A 14-year-old Minervois

Both of the bottles to the right of the photo were purchased in 2008, our second month-long visit to France, “avec nos amis” who are featured in the group pic. We remember 2008 particularly fondly, because that was the year we first met our dear friends, Jennifer and Barrie, who we descend upon each time we cross the pond to France.

During a somewhat spontaneous visit to Chateau de Vaugelas (see the bottle on the far right), we were invited to a wine tasting with winemaker Christian Mignard at his home in Siran, outside of Cesseras. Knowing how Americans love their nicknames, he referred to himself as “Chris”, pronounced with his French accent like “crease”.

We had a hard time finding the place, and had almost given up when Christian came out of his house and motioned us up the driveway. We had a fun barrel-tasting (see the photo in the photo above) and bought several bottles of his 2003 “Les Trois Cloches”, many of which he autographed. This was a Minervois La Liviniere, a blend of Syrah, old Grenache and Carignan, the latter from hundred-year-old vines. While the label said the wine can be put down for up to six years, this 14-year-old was a beauty, still with ruby-red color, ripe tannins, delightful Minervois earthiness, and the ever-present garrigue. We enjoyed it on New Year’s Eve, with rabbit confit, roasted brussels sprouts, and potatoes.

Wow, what a wine! 2012 Isenhower Dutchman Vineyard Syrah – Yakima Valley

I just opened this beauty, and ran to my Mac – this is a great wine! Earthy and rich, with a spectacular nose, this is a Syrah for the ages. I was an Isenhower club member for years prior to my industry days, and love their wines for their variety and price point…but this one challenges those that cost more than twice as much. I also appreciate Isenhower’s approach to winemaking: sustainable practices, no capsules, recycled paper labels, and their old world style, with native yeast and whole cluster fermentation. Not to mention that Brett and Denise are super nice people.

Plan de Dieu: an AOC gaining recognition

Established in 2005 as a new Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC, Plan de Dieu must be at least 50% Grenache, blended with a minimum of 20% Mourvèdre and Syrah. These wines have a lush, concentrated nose, with notes of red fruit, and the ever-present garrigue. We met Hugues Meffre in 2014: he was instrumental in establishing this AOC, and is now co-president of Le Syndicat Intercommunal des Vignerons du Plan de Dieu.

 

A big wine; a big surprise!

 

The biggest surprise (well, wine-wise…we had lots of other surprises…but I digress) we got during our recent trip to France was a 2014 Carignan from Domaine La Tasque, which was a generous gift from our great Parisian friends, Barrie and Jennifer. Though I’d had Carignan in blends before, I’d never had a Carignan varietal. Carignan is a grape that has historically been a bit disparaged, but because it came highly recommended, we went at it with an open mind.

Wow! This. Was. A. Big. Wine. Clearly aged on lots of new oak, it had notes of dark chocolate, black cherry, and crushed mineral. Silky tannins gave way to a long, smooth finish. I have no idea whether this is available in the U.S., but even if not, I’ll always have the memory.

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Our Chelan Favorite: Cairdeas

Cairdeas-logoEarlier this Spring, Susan and I took a trip to Lake Chelan, where we visited our favorite Chelan winery, Cairdeas. They specialize in Rhone wines (whites and reds) and even make their own version of a Chateauneuf du Pape. Check them out here.

A Tavel rosé!

Tavel

This 2016 Reserve des Chastelles was a delightful rosé, from the only Rhone AOC that makes only rosés. It was a blend of the flagship Tavel varieties: Grenache and Cinsault (60% and 20%, respectively), with another 20% of Syrah. True to Tavel form, there was reasonable structure and body present, but never overwhelming, like rosés made from Bordeaux grapes can be.