Patrick Lesec Gigondas Cuvée Romaine Les Espalines 2004 - $18

65% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah
50+ year old vines
90% in 1-4 year old barrels, 10% in stainless steel

Don't remember the price exactly.

David: Dark inky crimson. Nose has rose petal, blackberry fruit, a little pepper and spice. That Rhone grenache smell. Full bodied with moderate acidity. Warm, velvety texture. Ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit envelop the palate. Dark and spicy. Big and tannic. A little heat but not distracting. Long finish is a little briary with a little pepper. Delicious wine.
Score: 4.2/5

Chateau Vieux Taillefer, Saint Emilion Grande Cru 2006 - $19

David: A lovely dark crimson color with hints of orange around the edge. A nice nose has red and black currant with iron and some bready raspberry tart. Full bodied with moderate acidity. The wine has dense fruit which is delightful to swirl. Big but soft tannins. Finishes long with some berry flavor. Very pleasant.
Score: 4.1/5

Guigal Gigondas 2007 - $22

55-60% Grenache, around one-third Mourvedre and the rest Syrah.

Parker: 92-94

David: Medium purple in color. Nose of roses, earth, leather, raspberry, crushed rock. Nose seems to fade in intensity over time. Full bodied. Medium acidity. Subdued fruit. Immediately peppery and spicy. Layered. Strong tannins. Some blackberry fruit which darkens into molasses and finishes dry with black liquorish and blackberry liquor. Pretty good if your looking for a dark spicy wine.
Score: 4.0/5

Chateau Picau-Perna Bordeaux 2005 - $17

70% merlot. Rest cab.

David: Opaque purple. Nose of sweet blueberries, violets, herbs. Medium to full bodied. Low acidity. Very tasty blueberry fruit though not incredibly complex. Big powerful tannins remain rounded. Nice gentle finish. A very enjoyable wine.
Score: 4.1/5

Chateau Puech-Haut Prestige 2009 - $17

55% Grenache and 45% Syrah. 93 point Parker!

David: Dark purple in color. Nose has pepper, violets, some Syrah tire smell. Full bodied, good weight. Black fruits, pepper. Strongs tannins. Good structure. Well layered. Good complexity. Finished long. Very nice.
Score: 4.1/5

La Bastide Blanche Bandol 2007 - $23

Over 75% Mourvèdre.

Decanted for 2 hours.

David: Dark, inky red. Nose of leather, roses and blueberry. Full bodied, low acidity with modest cherry fruit and chocolate overtones. Quite tannic. Alcohol is prevalent but not over the top. Finishes a little bitter. Quite nice now but the wine should improve significantly over the next few years. Would probably also benefit from several hours of decanting.
Score: 4.0/5

Jean Marc Brocard Chablis Domaine Sainte Claire 2008 - $18

David: Deep gold in color. Nose of fig, pear and stinky orchards. Some minerals. A little spice. Medium bodied. Good acidity.
Score: 4.0/5

Elegantia Cotes du Rhone Valley Selections 2009 - $9

We tried the very nice Gigondas from this producer a week ago.

David: Purple/red in color. Nose is distinctive grenache, with some sweet vanilla, chocolate and spices. Full bodied. Ripe raspberry compote on the palate. Juicy, fruit bomb. However, a little lacking in structure. Finish adds some pepper and some bitters. Overall, a decent wine and decent value but no where near as nice as the Gigondas though at half the price, that isn't surprising.
Score: 3.9/5

Elegantia Gigondas Rhone Valley Selection 2009 - $19

A mystery wine. Can't find much info on it.


David: Medium purple in color. Nose of flowers, roses and violets with black currant and blackberry fruit. Aromas of stone and steel with a little forest floor as well and peppery spice and that distinctive Rhone grenache aroma. The nose is good but the wine really excels on the palate. Starts with an explosion of concentrated blackberry fruit with wonderful acidity balance. Then it adds pepper and spice and good tannins. Finally picks up with liquorish. All these blend together in a long and delicious finish.
Score: 4.3/5

Chateau Les Gravieres Saint Emilion 2008 - $22

100% Merlot.

David: Dark purple red. Nose of concentrated red fruits, graphite, berries, some floral tones. Medium to full bodied. Lots of acidity. Cranberry and blackberry fruit. Strong tannins. Well layered with a nice juicy finish. Good stuff.
Score: 4.2/5

Selection Laurence Feraud Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret 2007 - $17

90% Grenache and 10% Syrah.

