Great QPR on this one. Opened to go with home made chili and cornbread. It was a bit tight and out of sorts for the first 45 minutes, then it seemed to come together and be more approachable. Not much of a finish, but for $10 I'm satisfied. I agree with the others tasting notes, so I wont rehash that. Drink it up and move on. Be healthy, and Happy New Year. Cheers
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The light nose is of crushed dark berries and the medium bodied palate is full of olive brine and a pleasant balancing sweetness. Mild tannins also help the cause. Short/medium length finish. Satisfying wine with pizza of ripe yellow/orange bell pepper; the sweet farm peppers being an ideal match.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.
(Delas Freres Ventoux) Hello friends. Back in April 2013, we sent an offer that became one of our first import-wine phenomena: Charles Bieler’s “Lou Ven Tou.” It was a ten-dollar wine from Ventoux, a Rhone satellite appellation, but it drank like wine from one of its pricier neighbors: Vacqueyras or Gigondas or dare-I-say Chateauneuf. You all bought piles of it, and loved it, but it was a one-and-done wine; we never saw it again. Ever since, whenever we get tasted on a well-priced Ventoux wine, I hold my breath a little and hope for a repeat of that experience six years ago. It hasn’t happened often. In fact, I think we’ve only offered a single other Ventoux wine in the interim. But it happened recently with Delas Freres’ glorious 2017: Wine Advocate: Copyrighted material withheld. Let’s get oriented, since we don’t talk about Ventoux often. Mont Ventoux is located here, due east of Gigondas and CdP, appellations that command considerably higher prices than humble AOC Ventoux. It is also quite mountainous, with ancient Triassic limestone pushing up into the subsoils. Delas’ Ventoux vineyards are found in the foothills of those mountains; one in the commune of Mazan; the other in Goult. We’re basically at the intersection of the Southern Rhone and Provence, which means we’re in Grenache country. And so no surprise: this is 80% Grenache, blended with 20% Syrah (the Syrah portion is all whole-cluster fermented). Also no surprise at this price point: this doesn’t catch a whiff of oak; in this neck of the woods, it’s all concrete and stainless steel, for maximum fruit freshness and impact. This clocks in at 14% listed alc and comes roaring out of the glass with brambly raspberry fruit, hot-rock minerality, and all sorts of appealing spice notes; there’s a savory edge here, somewhere between tomato paste and harissa, that is fabulous; way more complexity than we have any right to demand at this tag. Its texture is also a ringer for its pricier neighbors, with noteworthy palate saturation and fruit impact. This just fans out and coats every nook and cranny with mineral-soaked, tea-leaf-inflected, berry goodness. The winery recommends pairing it with “Provencal stews” – I suspect this Daube Provencale recipe would do the trick.
NOTE: Some content is property of JamesSuckling.com and Full Pull.
8/5/2023 - GregRed wrote:
Nice body but not long lasting aftertaste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2023 - penywyse Likes this wine: 88 Points
Great QPR on this one. Opened to go with home made chili and cornbread. It was a bit tight and out of sorts for the first 45 minutes, then it seemed to come together and be more approachable. Not much of a finish, but for $10 I'm satisfied. I agree with the others tasting notes, so I wont rehash that. Drink it up and move on. Be healthy, and Happy New Year. Cheers
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2021 - drivingrain Likes this wine: 89 Points
The light nose is of crushed dark berries and the medium bodied palate is full of olive brine and
a pleasant balancing sweetness. Mild tannins also help the cause. Short/medium length finish. Satisfying wine with pizza of ripe yellow/orange bell pepper; the sweet farm peppers being an ideal match.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2021 - stevemar Likes this wine: 89 Points
Easy weeknight drinker pairs well with many foods. Red and black fruits, vanilla, oak. Nice QPR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2020 - wdlohr wrote: 88 Points
glossy and black, fuller fruit with spice and texture. good value
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment