France tagged posts

90+ Bargains: 2010 Domaine la Garrigue Vacqueyras (RP91, $17.95)

February 7, 2013 90+ Bargains  No comments

You're going to start noticing a theme on this blog.  Rhone varietals, specifically Grenache and Syrah, are where it's at when it comes to value.  I enjoy a fine Napa Cabernet, French Bordeaux, or Italian Barolo as much as anyone, but if I'm picking a wine off a wine list, or for my personal weeknight enjoyment, I pick a Southern Rhone or domestic Syrah every time.  Why?  It's simple.  Value.  It's easy to get a fantastic Napa Syrah but it will cost you.  Not the case for Rhone varietals - domestic or international.

Vacqueyras wines are often called "mini Chateauneuf du Papes" but this is a wine many CdPs should look up to. It's a full-bodied, concentrated and peppery wine that, at the same time, remains somewhat delicate and refined. A base of Grenache with a spot of Syrah

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Under $12 Deal: 2009 Guigal CdR Rogue (IWC90, WA89)

February 5, 2013 Under $12 Deals  No comments

Southern France's Rhone Valley must be the epicenter of wine value.  Some would even say it's the epicenter of wine.  I can't argue with either and wines like the 3.5 million bottle (!) production 2009 Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge, prove at least the first point.

We drank this wine during the Super Bowl with delicious ribs and it was the perfect combo.  Mostly Syrah and Grenache, this is textbook Southern Rhone with bright, high-toned fruit, nice density and a cutting acid that takes the finish to a nice length.  The Guigal family makes Northern Rhone wines that cost several hundred dollars a bottle, including four 100 pointers in the 2009 vintage alone.  Their expertise certainly shows through in their value wines as well which include this wine and their white Cotes du Rhone, both of

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The 2010 Rhones Are Where It’s At

November 15, 2012 Daily Drinkers  No comments

Let's review the last five vintages in Southern Rhone.

2006: Good

2007: Great

2008: Okay

2009: Great

2010: Greatest

Which vintage do you want to drink wine from?  I pick 2010, so in the interest of bringing the best wines (at the best prices) to our readers, I've picked several 2010's to drink this month.  The first is the Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone Les Deux Albions Rouge.  I'll reiterate that if the French would simplify their wine names, they would sell WAY more wine in the U.S.

Maybe us savvy wine consumers are the beneficiary because this wine should be at least twice the price.  At $16.95 you are getting a super polished, focused and downright delicious wine for not much.  This is juicy, spicy and complex, likely due to the blend of 4 different grapes

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Another Brilliant Wine from Eric Solomon (90-93 points)

September 14, 2012 Cellar Worthy, High End Values  No comments

Eric Solomon is an importer of mostly French and Spanish wines, who focuses on value above everything else.  Robert Parker says "Over the last twenty years, Eric Solomon has consistently been one of America’s finest small importers of handcrafted, artisanal wines."  20 years ago, I was nine, so I can't speak to his track record then, but every Eric Solomon wine I've ever had has been somewhere between good and great.

This one is great.   It comes from the Costieres de Nimes region in Languedoc Roussillon, France which somewhat confusingly was recently made part of the Rhone appellation rather than Languedoc.  Makes sense right?

If you tasted the 2009 Costieres de Nimes Lou Coucardie, which Robert Parker awarded 90-93 points from a barrel sample, you would get why Rhone decided to

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Back Again: A 92 Point Rhone for $11

April 10, 2012 Daily Drinkers  One comment

This wine sold out immediately after I posted it a few weeks ago, and with 91 and 92 point ratings, it's not a big surprise.   L.A. Wine Co. just got more in at the same price, so consider yourself warned.  If you missed the first post, here is it.

This truly is a top contender for best value I've ever had.  I'm planning on grabbing a few more bottles myself because it sold out on me last time!
Buy Here: 2010 Domaine d’ Andezon Cotes-du-Rhone Vignerons d’Estezargues $10.95
Robert Parker 91 points

"The classic cuvee, which has long been selected by importer Eric Solomon, is their 2010 Domaine d’Andezon, a blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Grenache. While there are critics of Syrah grown in the southern Rhone, even the cynics agree that the old-vine Syrah from the Gard has

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A 93 Point CdP Under $40 – ’09 Domaine Paul Autard La Cote Ronde

November 15, 2011 Cellar Worthy, High End Values  No comments

I drink a lot of different wines, from different countries and regions, but I collect only a few, and the wines of Chateauneuf du Pape in France's Southern Rhone Valley are a favorite. Paul Autard is one of the premier winemakers in the Rhone region in part because, unlike many of France's winemakers, he's using modern techniques like new oak aging. Still, his wines end up staying true to tradition with fruit focused favors that made the region famous.

Outside of Bordeaux, Chateauneuf du Pape is arguably France's most prestigious wine regions and that fact isn't lost on the importers and wholesalers, which is to say, these wines aren't cheap. Anything rated 90 points or above starts at $30 and goes all the way past the $500 mark. So when a potential 94 point CdP from a highly

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Chateau de Bel – One ’09′s first Bordeaux bargains $15.95

October 19, 2011 Cellar Worthy, Daily Drinkers  No comments

2009 (along with 2005 and 2010) is being touted as the Bordeaux vintage of the decade.  And as silly as that might sound, it's really pretty awesome.  We all get to drink a bunch of great Bordeaux and we have three vintages to pick from!  The 2005 vintage is pretty much gone (though LA Wine Co has a few left) and with a four year gap between '05 and '09, Bordeaux lovers have been a little short on great values (though you can always buy expensive wine from any vintage).

This wine is 100% Merlot and tastes like a perfect mix of California richness and French finesse.  Winemaker Jeff Carrel crafted it in a modern style that makes it perfectly drinkable today, though it will likely drink great for the next 5-7 years.  This is a serious wine that I would be thrilled with as a daily drinker

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RP 92 Point Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Amazing

October 2, 2011 Cellar Worthy, Special Occasions  No comments

The wines of Southern Rhone's Chateauneuf du Pape region are possibly the purest expression of fruit the wine world has to offer.  Mostly uninfluenced by oak, these wines are all about the soil in which they are grown and the vines that produce the grapes.

This wine, by world-renowned Domaine Pierre Usseglio, is defined by the finish, something oak barrels can't produce.  A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault, it's fantastically long with strong tannins that will likely integrate over the next few years to create a wine of spectacular balance and finesse.  This is a 2009 and, as such, is showing a little of its youth.  But after three hours of air, the wine started to blossom with the initially thin mid-palate filling out nicely and the nose blooming into a

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A 90 Point Bordeaux for under $10. Now THAT’S a deal!

June 6, 2011 Daily Drinkers, Wines under $10  No comments

All I can say to myself as I'm drinking this wine is "wow".  This is an incredibly good wine and it's under $10 a bottle.  As I drink more and more wine, it becomes harder to be impressed by a given wine.  That's what makes this wine an absolutely staggering value.

This wine comes from the largest and least prestigious Bordeaux appellation called Bordeaux Superieur.  But, especially in Bordeaux, lack of appellation prestige means lack of appellation pricing.  Put a Pomerol designation on this label and watch the price multiply by 10x. Minimum.  Savvy wine buyers the world over know to look outside the famous and thus, price inflated appellations, for the real values.

Blackberry and bing cherry dominate the nose and palate of this wine, with a hint of toasty oak bringing everything

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A French Sparkler for Valentine’s Day without the Champagne Price: $9.95

February 13, 2011 Daily Drinkers, Special Occasions  No comments

You pay a tax to drink Champagne.  Plain and simple.  The best sparkling wines come from Champagne but if you are looking for low prices they just can't be found.  I literally can't remember a Champagne for under $20 (half bottles don't count).

So if you are looking for a special sparkling wine for Valentine's Day with out the special price, look to other regions of France, Spain, Italy and 'Merica.  This Cremant, a term the French developed for sparkling wine made outside of Champagne, is from the Languedoc region in Southeastern France, where the climate is such that they can produce vintage sparkling wine every year (this one is a 2007).  See, the climate in Champagne is not conducive to grape growing, so most years the Champagne houses produce non-vintage wines which are actually a

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