Southern France (Reds)

Southern Rhône (4) & Roussillon (2)

• 2015 Domaine des Bosquets Gigondas

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  Supposedly, 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, & 3% Cinsault; Vinified in s/s, aged for 12 mos in various sized oak vessels for the Syrah, concrete tank for the Grenache, Mourvèdre, & Cinsault; Once blended, the wine aged an addt'l 6 mos in concrete tanks before bottling. Also, supposedly one of the few Gigondas producers who entirely destems the frt.
  
  N: Fairly attractive flowers SLIGHTLY atop blk rasps, poss straws, with smoky undertones?
  
  P: M, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by astringent pucker which loses most of its punch by the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/SWTNESS to the DUSTY tannins. Needs/DESERVES through '20, then easily making its 10th. My EXC-/EXC; 93 pts WS, 91-94 WA (Dunnuck), 17 & 16/20 Jancis Robinson (cask), and 3/5* drinkrhone.com . [This vendor's $25.95 is $4 < wine'searcher's lowest.]

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Alain Jaume Lirac Domaine du Clos de Sixte

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac

  50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, & 15% Mourvèdre from quartz & red clay soils with "a great number of rounded stones known as 'galets'; Traditional wine-making in s/s vats. Hand sorted bunches, crushed & destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature: 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages. Ageing in concrete vats & FR oak barrels (usually new-4 yrs old) for 10-12 mos;" Filtered, but unfined;
  
  N: Fairly attractive RIPE berries & garrigue, with smoky undertones
  
  P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by astringent pucker which loses virtually ALL its snap by the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. Needs/DESERVES 12-18 mos, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more. 15% ABV; My EXC-. 93+ WA, 93 WE @ $30, 92 Jeb Dunnuck, 16 (Henning) & 16+/20 Jancis Robinson, and 3*(*)/5 drinkrhone.com . [This vendor's $23.95 puts it in the bottom of the TOP 1/2 of wine-searcher's listings.]

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Domaine des Escaravailles Rasteau La Ponce

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rasteau

  Typically, 80% Grenache & 20% Syrah from very steep vyds @ 250 m elev with stony clay soils; "Manual harvest; Destemming & crushing; Vatting 28-35 days. Daily pigmentation during the alcoholic fermentation as well as 2-3 shedding. The wines are aged for 1 year (in 225 L oak barrels for Syrah & concrete vats for Grenache), then assembled & bottled 18 mos after harvest."
  
  N: CLOSED; Poss notes of red rasps & wild straws with barnyd underneath?
  
  P: MF, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by astringent pucker which, while staying within hailing distance of the init frt, morphs into a LONG, balanced finish with a pleasant tangy/swtness to the few dusty tannins. For now & probably through '22. My VG+/EXC-; 95 pts Dunnuck, 93+ WA (Czerwinski), & 91 WE @ $30. [This vendor's $21.95 is $3 < wine-searcher's next lowest.]

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Château Pesquié Ventoux Artemia

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Ventoux

  50% ea Syrah (yields of ~25 hl/ha) & Grenache (yields of ~20 hl/ha); "The Grenache parcel is one of the most elevated of the estate, S-SE oriented, in very pebbly limestone soil that has an amphitheater shape. The Syrah parcel is @ about 340 m, SW oriented, in very old alluvial soil. The grapes are picked at optimal maturity at the beginning of October, drastically selected & destemmed. Long fermentation & maceration in an oak tank. Malolactic fermentation in barrels. Aged 18 months in barrels (50% new & 50% 2nd & 3rd yr) with a selection of very tight grains & deep but light toasting. Bottled at the Château." Per the U.S. Importer, "Artemia is only made in top vintages and represents the best the estate can offer."
  
  N: Closed; Ripe blkberries with garrigue underneath? Intensity lurking??
  
  P: Med body; RNDISH entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt (approacing threshold R.S.?) met by some astringent pucker which pretty much resolves by the LONG, BALANCED, very pleasant finish with a tangy/swtness to the DUSTY tannins. Needs/DESERVES 12-18 mos, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more. My EXC-/EXC; Decanter: 97 pts with Platinum @ their '18 World Wine Awards, & 95 (Walls, 11/2/18), 94 ea WA & Jeb Dunnuck, and 15/20 Jancis Robinson! [This vendor's $31.95 is $3 < wine-searcher's next lowest.]

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2017 Château La Roque Pic St. Loup

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Pic St. Loup

  Typically, 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, & 10% Mourvèdre from 40 yr old vines grown in 18 ha of clay & limestone soils on scree slopes; "Hand harvested,completely de-stemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts in cement tanks where it is aged for 1 year;"
  
  N: RIPE berries with notes of garrigue WAY underneath?
  
  P: Med body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the DUSTY tannins. NEEDS a yr or so, then drinking for 3, poss 4, yrs more. My EXC-; [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Domaine Lafage Côtes du Roussillon Bastide Miraflors

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon

  "A custom cuvée for European Cellars & a joint project between Eric Solomon & Jean-Marc Lafage, Bastide Miraflors is a cuvée created from Grenache grown on rocky, alluvial clay soils resembling those of the Rhône Valley combined with Syrah grown on schist in the village of Maury. After a long maceration of 6 weeks, the wine ages for 12 mos in concrete (Grenache) & 600L French oak demi-muids (Syrah)." [Supposedly "80% Syrah & 20% Grenache from Lesquerde & Saint Martin de Fenouillet (both in the northern part of the Roussillon)."]
  
  N: Slightly closed; RIPE berries, poss some smoke?
  
  P: MF body; RNDISH entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by just a bit of astringent pucker which loses its punch (but little of its pucker) by the LONG, ALMOST puckerish finish with a very, VERY slight bitterness & a definite swtness to the dusty tannins. For now (IF one tolerates acidity well); Otherwise, cellar 12-18 mos, then drink for 2-3 yrs more. 14.5% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, the higher poss for QPR. 94 pts Jeb Dunnuck & 89 WA. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
  
  Note: Cf. my TN of 3/9/2019, where I didn't find the acidity particularly noteworthy.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue