French Wine
Don’t deny yourself French wines. The lack of Bordeaux and Burgundy in your wine diet is unhealthy and will cause everlasting damage to your psyche. In this class, you will taste through the …
rhone
Tenshen 2016 White, Central Coast
The Tenshen OverviewTenshen is a side project by two industry vets. Joey Tensley (Tensley Wines, Carina Cellars, Santa Ema) and Alex Guarachi (Guarachi Family Wines, Guarachi Wine Partners) have been releasing wine under this label …
Yves Cheron 2015 “Les Dentelles” Cotes du Rhone
Domaine Yves CheronDomaine Yves Cheron is located in Gigondas, where most of their Grenache vineyards are located. While this may not be a region you are familiar with, Gigondas is a …
Brotte 2015 “Esprit Barville” Cotes du Rhone Blanc
Maison BrotteIf you happen to be in the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, you’ll probably end up at the Musée du Vin. It’s attached to Maison Brotte, one of the oldest wineries in …
Reserve Mont Redon 2016 Cotes du Rhone Rosé
Mont-Redon is one of those Chateauneuf du Pape wineries that totally messes with my life. They bottle wines like Zeus throws lightning bolts. Bolts. A place that throws out muscle-bound luxury …
Domaine les Evigneaux 2015 Rasteau
The Algeria ConnectionAlgeria was once a part of the French Empire, and a lot of wine was grown there. When the country declared its independence, most of the winemakers headed to …
Guigal Cotes du Rhone
Vertical VintagesAt least once a quarter, I pop open this wine to introduce our students to the Cotes du Rhone region of France. Vintage after vintage, this has been a go-to bottle. …
Balma Venitia ‘Dom Venitia’ 2012 Beaume de Venise Rouge
A pretty bottle of village-level Rhone wine. A touch reductive on the nose at first, but quickly tosses out a potpourri of scent. Unoaked, as Grenache-dominated wines often are, this is pure fruit on the …
Chateau L’Ermitage 2012 “Sainte Cecile” Costieres de Nimes White
Chateau L’Ermitage is the classical type of French winery. Nothing exciting except the wines they produce. For the past thirty years, Michel and Jérôme Castillon have owned the winery and made …
Paul Jourdan 2010 “Cuvee Papale” Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Winery BackgroundThis wine is something of a mystery. There is no winery in Chateauneuf-du-Pape with the name Paul Jourdan. There was a man by that name who owned Domaine Chante Cigale from 1920 …
Domaine La Brune 2012 Beaumes de Venise (Vignerons de Caractere), Rhone (FR)
Beaumes de Venise, in the Southern Rhone, is most known for its dessert wines. But it also produces excellent old vine reds, mostly from the Grenache varietals. The region is located …
Chateau Gigognan 2009 Vigne du Regent Chateauneuf du Pape
Gigognan is a small producer with a short history; the winery was founded in 1996 by Anne and Jacques Callet in the outskirts of Chateauneuf du Pape. While many well-known wineries are located …
Robert Hall Winery 2007 Rhone de Robles
Paso Robles Wine ReviewOne of my favorite trends in Paso Robles is the embrace of these Rhone-style wines. I am especially pleased to see Robert Hall embracing the style. I met …
Shoofly 2008 Freckle White, South Australia
A delicious white wine from Australia that manages to keep its lush weight in check. A Rhone-style blend from South Australia: Marsanne , Roussanne and a dash of Viognier. Aromas of fresh pear, ginger and almond, followed by mineral and melon on the palate. Medium bodied with a zesty acidity makes this a fun and easy bottle. It also offers enough complexity to keep any wine lover interested for a bottle or two.
Vignerons de Caractere 2009 “Les Hauts du Castellas” Vacqueyras
All the hallmarks of a great Rhone wine: opulent kirsch, lavender, burnt toast, and a deep and haunting minerality. A finish of burnt vanilla and sweet cinnamon ties it up with …
Chateau d’Or et de Gueules 2009 Cuvee Trassegum, Nimes
From Costières-de-Nîmes, across the river from the Chateauneuf du Pape. Medium-bodied with an earthy component of graphite and wet clay. The fruit really shines here, with a finish of black pepper …