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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 87.2 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 23 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by spidersva on 5/1/2016 & rated 86 points: Without looking at my prior notes, it just doesn't have a lot of pizzazz. There are so many very good wines under $20...you can do better. (1068 views) | | | Tasted by brunomr on 5/8/2015 & rated 87 points: Solid and consistent (1251 views) | | | Tasted by brunomr on 7/29/2014 & rated 86 points: It got better after an hour in the decanther. Cherry and other red fruits aroma, and a well balanced wine in the mouth. Can wait another year to drink it (1534 views) | | | Tasted by tomasio-1 on 10/15/2013 & rated 88 points: Good, but not banal every day Languedoc. Drinks well now. (1750 views) | | | Tasted by mwkoehler on 6/5/2012 & rated 90 points: Opened in a mood to try something new but no time to decant. Poured through a Vinturi, swirled, smeilled... intense red fruit, cherries, pencil shavings. Beautiful mouth feel,more cherries, nicely balanced tannins. Based on the comments below I opened this particular bottle at the right time. (2290 views) | | | Tasted by silton on 5/4/2012 & rated 88 points: In line with expectations, a daily drinker with personality. Serve lightly chilled. (1501 views) | | | Tasted by graphite on 2/26/2012 & rated 88 points: I enjoyed this somewhat more than last time. Cherries, cocoa, mesquite smoke, rosemary, Asian spice. Ripe and fruit-sweet in the mouth. Nice vibrant acidity. Marred by high alcohol, otherwise would score significantly higher. (1413 views) | | | Tasted by HungryMother on 2/24/2012 & rated 89 points: I love this wine. It opens up beautifully and ably blends old and new worlds - some fruit (although not too much) and a real sense of place. (1195 views) | | | Tasted by vsbastosx on 2/11/2012 & rated 84 points: Bought at the restaurant. Simple and tannic wine that shows some red berries, spices and subtle oak. It's not bad, but it's not worthy the investment....lots of better options out there. (1055 views) | | | Tasted by drnegao on 12/31/2011 & rated 75 points: Fraco. Não vale o q custa no Brasil. (923 views) | | | Tasted by ikkaariainen on 6/2/2011 & rated 88 points: I am in the 87-88 point camp on this one. Bottle opened last night for about 3 hours prior to consumption without a formal decant, very tight initially and had significantly opened up in 3 hours so this probably ideally at this point needs an hour or two in the decanter. Very youthful at this point, has at least 5-7 years of good life left in the cellar, very dark, reasonably balanced with prominent tannins present, did not note nearly as much heat as the previous tasting notes authors have noted, overall not an unreasonable QPR Languedoc wine for this price point. Nose of dark fruit and some must, primary flavors red fruit, some oak, balanced tannins and almost stewed fruit or pudding on the aftertaste. In the daily drinker category of wines for us. I do recommend this. (1297 views) | | | Tasted by cosmin_grozea on 2/9/2011 & rated 78 points: An opaque dark red color. The nose is youthful but closed with a light intensity of ripe dark fruits and plenty of heat. In the mouth the wine is medium+ bodied with firm and dry tannins, red fruit flavors and a short+ finish with sweet fruity flavors but dominated by alcohol. The wine is unbalanced and the 15% alcohol is dominating this wine. 78-79 points (1347 views) | | | Tasted by pvetsch on 1/19/2011 & rated 87 points: More than I expected from a vin de table. A primarily-Cinsault blend (interesting in and of itself) with polished well-weighted tannins, big alcohol and surprisingly forward notes of dark fruit, sweet spice and earthiness. Not your prototypical Old World French-style wine...maybe influenced by the warmer weather conditions in Languedoc? (1539 views) | | | Tasted by graphite on 1/16/2011 & rated 87 points: On opening, exhibits ripe plum fruit given sweetness by menthol. Over time turns to cherries with a more spicy finish of ginger, allspice, and clove. For my taste this comes off as slightly stewed, alcoholic and sweet, though it has some complexity and I suspect there are many who will enjoy it more. (1360 views) |
| By Jon Rimmerman
Garagiste (4/24/2011)
(NV L'Oustal Blanc Naick 7 (2007/red)) Weekend Dear Friends, Every spring, I receive requests for the elusive portfolio from Claude and Isabel Fonquerle. Their stable is one of the most difficult to procure in the South of France and it’s become as close to a “cult” label as I’ve seen from Minervois. Not only are the wines very hard to find but the winery name has made things even more confusing: L’Oustal Blanc. While there is only one white wine produced, English speakers have never been able to wrap their arms around the other 4-5 red wines labeled as “Blanc” even though the word is in regard to the winery name, not the wine itself. This coupled with the Fonquerle’s eccentric and bizarre use of NV designations and numbers instead of vintages on their labels makes the consumer’s understanding of what’s going on more of a fight than anything else. In other words, Claude and Isabel do things their way and if we wish to come along for the ride, that’s great. If not, they will drink their wine with friends and family. Something tells me they have nothing left after each vintage...especially with their long-awaited top-drawer 2007’s – a group that David Schildknecht has anointed as one of the greatest ever produced in Minervois (and that’s from a staunch classicist). All are FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to the stated limits until we run out. Happy Holiday weekend everyone! 