Wine Review: Domaine Ledogar La Compagnon Corbières 2015

March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!

This month I'm taking a tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France from the comfort of my own home! I've got ten wines from the region; six from Roussillon and four from Languedoc. As you probably know, it's been rather difficult to keep this blog going lately so these reviews will be short and sweet.

Next stop is Corbières! Corbières is the largest region in not only the Languedoc but the entire Languedoc-Roussillon, and it accounts for 45% of its AOC production. It borders the north of Roussillon and, because of its size, has many different soils and microclimates. At least two varieties must be in a Corbières red wine, and your choices are a minimum of 50% Grenache, Lledoner Pelut, Mourvèdre and/or Syrah, then maximum of 20% Carignan, Picquepoul noir, and/or Terret noir, and then you can add no more than 20% Cinsaut or 10% Grenache gris if you like.

The La Compagnon Corbières 2015 is 60% Grenache and 10% Syrah that were fermented alone, and a 30% combo of Carignan and Mourvèdre fermented together. The vines are on clay limestone, sandstone and red clay at the edge of a pine forest. The final wine is organic and biodynamic, and has an ABV of 14%.

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Wine Reviews: Best of Winter 2017/18!

Today is the first day of Spring, so here's the best of the wines that I reviewed for the Winter season!

#5. Jenny Dawn Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Chardonay 2016

Region: Sta. Rite Hills, California / Wichita, Kansas
Review Release: January 4th, 2018

The color of the wine is a pale yellow with silvery edges. The nose has a chalky minerality over aromas of white flowers, green apples, lime, canned pear juice, and juniper berry. It's medium bodied, surprisingly creamy on the midpalate mouthfeel, and has a mouth-watering acidity. There's flavors of green apple, lime, lemon, and pink grapefruit. It finishes crisp and tart and tastes like you just finished a tonic squeezed with lime and grapefruit.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $40
Rating: 4.5/5 = Recommended / Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#4. Cesari Mara Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2015

Region: Veneto, Italy
Review Release: February 1st, 2018 (February Wine Pick)

The color of the wine is a dark ruby red. On the nose there's aromas of juicy black cherries, cranberries, vanilla, hot cinnamon, and black licorice. On the palate it's medium bodied and ridiculously soft and lush in mouthfeel, with dusty tannin and just a little pep to its acidity. There's flavors of black cherries, cranberries, raisins, sweet tobacco, hot cinnamon, and black licorice. It finishes with that dusty tannin and flavors of cranberries and hot cinnamon.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $20

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#3. Merotto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG "Colbelo" Extra Dry

Region: Veneto, Italy

Review Release: January 1st, 2018 (January Wine Pick)

Moretto's "Colbelo" Extra Dry is a Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG made from 100% Glera, and I was taken aback by how delicious it was when I had it at a tasting. The inviting breadiness and nuttiness on the nose reeled me in, as I was not expecting that kind of profile at all. There's also aromas of yellow pears, green apples, and white flowers. On the palate it's full bodied with an acidity that's very well behaved and balanced. For flavors it's a bowlful of mellow fruit like yellow pears, honeydew melon, and canteloupe, getting an uplifting brightness from tart green apples.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $17

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#2. Bodega Ontañón Rioja Reserva 2005

Region: Rioja, Spain
Review Release: December 21st, 2018

The color of the wine is a purplish red. There's aromas of cherries, vanilla, cocoa powder, and various spices. It's medium bodied and ridiculously smooth in mouthfeel, although the tannin does still have a little grip, and a very well balanced acidity. There's flavors of black cherries, plums, chocolate, tobacco, and leather. The wine closes out with a long lasting, very satisfying finish of black cherries and leather.

