Escale Pinot Noir Vin de Pays D'oc

Product of France. Les Producteurs Renuis a F. 34360. 13%.
Importer: North American Beverage Group, Clarkson. MI

Tart fruit nose with a bit of sweetness. Up front flavors with plenty of strawberry, raspberry, and red huckleberry mixed with some cherry. Tart start but supple on the backside. (Hey I know some girls like that...). Nice plum to pink color. A tad of spice and cedar, but not as lingering and lasting as great Pinot. Good enough to drink before dinner or during football on Monday night.

Rhone Valley Vineyards LaVieille Ferme 2007

Jean Pierre Perrin
Appellation: Cotes Du Ventoux, Orange, France
50% Grenanche, 20% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 15% Cinsault
Imported by: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL
P.S. It's the one with the two painted chickens on the label

Nice ink and savory, mild nose. Nothing sweet in there really. Good balance of tart and bitter elements. Flavors of red vine/bramble fruits and a bit of spice. Smooth but not really "soft". Very drinkable, but not complex nor that deep. Table wine to buy in the big bottle.

Chateau Vieille Tour La Roche 2007

12.5% Grand Vin de Bordeaux Earl Vignobles Labonne De l'agriculture
eco cert: Biologique Certifie
Import: Latitude Wines INC, Danville, CA

Alcohol, ink very savory, little fruit on nose. Perfumed and light for the blend. Some fruit lingers with a little tannin. Thinner and light than expected. Not bad. But sorta boring and plain. Nothing stunning.

Hangtime Pinot Noir Burgundy 2006

12.7%
Apellation Bourgogne Controlee, France
Imported by: Folio Wine Company, Napa, CA

Pinot nose of tart berry and cherry. Tart yet smooth fruit flavors. Quite drinkable but not overly exciting. Light body with a good tannin finish. Actually a pretty decent lower end Pinot.

Grand Ardeche Chardonnay 2006

13.5%
Vin de Pays des Coteux de L'ardeche, France
Imported by: Louis Latour, San Rafael, CA

Nice honey and citrus nose. Smooth and buttery with a little crispness. Pretty sweet and soft finish. Decent stuff I guess, but I like a little more mineral.

[Aric] domaine ligneres 2002

60% Carignane, 25% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah,Suzette Ligneres Chateau La Baronne, France 14%
www.acadiaetfils.com
Aric
Imported by: Sovereign Wine Imports, Santa Rosa, CA

Excellent nose: Deep fruit with a perfume of rose in the best way. A little alcohol on the nose but rich bourbon alcohol. Smoke, cherries, fruit leather and wet stones for an excellent mouth-taste experience. Strong flavors for a Frenchie. More like Italian. Good, balanced, yet rich red. Keeps well too. Reminds me of a Cotes du Rhone but meater and more complex. Nice! Very Nice!

Talus Collection Pinot Noir 2006

Vin de Pays d'oc (AKA French swill), 13.5%
Jeff Kasawan winemaker
www.taluscollection.com

Mild nose. Some raspberry and a little hint of synthetic plastic-y stuff. Soft fruits, a bit tart, a little sweet. Drinkable but not interesting or complex. Nice linger of strawberry and maybe cranberry. Decent I guess but pretty boring stuff.

Reserve Perrin Coutes Du Rhone Rouge 2006

Orange, France, 13%
Granache (60%), Syrah (20%), Mourvedre (10%), Cinsault (10%).
Mis en bouteille par Perrin Et fils. Not "cold stabilized".
Imported by: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL. Wine Info for Reserve Perrin.

Floral, rosey and lavender-esque with a little ink in bouquet. Nice bitter and tart fruit. Lots of flavor but clean and fresh tasting. Lingering essence of cedar and spice. Excellent example of French Rhone style. May gain complexity with age as well. Perfect wine to show as example of French style vs. CA style vs. other styles. . .

Plume Bleue Grenache/Syrah 2004

Vins de Pays d'oc, Costieres Soleil, France, 13.5%
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Selectionne par Laurence Feraud
Produced and Bottled Domaine Du Pegau
Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA

Scents of berry fruit, lavender and graphite but not a strong nose. Nice tannins mixed with a bit of ink, licorice, and blackberry-cherry. Dry finish with some floral notes (Rose, violets, beets). Rich ruby color. Flavors are soft despite tannic component. Excellent blend that matches well with not too spicy of foods. Good enough that I got 10 bottles and only have 1 left. It cleans your tongue but makes your mouth water. Perfect for everyday drinking with peasants like me.

Cellier des Dauphins Prestige Cotes du Rhone

France, 13%
Bouteille par les producreurs Reunis-Tulette-Drome
Imported by Bercut-Vandervoort and Co. Brisbane, CA
www.cellier-des-dauphins.com

Very lean crisp wine (and not in a bad way). Plenty of fruit elements and rich floral notes. Clean yet succulent finish. Not sweet nor overly rich but good strong flavor and aromas. Pretty nice blend of the Syrah and Granache characteristics. Excellent wine.