Hey, guys! In our April meeting we spent a little time sampling reds and whites from the French wine-producing regions. Our goal was to learn a bit about French wines and how to pick those that may fit our tastes. European wines can be difficult because of how they are labeled; most of the emphasis is placed on the producer rather than the type of wine. So knowing that you prefer a burgundy may not be enough; you may need to know more about who produced it or exactly where, or the terrior of that region, or which grapes or method that producer used. Too much for us, we just wanted to drink! In any case, we ended up not coming out with a clear favorite, which was a first. And it wasn't due to a lack of trying, because we sampled a lot of wine.
Here's the list:
1) Heritage du Chateau Sauvignon Blanc -- This was very light with a general fruitiness, but there was nothing distinctive about it. It was sweet on the nose, which led us to believe it would have a stronger flavor, but we were fooled. "Goes well with chicken!" declared Robin.
2) Faiveley Macon Prisse white burgundy -- This was so light it was practically nonexistent, probably the lightest wine we've tried. This had to pair with the blandest of foods -- one person suggested salad, and someone else said anything poached. This was very mellow; so laid back it almost wasn't there.
3) Roux Pere & Fils Puilly Fuisse -- This white was more enjoyable. It was slightly buttery with a stronger flavor, but smooth, not very acidic.
4) Domaine du Bouchot Puilly-Fume -- Deidre picked up tomato plants on the nose, but on the palate this was not herbaceous at all. I tasted guava, which was a pleasant surprise, especially since we had guava paste to pair with. A perfect combo.
5) Domaine Vincent Bouzereau chardonnay -- we liked this one; it was full in taste with a nice smooth finish.
6) Les Jamelles pinot noir -- With great relief we moved on to the reds, hoping we'd encounter some stronger flavors. This one was drier than we liked, though not overly so. The smell was more interesting than the taste. Most of us got a nice berriness, but Donna's smelled different. Never did figure out why.
7) Chateau la Clyde Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux -- Though we did not like it, this red was interesting. It combined four grapes: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and malbec. We wished it had more cab franc and malbec and less of the other two. It was very strong on the nose, like decomposing wood. If it were heavier and had more heat, it could pass for port of sherry, but instead, it seemed there was something missing.
8) Chateau Receba Medoc -- This red smelled like a white! And after tasting, Mom said it actually had a lemony finish. To me, it smelled exactly like the back of my grandmother's closet (if you ever crawled back there while playing as a kid, you know exactly what I mean). We found this very dry.
9) Chateau de Montfaucon Cote du Rhone -- no surprise that we liked this one; the DiVine Wine club does enjoy their Cote du Rhones. This was dense and dry but not overly so, with a great berry flavor and smooth finish.
10) Chateau Grand Rousseau Bordeaux -- This was spicy but less full, like Cote du Rhone lite. It has personality, but we like the Cote better.
So there you have it, no clear favorites. Our recommendations would be the Bouzereau (which was also a big hit with my book club) and the de Montfaucon Cote du Rhone. Keep trying those French wines, though. If anyone does try one they like, please, pass it along to the club, or even better, bring it to a meeting and put it to the real test!
So our next meeting is May 24, and the theme is wines from Italy. Let's see how many dry-as-dust chiantis we end up with! See you then!