It has elegance and charm. It has a laid back, relaxing personality. It's twelve years old and it could go another ten. It's only $24. It's freaking amazing for $24. It's without a doubt Highly Recommended.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $24

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#1. Domaine de l'Étoile Banyuls Grand Cru 2000

Region: Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Review Release: March 15th, 2018

The color of the wine is garnet, and like the Crianza it's pretty transparent. The nose is so toasty! I love it! I mean, I don't even think I want to drink this. I just wanna smell it. Can we make this a fragrance? Or a candle? The toasty oak is just so captivating, and that's joined by violets, wild berries, licorice, sticky fresh herbs, and vanilla. I'm already in love with this wine before I even taste it.

On the palate it's medium bodied with perfectly balanced tannin and acidity, but carrying an ethanol burn. There's flavors of cherries, blackberries, licorice, vanilla, and leather. It finishes boozy and with flavors of blackberries and leather.

Oh, fuck yes. This is awesome. Snatch it up!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $28

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

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Wine Review: Saint-Peyre Picpoul de Pinet 2016

March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!

This month I'm taking a tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France from the comfort of my own home! I've got ten wines from the region; six from Roussillon and four from Languedoc. As you probably know, it's been rather difficult to keep this blog going lately so these reviews will be short and sweet.

And so we finally leave Roussillon and head over to Languedoc for the remainder of the month. Picpoul de Pinet is an AOC that surrounds the small village of Pinet near the Étang de Thau (a series of lagoons along the Mediterranean) and produces crisp white wines from the Piquepoul (aka Picpoul) grape variety, thus the name "Picpoul of Pinet". Generally you do not want a Picpoul de Pinet more than two vintages old, or three vintages at most, because they're meant to be consumed young and fresh. It's the spring of 2018 so I have here the latest vintage of Saint-Peyre's Picpoul de Pinet.

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Wine Review: Domaine de l'Étoile Banyuls Grand Cru 2000

March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!

This month I'm taking a tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France from the comfort of my own home! I've got ten wines from the region; six from Roussillon and four from Languedoc. As you probably know, it's been rather difficult to keep this blog going lately so these reviews will be short and sweet.

This is the second and final Banyuls that I'm reviewing this month, the first being Gérard Bertrand Banyuls 2013. Banyuls is an AOC on the slopes of the Catalan Pyrenees by the Mediterranean sea. The wine bearing its name is what the French call Vin Doux Naturel ("naturally sweet wine"), and Banyuls in particular is a Port-like red dessert wine from the Grenache grape variety. The wine is partially fermented and then cut off by the addition of grape brandy. This makes a sweet, raisiny, high-alcohol wine that I find to be just gorgeous.

I'm assuming l'Étoile is pronounced La Toil, like toil and trouble. You may have noticed that the vintage for this wine is 2000. It's almost Spring of 2018 so here we go with a 17-going-on-18-year-old Banyuls! I'm excited! Although sort of depressed because I was 20 when these grapes were harvested. Damn...

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50 Shades of.... ew!

Is SBSM (spitbucket sadomasochism) a thing?

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Wine Review: Gérard Bertrand Côtes du Roussillon Villages Grand Terroir Tautavel 2013

March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!

This month I'm taking a tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France from the comfort of my own home! I've got ten wines from the region; six from Roussillon and four from Languedoc. As you probably know, it's been rather difficult to keep this blog going lately so these reviews will be short and sweet.

Gerard Bertrand founded his company in 1992 with the purchase of Domaine Cigalus and Château LavilleBertrou. He now owns a heck of a lot of land throughout the different regions of the Languedoc, producing a ton of different wines specifically designed to represent the traditional wines of those places. I've already reviewed his 2013 Banyuls this month, and this one is from Tautavel.

Tautavel is a commune that is one of the villages for Côtes du Roussillon Villages, and allowed to distinguish itself as Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel. It's within the Catalanes IGP from the last review (Domaine Roc Des Anges Côtes Catalanes IGP "L'effet Papillon" Grenache Blanc 2015). Tautavel is also where one of the oldest humanid remains were found, a subspecies of Homo erectus, known as Tautavel Man.

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Wine Review: Domaine Roc Des Anges Côtes Catalanes IGP "L'effet Papillon" Grenache Blanc 2015

March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!

