20 miles to the south of Hermitage. These vineyards on the eastern banks of the Rhone once rivaled in price and reputation this much more famous northern neighbor. Texier has brought this special region back to prominence almost single-handedly.

6) 2003 Furlanski Tokaj - Gredic - Movia, Slovenian wine, since 1820, BRDA (?)
Gredic is the name of the Cuvee. strong apple-juice-icky smell. Very dark gold color, thick, reminds me of apple cider or a syrup in texture.
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Le Caveau's notes:
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a4892f0fefd670909f4fb91b8&id=488999f431&e=85ee7ef654