Inexpensive Provence Red Blind Tasting

Two of the wines were way out of place, the Triennes and the , They were very modern and without any Provence character. I thought the wines were great - they were expressive of the wild herbal meaty earthy terroir that is Pr alcohol or under, which helped, and they improved a lot over the next few days in the bottle. Very impressive indeed. As a friend put it, these wines show that a wine can be big and powerful, but if well made and well balanced, can be a beautiful wine.

• 2005 Triennes Var St Auguste

  France, Provence, Var

  very modern, and much more about cabernet sauvignon than about provence. well made wine though, leathery, nice finish too. just not expressive of place.

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• 2007 Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux-de-Provence

  France, Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence

  it is the most spare of the lot, without the pungency of some of the other wines. This wine has lovely and bright strawberry fruit, and a shot of animale earth that offers nice contrast. I thought the fruit was interesting in that it reminded me of the way that black tea can be fruity. The wine is energetic and well balanced and is easy to like - everyone liked it. It is still quite good on day 2 and shows a pronounced black licorice character, and continues to show an attractively spare structure. It is 12.5% alcohol and under $15 and eminently drinkable.

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• 2006 Château Jean-Pierre Gaussen Mont Caume

  France, Provence, Mont Caume

  The nose shows a dark and earthy animale character, but I wanted this to be balanced by brighter fruit. There is good acidity and structure, but in the end I thought the wine just wasn't very interesting. Rosemary thought the alcohol stood out a bit, and although it is only 12.5%, it does stand out, on day 2 also. But the fruit is also brighter on day 2.

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• 2006 Delille Vigneron Mont Caume Terre d'Ombre

  France, Provence, Mont Caume

  Very good wine - better than 7 others in a blind tasting of inexpensive Provence reds. earthy and intense but still energetic and lively. The nose was very animale with bretty leathery notes, dark and a bit spicy. Spreads out on the palate but the wine is nicely structured, the fruit is bright and perky, and it is infused with this herbal animale funk. I thought it was well balanced and delicious.

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• 2004 Domaine du Deffends Côteaux Varois Clos de la Truffiere

  France, Provence, Côteaux Varois

  During the tasting and then dinner, this wine was good but also a bit weird. A blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, I found bright citrus fruit on the nose - think persimmon, and also some very prominent sandalwood aromas. Although the texture was very smooth and the fruit bright, I found the wine to be a bit disjointed and wasn't crazy about it. Dan at first found it to be glossy and manipulated, and said that he was dismissive of it initially, but thought it improved with air. Ben and Rosemary both liked the wine, seeing past the incense smells and finding something classically Provence about the wine. And let me tell you that on day 2, the wine is the best of the bunch, with a harmonious nose that shows brightly floral fruit and loads of Provence herbs, and a structured but graceful and joyous palate with a long lavender finish. This is a wine that i want to drink on day 2, or to cellar for 5-8 years and then open up for some wine-geek friends in the winter with a bowl of stew.

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• 2005 Château du Seuil Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Rouge

  France, Provence, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence

  Modern feel to it and not in a good way. kind of nondescript and not a reason to drink Provence wine. one to avoid.

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• 2008 Commanderie de Peyrassol Vin de Pays Portes Méditerraneé La Croix

  France, Provence, Vin de Pays Portes Méditerraneé

  The fruit character is bizarre, very floral, and almost confected. Rosemary said it was like drinking some sort of plastic toy. I thought the nose with its persimmon and pineapple fruit was simply strange, but the palate was interesting and in the end, attractive. No one thought it was flawed, and no one disliked it, but everyone thought it was very weird wine. It is a blend of Syrah and Cabernet, and there might be other grapes in there too. The alcohol is 14% and it does stand out a little bit. I liked it because to me, it is so clearly of Provence. It is unusual, but with a rare and bloody steak...I'm in.

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• 2008 Comptoirs de Magdala Mont Caume La Chance

  France, Provence, Mont Caume

  I enjoyed this wine but I thought it was more expressive as a natural wine than as a Provence wine, and that it drank more like a Beaujolais than a Mourvedre blend. This is not a bad thing, but if I were looking specifically for a Provence red wine, I would be a bit disappointed if this is what the salesperson sold me.

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