Kategoriarkiv: French red wines

French red wines

Blackcurrants and herbs from the Loire Valley

Lämna en kommentar

From the Domaine des Hauts Baigneux in the Loire Valley in France, we try a fruity red wine made from the grape variety Cabernet Franc in 2022. The wine is called So Franc, it is organic and its number is 93036 at Systembolaget in Sweden (price 179 SEK).

The old friends Nicolas Grosbois (Domaine Grosbois) and Phillipe Mesnier decided in 2013 to buy 12 hectares of vineyards in Azay-le-Rideau together, east of Chinon. They began growing all the vines organically and with an ambitious project to reintroduce the original wines of Azay-le-Rideau. Traditionally, Azay-le-Rideau is known for white wines made from chenin blanc and rosé wines made from grolleau and gamay. Most of the vineyards are located in Azay-le-Rideau in the small area of ”Hauts Baigneux” which has given the domaine its name. The wines are produced without added yeast and the vinification takes place with minimal intervention. Natural and terroir-driven wines!

On the nose we find a fruity and open aroma of blackcurrants, raspberries, blueberries and fresh herbs. On the palate the wine is dry and has a medium-bodied taste with high acidity, smooth tannin structure, concentrated blackcurrants with hints of herbs and a good length with well-defined aromas.

This wine is very price worthy, and is best served at around 16°C with vegetarian or light meat dishes, preferably cold cut and well-aged cheeses. I give it 88 points.

French red wines, Uncategorized

Grand Cab-Syrah from Provence

Lämna en kommentar

The south of France has a very good climate for producing fantastic red wines, although it is often most known for the rosé wines that many people try while traveling through the area. From the producer Château La Martinette in Lorgues, with a fantastic view of forests, olive groves and a hilly landscape close to the French Riviera, we have tasted La Grande Pièce AOP Côtes de Provence 2018.

The Estate grows organic Côtes de Provence from Grenache, Syrah, Cinsaut, Rolle, Clairette, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon and the rare local grape variety Tibouren. La Grande Pièce 2018 is a cuvé of the black grape varieties Syrah (common in Northern Rhône) and Cabernet Sauvignon (common in Bordeaux). The alcohol level is 14 per cent.

There are fantastic notes of blackberry, black plums, olives, licorice, pepper, cloves and chocolate. The tannins are definitely there, but soft and smooth on the palate. This wine is very pleasant to serve with any kind of meat, especially grilled or baked in the oven. Also grilled cheese and vegetables are a very good match -try also with creamy spicy sauces. This is a very well-balanced wine with complex notes and a long tasty finish. I give it 95 points!

French red wines

Dark olives notes from La Clape

Lämna en kommentar

From La Clape in the south of France and the region Languedoc-Roussillon, this typical ”GSM” blend produces notes of both dark olives, chocolate and licorice on the palate. GSM stands for the 3 grape varieties Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, and is typical for this region since they complement each other well. Saint Auriol Chatelaine comes from the producer Les Domaines Auriol, and this wine is sold for 119 SEK at Systembolaget (nr 4500).

It has high but well-balanced level of acidity and smooth tannins that are rounded off by one year of oak maturation. This adds notes of cedar, cloves, chocolate and vanilla – on top of the spicy and dark fruity notes both on the nose and palate. It is very easy to combine with most dishes of meat as well as overcooked or grilled cheeses or vegetables – add a spicy and creamy sauce and the combination is perfect! I give this wine 86 points!

French red wines

Spicy enjoyable red from Languedoc

Lämna en kommentar

Southern France has for some been known for mass-produced wines, but good quality wines are made and the quality in general is rising. This wine comes from Château L’Hospitalet, La Clape – close to Narbonne by the Mediterranean Sea.

The grape varieties used are the GSM-blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The producer is the famous Gerard Bertrand, who owns and co-operates with many co-operatives and growers in Languedoc-Roussillon region. The price is 189 SEK, and the nr 73142 at Systembolaget.

This is a very pleasant wine, which has been oak matured for one year in French barriques giving notes of cloves, vanilla and chocolate and very integrated but still present tannins and structure. There are lovely notes of lavendel, black plums and blackberries as well as bay leafs, figs and black pepper with hints of licorice.

This wine has a full body, with very nicely integrated acidity with its pronounced flavours and pleasant finish. It is easy to combine with both spicy vegetarian dishes and most meat dishes. Very good with grilled or oven cooked meals with creamy spicy sauces. I give this wine 93 points and find it very enjoyable!

