Tasting - Reserve Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône

Name: Reserve Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône
Variety: 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault blend
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $14.95
Review: As for their other values, the 2010 Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Reserve (70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault) displays loads of ripe flavors. It is very concentrated for a Cotes du Rhone, and is actually an amazing wine. Classic garrigue, black cherry liqueur, lavender, licorice and spice box are all present in this fullbodied, intense, and rich Cotes du Rhone. This is a sensational effort to drink over the next 4-5 years, although it might last even longer.

My Review: A very dark cherry aroma with hints of other smells in the nose. I thought the wine tasted spicy and thick, almost tobacco-like. I didn't think this wine had a very strong finish to it, it kind of disappeared off of my palate quicker than expected.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Caprice de Bastor- Lamontagne

Name: Caprice de Bastor- Lamontagne
Variety: 60% Semillon, 36% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Muscadelle blend
Region: Sauternes
Country: France
Year: 2004
Price: $7.95
Review: Very clean, with lemon, mineral and honey aromas that follow through to a medium body. Shows vanilla, apple and melon flavors, with a medium finish. Lightly sweet.

My Review: I was quite excited to try a wine from Sauternes after reading the Zraly book. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed by this wine. I thought the wine had an odd smell, almost like chemicals or oil. The first thought I had upon tasting was that it tasted like nasty sweet medicine. One of the things I hate most in this world is liquid cough syrup so I was not thrilled to drink a wine that reminded me of it. Yuck.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Château Serres Sainte Lucie Corbières

Name: Château Serres Sainte Lucie Corbières
Variety: Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre blend
Region: Corbières
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Review: Superb dark garnet color with a few reflections of dark orange. Intense nose of ripe fruits, spices, and roasted coffee. The palate is rounded and full, with silky matured tannins and hints of vanilla. This wine is rich and powerful with layers of tannins.

My Review: This wine reminded me a lot of plums. The smell was ripe with plums and the taste was very spicy, but with plum tones. This wine really packed a punch with its richness - a lot of flavor to this wine.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Sainte Victoire Côtes de Provence

Name: Sainte Victoire Côtes de Provence
Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault blend
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $8.95
Review: Bright salmon pink; typical of the fresh but warm Provence style. Refined and complex on the nose, with summer fruit and floral notes. Dry and crisp, with a delicate flavor and full texture.

My Review: This wine had a sweet fruit smell, perhaps with a strawberry scent. I was really taken aback by the dryness of the wine, and it was very off-putting. I did taste some of the floral notes mentioned in the above review.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Domaine de Grange de Payan

Name: Domaine de Grange de Payan
Variety: Blended (majority Grenache)
Region: Côtes du Rhône
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $8.95
Review: Intensely spicy and precise, with lively red berry flavors and a hint of black pepper. The Grenache, which makes up the majority of the wine, is deeper and more powerful, offering cherry and black raspberry qualities lifted by zesty minerality.

My Review: This wine had berries in the aroma, with a much "darker" smell than the previous red tasted (the Tinto Figaro). When tasting I could definitely taste the pepper in the wine - it made me wish for a nice steak or meat dish to have with this wine so I could appreciate it more.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Les Perles Piquepoul

Name: Les Perles Piquepoul
Variety: Piquepoul
Region: Cotes de Thau
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95
Review: Light and young, this is a straightforward but enjoyable selection that would be an ideal match for light fare such as grilled chicken salads or fluke. Apple flesh, nectarine, and sweet citrus oil aromas and flavors appear on the nose and palate, while the short finish is infused with a flavor of green melon rind.

My Review: The person at the wine store said that "Piquepoul" roughly translates to "lip-smacking" and I felt myself doing that exact motion after tasting the wine. The wine was a light golden color and had a taste that was fairly tangy. My overall impression was that the wine was very light.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Dom de Mirail

Name: Dom de Mirail Cabernet/Merlot Rose
Variety: Cabernet/Merlot Rose
Region: Cotes de Gascogne
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $5.95
Review: There is a fresh, crisp character to this light rosé. It is eye-watering in its refreshing character, with balancing acidity, smoothing out the edges with a touch of caramel.

My Review: The wine had an almost orange or peach color to it and a scent that reminded me of fresh vegetables. I couldn't really detect any distinct flavor other than that I thought it was very bitter.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Name: Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau
Variety: Blended
Region: Beaujolais
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $3.95
Review: Bright and tangy, offering a classic banana note on the nose, with flavors of raspberry, wild strawberry and light spice. Modest finish.

My Review: I thought the wine smelled very sweet and fragrant. The taste of the wine, to me, did not reflect the scent as I thought it was very tart. It left me with an aftertaste of berries.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.