2009 L'Oustal Blanc K9 (red) - STRICT LIMIT 3/person NV L'Oustal Blanc Naick 8 (2008/white) - STRICT LIMIT 6/person The last few Naick Blanc’s have been among David Schildknecht's most admired white wines of the world (not just of France) and the 2008 is their most classic achievement yet (due to the cool growing season). Here’s the 2006 review - a wine the 2008 more closely resembles than the bigger 2007. If you enjoy experimentation, Oustal’s Grenache Gris is not only worth your time, it is one of those wines that makes you take pause and reassess what you actually know about all things vinous: NV L'Oustal Blanc Naick 7 (2007/red) - STRICT LIMIT 6/person 2007 L'Oustal Blanc Minervois Giocoso (red) - STRICT LIMIT 2/person To order any of the above: nicki@garagistewine.com This is not a long-term pre-arrival - all are set to arrive in a few weeks. If the weather cooperates, we will try to ship them this spring (otherwise, we will hold them for fall). Please check OARS for local pick up after May 10th. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR3341 SOFR3342 SOFR3343 SOFR3344 SOFR3345 |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Garagiste. (manage subscription channels) |
| L'Oustal Blanc (Isabel et Claude Fonquerle) Producer website
Claude and Isabel Fonquerle began farming Minervois La Liviniere in 2002, in partnership with oenologist Philippe Cambie of Chateauneuf du Pape. (They also have a sliver of acreage near one of their two facilities, in the St. Chinian appellation.) Nearly all of their vines are old and head pruned. Fruit is rigorously selected at picking, chilled overnight, and then sorted twice more by bunch and berry before crushing, and fermentative skin contact can run for one or two months! “While Chateauneuf remains the source of my orientation,” says Claude, “Burgundy is my inspiration. The purity of fruit and the minerality in those wines is something magical. Think of Henri Jayer!” I’ve heard that Burgundy line the world over, and I’m not sure to what extent I’d call these wines “Burgundian.” But purity of fruit and elements one can only describe as “mineral,” they surely display in abundance. It would be less misleading – and no exaggeration – to say that this team has already redefined the potential of Minervois, and bottled what are almost certainly the finest and most exciting wines ever grown in that appellation, not to mention their representing extraordinary values. This is not the same as saying “of that appellation,” incidentally, because not all L’Oustal Blanc wines follow the blends permitted or the protocol prescribed for Minervois. The Fonquerle’s mutual inspiration and admiration with horn player Jacques Adnet of the Paris Opera has resulted in the re-christening of their upper-level cuvees with names inspired by music. Not all L’Oustal Blanc wines follow the blends permitted or the protocol prescribed for Minervois. A case in point is their remarkable whites, vinified in new and once-used Vosges demi-muids, and built around a rare stand of Grenache Gris, planted in 1948 under the direction of Baron Leroy (of Chateauneuf and A.O.C. fame) for blending with Grenache (the parcel that now informs Fonquerle’s Prima Dona – see below) to make fortified sweet wine. Macabeu plays a bit part in this l’Oustal white. Surely it’s no coincidence that what I unhesitatingly call the most exciting whites in the Languedoc share these two cepages with the most profoundly delicious whites of Roussillon. “Well, after all,” Fonquerle says when I point this out (discounting the Macabeu), “most of the world’s great wines are mono-cepage.” As my reviews of the numerous wines of Claude and Isabel Fonquerle that are legally only vins de table were confined to the on-line version of issue 183, I have taken the liberty of re-publishing in this issue the reviews of two of those that retail for under $25, and are among the finest values today in southern French wines. - David Schildknecht, The Wine AdvocateRed Rhone Blend Read about the different grapes used to produce red and white Rhone wines
On CellarTracker, Red Rhone Blend is the term for a wine consisting of two or more of the traditional 13 Southern Rhone grape varieties. Typically it's the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre or Cinsault grapes, but can also contain the Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan or Vaccarese grapes.
A 'food' wine. Lacking pretension and intended for local consumption with local cuisine. Lacks the 'high' notes on a Bordeaux, more earthy and sharper so often a better partner to meat dishes with a sauce. France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comFranceBeaune, Bourgogne |
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