French red wines

Xavier Grenache vieilles vignes

Lämna en kommentar

Rhône is one of the most famous wine regions of France, and the red grape varieties you find there are typically Grenache and Syrah. Xavier Grenache vieilles vignes Organic 2015 (nr 2151, 95 SEK at Systembolaget) is produced from 85 % Grenache and 15 % Syrah, and it is organic. I give it 81 points.

The producer Xavier Vignon is famous for using the terroir (soil) of the grapes to enhance their flavours, and this wine is a great example of this. The wine is made of a selection of grapes from more than 50 years old vines, called ’vieilles vignes’.  The deep roots give mineral salts from deep down which results in rich tastes of dark fruits like cherries and raspberry, spices, lavender, cinnamon and minerality. The local tones with herbs and lavender from this region is also called ’garrigue’.

The alcohol level is 14,5 %, and it is best served at 16-18° C.

CHEESE: The spicy notes from this wine go very well with the Corsican cheese called Brin d’Amour. It is a goat/sheep cheese rolled in spices like Rosemary, Chili and other local spices/herbs. You can also use soft cheese and roll it is spices and herbs to get this effect, and it goes very well with the fruity and spicy character of this wine! But this wine would also go well with cheeses that are salty, a bit acid and have some spices/complexity – like the Swedish cheese ’Västerbotten’ or the French Gruyere!

FOOD: This wine can be enjoyed on its own, but is goes very well with spicy and grilled dishes (meat and/or vegetables).

French red wines

Powerful Pomerol provides pure pleasure :)

Lämna en kommentar

…you either love the powerful aromatic black grape variety Cabernet Sauvignon, or you don’t….I myself really like it 🙂 However, since it is so very aromatic in its character I think that a blend with the ’softer’ grape variety Merlot giving the typical Bordeaux blend is often the best option to choose.

It is NOT easy to find green Bordeaux wines, basically since the humid weather makes green production more difficult. But the Château des Annereaux Lalande-de-Pomerol 2010 is the first year that this wine was ecologically certified. Lalande-de-Pomerol is situated on the East side of the Gironde river, north of Pomerol and St-Emilion. This vintage is made of Merlot 78%, Cabernet Franc 17% and Cabernet Sauvignon 5%. The alcohol level is 13,5 %.

On the nose you sense the typical Bordeaux Merlot/Cab with ripe blackcurrants, toast from oak, herbs and spices. Not too strong since the Cab level is not so high.

On the palate this wine has lots of integrated tannins and strong aromas, however well-balanced and velvety. You sense the oak in a well-blended way, as well as blackcurrants, black cherries, cedar, coffee and the typical herbaceous tones. It has good length and is good to drink now but can also be kept for a decade. I give it 90 points!

Concerning food, this wine would be great with most meat dishes, but also with a moussaka for instance. It is wonderful with Brie and also with Camembert cheeses!

The Château des Annereaux 2010 can be bought at Systembolaget (special order nr 74200) for the price of 179 SEK.

Skål!! 🙂

Pomerol

French red wines

Tempting Crozes-Hermitage

Lämna en kommentar

I really appreciate the red wines from the Rhône valley (Southern France) in general, and particularly wines from the Northern part made of the grape variety Syrah (which is called Shiraz in Australia).

From Laurent Habrard I have tasted a red from 2012 called Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Habrard, which is an organic wine. Domaine Habrard is located in a little village in the heart of the Crozes-Hermitage appellation area. The Habrard family has cultivated the vines there for 5 generations! Their objective is to produce and sell wine with minimum impact on the environment 🙂 The vines are 30-60 years old, and the harvest is made by hand.

For me this is a very typical Crozes-Hermitage wine, that I give 88 points. The Syrah grape is small with thick dark skins, which give deeply coloured wines. The aroma characteristics are black fruit, like blackberry, hints of eucalyptus and violet notes – it is both open and complex. The taste is also black fruit, cloves and cinnamon. There are   toasted notes and spice like black pepper, as well as notes of garrigue and violet. It is a dry wine, with medium plus acidity and quite a full body. The tannins are velvety and smooth. The alcohol level is 13 %.

Food: This wine is perfect with grilled red meat, lamb and game but it also goes well with the French marvellous cheese Brillat-Savarin!

You can buy it in Sweden at Systembolaget (ordinary assortment nr 2861) at the price of 119 SEK.

Crozes-HermitageHabrard