10/27/2020 - Cochon74 Likes this wine:

This is my first borgueil in YEARS, this review should be read w a grain of salt.

Opened with a light dinner of mild cheese, crackers and crudités... a little saucisson sec.

Incredibly light color... I won’t bother talking about the nose or flavor. This wine was totally closed up - just a little herbaceous note and acidity on the palate. No nose to speak of. There were slight hints of red fruit and a touch of pyrazine, but only suggestions. I put the cork back in and decided to let it sit until the next day.

I’m glad I did. This wine opened up beautifully on day two - tart red fruit, still just a touch of bell pepper (nothing overwhelming), a beautiful minerally streak, and maybe just a touch of smoke. Minimal tannins which created a gentle overall drying sensation, but nothing more.

This was a beautiful, light expression of Cab Franc which I can imagine would appeal to those with the patience and taste for the “different.”

If I had another bottle, I’d keep it for 2-3yrs to see what happens, but it certainly shows well now.

11/23/2020 - Cochon74 wrote:

Another stellar garnacha that breaks the mold! Sierra feel Gredos is growing serious mountain fruit from gnarly old bush vines that is simply astounding. Somewhere between typical sun-kissed, juicy Spanish garnacha and a classic Nebbiolo d’Alba, you’ll find this wine. Beautifully red-fruited, but lighter in color and body with a lean, mean frame, some gutsier tannins, and a tarry streak - this wine delivers an intense, food-friendly experience which, while slightly baffling at first, is rewarding on academic and hedonistic levels (and everything in between).

All this in a pop and pour for $20... Rodriguez has some pricier offerings with more choice cuvees, single vineyards, etc. Id be willing to bet they’re stunning.

4/17/2020 - apple1813 Likes this wine:

2015 Château des Bachelards Comtesse de Vazeilles Fleurie was perfumed, floral and mineral-driven. The youthful Gamay was clear and medium ruby without any sediments, a shade deeper than most widely distributed Beaujolais. Freshly uncorked, an impressive aromatics of strawberry, raspberries and red cherries were up front, while notes of violets, blueberries, bramble and sweet liqourice spices intensified over an hour of aeration. The mouthfeel was dry and medium-bodied, supported by medium level of finely grained tannin and medium-high level of fresh acidity. In addition to the berry and violet flavours, intense minerality and black tea lingered in a long precise finish.

This wine changed by perception of the Gamay grape. Beaujolais wine often tastes like strawberry bubblegum in fully ripe banana purée, while Mâcon in the north are usually overtly peppery and spicy. This great bottle of Fleurie delivered intensity without over-ripeness, and complexity without aggressive oak. More importantly, the pure floral and fruity varietal characters of Gamay are still recognisable.

After learning with Jean-Marc Roulot and at Château Latour, the winemaker, Alexandra, purchased the property with the old vines in Fleurie in 2013. The yield was naturally low at 25 hectoliters per hectare. The vineyard was certified biodynamic by Demeter in 2016. The unusually deep colour was attributed to the long pre-fermentation maceration that would take two to four weeks, which aided colour and flavour extraction. Fermentation took place in thermoregulated tanks. Château des Bachelards is a rising star in Fleurie that we should keep an eye on.

1/22/2021 - hutch wrote:

Lots of red fruit. Perhaps the alcohol is a little higher than previous years, as it seems to be a little stronger this year and it also makes the wine seem a little too light, a little out of balance. It's still pretty, with lovely fruit, and will be a great weekday wine. Just not up to the usual standards for me, but I also haven't really been enjoying Rhone wines in the last couple of vintages as much as I usually do.

2/25/2021 - Cochon74 wrote:

Comando G does it again!!!! These guys coax flavor out of garnacha in ways I didn’t know existed. And if there was any question as to whether or not Sierra de Gredo is a full contender among Spanish wine, that has been answered.

This is deceptively light in the glass - bordering on comically pink. It’s disconcerting.

The nose was funky, stemmy... dare I say, NATTY? Still, crunchy red fruit was the obvious foundation.

On the palate, bracing acidity, more red fruit and whole cluster earthiness jump out at you. This wine is the skinny, awkward, not bright-looking girl with unkempt hair in my Western Civilization class at college. The one who i studied with once and realized she’s the smartest, funniest, sexiest, most well-travelled, interesting person in the class. The rest is history. I am in love with this wine.

Give it a minute to breathe and the fruit deepens a tad, some elegant tannins emerge, the balance is achieved and you realize that the “1er” nod to burgundy is wholly appropriate.

A bit better on the second night, but I loved experiencing the evolution. Can’t wait to see what some age does for it!

12/8/2020 - Cochon74 wrote:

Everything I’d expect from a Morgon... loads of fruit. GOBS of bright, juicy fruit. Bracing acidity, a clean minerality, and just a bit of velvety tannin keep this “serious” enough while not inhibiting it’s obvious “quaffability.”

The nose is very perfumed, alarmingly delicate at first. There is a similar reserve on the palate. But within minutes this wine gains confidence and starts strutting its stuff.

This wine, with its dazzling berry-drenched palate, its refinement, its balance - walks an amazing line between overt seriousness and easy-going charm that keeps me coming back for another sip... and another... and another.

I’d be curious to age this and see what happens. But then again, why would you? It’s perfect right now.

UPDATE... Day 2:

Beautiful fruit still in tact, but further balanced out by considerably greater minerality and a bit of earthiness. The finish, has taken on a slight bitterness, which is not unagreeable. The body has increased and brought on a slightly lengthier finish. Not so much an improvement to the wine as a lateral change. A slightly different wine from last night - nonetheless enjoyable for its now-present gravity and structure.

12/8/2020 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

Just how Chateau Rayas can confuse people into believing it is from Burgundy, this wine is a very similar experience. While it is clearly Grenache when consumed unblinded, it would be interesting to test palates in a blinded format to see if anyone would call it something that it is not. While this is no Rayas, it does share some of the same qualities in a less refined way. I was surprised by this wine tonight.

6/21/2020 - Cochon74 Likes this wine:

Not much to add here in terms of tasting notes or general sentiment...

Lovely, lovely garnacha that’s hard not to like. Fantastic QPR - especially with the name Palacios on the bottle!

This bottle, while not quintessential Rioja, IS quintessential Spanish wine drinking - easy-drinking, sun-kissed, food friendly, life-affirming juice.

While I think this will go for a few more years (and perhaps gain a little complexity?), there’s no need to wait... it’s perfect right now.