This month I'm taking a tour of the  Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France from the comfort of my own home! I've got ten wines from the region; six from Roussillon and four from Languedoc. As you probably know, it's been rather difficult to keep this blog going lately so these reviews will be short and sweet

Woof! That's a long name, huh? Let's break it down. Domaine Roc Des Anges is the winery, Côtes Catalanes IGP is the region, L'effet Papillon is the label, and Grenache Blanc is the grape. Côtes Catalanes borders Spain with its vineyards on the eastern slopes of the Pyrenees mountains, facing the Mediterranean. The breeze from the sea cools the grapes during the hot summer days, and the breeze from the mountains also cool the grapes at night. Within this IGP are the AOC regions of Cotes du Roussillon, Banyuls, and Collioure, which we've already explored this month with M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon-Villages 2016, Gérard Bertrand Banyuls 2013, and Domaine La Tour Vieille Collioure La Pinède 2015.

Now, without further ado, let's review the first white wine of the month!

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Wine Review: M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon-Villages 2016

March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!

This month I'm taking a tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France from the comfort of my own home! I've got ten wines from the region; six from Roussillon and four from Languedoc. As you probably know, it's been rather difficult to keep this blog going lately so these reviews will be short and sweet.

Today's wine is from the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages AOC. So... there's the sans-Villages "Côtes du Roussillon AOC" that covers the whole region of Roussillon. This means it's AOC level wine, with stricter rules and generally better quality than Vin de Pays / IGT, and it can be from anywhere in the Roussillon. It can be blended from several subregions, or it can be from one specific subregion but follow the rules of the Côtes du Roussillon AOC and not the more specific region it comes from. The "Côtes du Roussillon-Villages AOC" is a subregion of the Côtes du Roussillon AOC, and it's in the northern half of the Roussillon. These villages are in the valley of the Agly River, with the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages AOC vineyards planted on the best slopes.

You have to use three varieties of grapes at the very least to make a red Côtes du Roussillon-Villages AOC, and you only have five to chose from. You can use a maximum of 60% with Carignon, a minimum of 30% with Mourvèdre and/or Syrah combined, and then the rest can be either Grenache or Lladoner. M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut 2016 is 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 10% Carignon. It has a 14.5% ABV.

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Wine Review: Domaine La Tour Vieille Collioure La Pinède 2015

March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!

This month I'm taking a tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France from the comfort of my own home! I've got ten wines from the region; six from Roussillon and four from Languedoc. As you probably know, it's been rather difficult to keep this blog going lately so these reviews will be short and sweet. As the month progresses I hope to find a format that allows me to write entertaining reviews that's unique from other writers while also not taking up entire nights. So bear with me.

Tonight my taste buds are taking a trip to the Collioure AOC of Roussillon, right on the Mediterranean coast. This is as far southeast as you can get in Roussillon, and is actually within the Banyuls AOC (Gérard Bertrand Banyuls 2013 is my pick of the month). The days are hot and dry in Coullioure, and the wind from the mountains cool the grapes at night. The red wines are allowed to use Grenache noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsaut, while the whites can use Grenache blanc and Grenache gris.

Domaine La Tour Vieille Collioure La Pinède 2015 is 75% Grenache noir and 25% Carignan. I cannot find any information on the viticulture or winemaking involved, but it does have a 14.5% ABV.

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March Wine Pick: Gérard Bertrand Banyuls 2013

March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Gerard Bertrand founded his company in 1992 with the purchase of Domaine Cigalus and Château LavilleBertrou. He now owns a heck of a lot of land throughout the different regions of the Languedoc, producing a ton of different wines specifically designed to represent the traditional wines of those places. The Languedoc is in southern France, along the Mediterranean.

This offering from Bertrand is a Banyuls; a Port-like dessert wine mainly made from the Grenache grape variety. The wine is partially fermented, and then cut off by the addition of grape brandy. This makes a sweet, raisiny, high-alcohol wine that I find to be just gorgeous.

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