David: Medium purple red. Nose of roses and lavender, red fruits, a little cranberry and oak. Spritzy mouthfeel. Medium bodied. Good well layered fruits get a little jammy and some coco. Some bitter notes. Good complexity. Strong tannins. Long finish. Very nice.
Score: 4.1/5

Ninety Plus French Fusion Lanquedoc 2008 - $15

David: Medium purple in color. Nose of blackberry, petunias, sweet oak, a little spice maybe nutmeg. Has what I call nose-texture. Full bodied with low acidity. Blackberry, blueberry fruit. Decent structure. Could use perhaps a bit more acidity. Strong tannins. Layers nicely into liquorish or anise with some pepper.
Score: 3.9/5

Domaine Grand Nicolet Rasteau Vieilles Vignes 2008 - $15

Old Vine Grenache.

David: Dark crimson in color. Nose of blackberry, pressed flowers, oak, that distinctive grenache smell. Full bodied. Luscious strawberry and cherry fruit. Weighty but silky texture. Soft tannins and a tasty finish. A pretty nice wine. Nothing jumps out at you but it is well made and enjoyable.
Score: 4.0/5

Domaine Grands Bois Cotes du Rhone Villages Cuvee Philippine 2009 - $13

We have tried two wines from this Domaine before. We liked the Cairanne better than the Cuvée les Trois Soeurs . 55% Grenache - 35% Syrah - 10% Carignan

David: Medium purple in color. Nose of ripe raspberry, wet stone and a little iron. No sign of oak. Medium bodied, medium acidity. Fresh black currant and strawberry fruit is quite delicious. Soft tannins. A little peppery earthiness is well balanced with the fruit. Finishes nice. Not quite as nice as the more full bodied Cairanne but for a bucks less, it is also a good value.
Score: 4.0/5

Barton & Guestier Vouvray 2008 - $10

A sweet Vouvray, Chenin Blanc.

David: Pale straw in color. Nose of honied pear and maybe peach and some flowers. Full bodied, mouth coating. Quite sweet but with good acidity keeping it interesting and complex. Overall, very tasty.
Score: 4.0/5

Domaine Castillon Costieres de Nimes 2007 - $11

David: Medium, red, purple in color. Nose of red currant, a little oak, and violets. Medium bodied, silky texture. High acidity. Red fruits, raspberry. Turns into pomegranate with time. Mild tannins. Medium length finish picks up acidity and a little liquorish. Decent wine. A little boring.
Score: 3.8/5

Domaine les Grands Bois Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Cuvée Maximilien 2009 - $14

50% Grenache, 35% Mourdevre, 10% Syrah, 5% Carignan. From the Cote du Rhone village of Cairanne.

David: A dark beet juice purple in color. The complex nose shows blueberry fruit, loamy soil, graphite, some floral notes, some pepper and spices and baked bread. Full bodied, moderate to low acidity. Totally dry with subdued blueberry, liquorish fruit. Gets a little peppery at the end. The tannins are grippy and powerful and give the ending a fine austerity.
Score: 4.0/5

Vignerons de Caractère Vacqueyras Chemin des Rouvieres 2007 - $17

70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre

David: Light ruby red in color. Nose of red currant and vanilla. Medium bodied, velvety texture. Nice red fruits on the palate, currant and strawberry with some briary flavors as well. Medium acidity and generally well balanced. Sufficient tannins to give it a little more structure. A pretty tasty and overall good wine though lacking the complexity I would expect in a 90 point Vacqueyras.
Score: 3.9/5

Paradis Chinon Cuvee Signee 2008 - $10

Cab Franc from Chinon (the Loire).

David: Light purplish red in color. Nice nose of red currant, assorted berries and the tiniest bit of fox fur gaminess. Pure silk on the palate. Medium bodied. Just the right amount of acidity to balance the delicious red, jammy fruits. Well layered. Simply delightful. Tannins are very gentle, almost unnoticeable. Finish is long and pleasant. What a steal for $10 (on sale at Wine Library from $13). Much nicer than the other Loire red we had a few weeks ago.
Score: 4.2/5

Domaine Duseigneur Lirac Antares 2007 - $17

60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre. Lirac is a small region near CDP.

David: Dark purple in color. Nose of raspberry tart. A little stinky gaminess with herbs and flowers. Full bodied. Sweet on the palate with blackberry fruit, some pepper. Acidity picks up on the back end giving it more liveliness and structure. Smooth tannins. Pretty good finish with pepper and lingering sweetness.
Score: 4.0/5