The 2012 Robert Kacher Spring Portfolio Tasting: Rhone and Languedoc

I love the wines of the Rhone and Languedoc-Roussillon so I eagerly started in on this part of the portfolio tasting.  My two favorite wines were easily the 2009 Jamet, Cote-Rotie and the 2010 Les Cailloux, Centenniere, Chateauneuf du Pape.  The Jamet was a complete and self-confident wine, absolutely beautiful.  The Les Cailloux was at the other end of the spectrum with power and concentration to its incredible array of flavors, yet it was not overwhelming.  At the more affordable end of things you cannot go wrong with any of the four wines from Chateau d’Or et de Gueules for they will make you and your friends smile.

Michel & Stephane Ogier

The Le Temps Este Venue is well-done for a Cotes du Rhone Villages.  In general I felt the 2010 wines showed well with the 2009 quite tight.

2010 Ogier, Condrieu
The fourth vintage of this 100% Viognier wine is produced from a one hectare vineyard.  The light nose was similar to the mouth with its flavors of young, white peach supported by fresh acidity.  There was some structure and a touch of ripeness.

2010 Ogier, Cotes du Rhone Villages, Le Temps Est Venue
This wine is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah sourced from the Plan de Dieu.  The nose was perfumed with violets and blacker fruit.  In the mouth the ripe fruit was chewy with fine, chewy tannins.  Young and good.

2010 Ogier, VdP Collines Rhodaniennes, La Rosine
This wine is 100% Syrah aged for 14 months in 10% new oak casks.  The nose was very perfumed.  In the mouth the flavors were restrained with the perfume note following through.  A tighter wine with black fruit in the aftertaste along with fine+ tannins.

2009 Ogier, Saint-Joseph
This played it tight.  Black and red fruit with a subtle roundness, drying perfumed tannins.  I had a hard time reading this wine.

2009 Ogier, Cote-Rotie
This wine is 100% Syrah sourced from three hectares of vineyards.  This had a subtle ripe nose.  In the mouth there was good perfumed red fruit showing presence and pleasing mouthfeel.

Chateau d’Or et de Gueules

All four of these wines were great fun to taste for they are engaging and satisfying to drink with their juicy fruit.  I do like old-vine Carignan for I find a unique perfume in the flavors that is so appealing.  But I must admit a preference for the old-vine Mourvedre.

Diane de Puymorin, Chateau d’Or et de Gueules

2010 Chateau d’Or et de Gueules, Costieres de Nimes, Les Cimels
This wine is a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Carignan, and 10% Grenache which was aged in cement tank for two years.  There was a good fruity nose with perfume and delicate aromas.  In the mouth the initial flavors were ripe and powdery as old-school perfume came out with drying tannins.  This has a nice personality.  Drink over the short-term.

2010 Chateau d’Or et de Gueules, Costieres de Nimes, Trassegum
This wine is a blend of 50% Syrah, 25% Carignan, and 25% Mourvedre which was aged for one year in French barrels and one year in tank.  The perfumed nose was a touch darker.  Again there is a good ripe start then racy black fruit with pleasing mouthfeel.  The flavors mixed with spicy, tannins and chewy, lovely flavors throughout.  Will age for five to ten years but fun to drink now.

2010 Chateau d’Or et de Gueules, Costieres de Nimes, Que’es Aquo
This wine is 100% Carignan sourced from 80-year-old vines which was aged for six months in three-year old barrels.  The light+ nose bore beautiful perfume.  In the mouth the focused black and red fruit mixed with a haunting old perfume and a touch spicy tannin.  There is gentleness to this wine.  I would drink this over the short-term.

2008 Chateau d’Or et de Gueules, Costieres de Nimes, La Bolida
This wine is a blend of 90% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache which was aged for 18 months in French oak.  the Mourvedre is sourced from 90-year-old vines.  The Mourvedre nose stood out with its perfumed red fruit which mixed with an old style grapefruit note (Kirsch).  The mouth followed with racy flavors, good concentration, rustic, almost hot, chewy, powerful coating tannins.  Strapping, drink over the next decade.

Domaine Jamet

It took one smell of my glass of 2009 Cote-Rotie to know I needed to drink and not spit this wine.  It was engaging, complex, and complete.  It caused me to focus and ignore all that was around.

2010 Domaine Jamet, Cotes du Rhone Blanc
This wine is a blend of 60% Marsanne 30% Viognier, and 10% Rousanne.  There was a subtle nose.  In the mouth the flavors were mouthfilling with a soft, slightly tart profile, a snappy apple-like focus, and touch of spice in the finish.

2009 Domaine Jamet, Cote-Rotie
This wine is 100% Syrah sourced from 25-50 year old vines then aged for almost two years in mostly casks of which 25% is new.  The lovely nose was effortless in its depth.  In the mouth this beautiful wine had great texture, red perfumed fruit, integrated acidity, a little pencil note, quiet concentration, and was simply easy to drink.  Arresting.

Domaine Les Cailloux

This was an enjoyable trio of wines.  I rather liked the Blanc.  The regular Chateauneuf du Pape is powerful stuff but the Centenniere manages to harness the power and deliver a confident variety of flavors.

2011 Domaine Les Cailloux, Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc
This wine is a blend of 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache Blanc, and 10% Clairette which was aged 4-6 months in vat.  There was a good nose of perfumed mixed berries.  In the mouth there was lots of focus and verve to the ripe fruit which bore rather appealing spice with an easy to drink personality.

2010 Domaine Les Cailloux, Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge
This wine is a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah, and 3% other grapes sourced from vines averaging 60 years of age.  Aging is for 15-20 months with the Grenache in foudres and used barrels with the Syrah and Mourvedre in demi-muids.  The Mourvedre in the wine jumped out of the nose.  In the mouth the flavors were ripe and lively on the tongue, mouthfilling, chewy, spicy, with power and concentration.  It was quite expansive in the mouth.  The tannins were strong but integrated.  Big stuff, cellar for five years then drink over the next 15 years.

2010 Domaine Les Cailloux, Centenniere, Chateauneuf du Pape
This wine is roughly a blend of 80% Grenache, 12% Mourvedre and 8% Syrah sourced from 100+ year old vines.  Produced only in good years the Grenache is aged in tank with the Syrah and Mourvedre in used barrels.  The nose was tight but in the mouth there were very pure flavors delivered with power and raciness throughout.  The amazing fruit was black and perfumed, with lovely flavors, minerals sweeter towards the finish, and an enjoyable spicy Mourvedre note.  There was a long-lasting aftertaste.  This should last for a few decades!

Lou Taking Notes

Domaine Andre Brunel

2010 Andre Brunel, Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge
This wine is a blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, and 10% Syrah.  The lighter textured nose made was to decent, powdery red fruit in the mouth.  Approachable now and should provide early drinking.

Domaine Font de Michelle

2011 Domaine Font de Michelle, Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc
This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 25% Clairette, 20% Roussanne, and 5% Bourboulenc sourced from 40-year-old vines.  It was aged 6-8 months in stainless steel tank and new oak barrels.  The nose had leaner, brighter fruit.  In the mouth the flavors started with brightness then rounded out with creamy apple note, tartness, and some wood.

2010 Domaine Font de Michelle, Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge
This wine is a blend of 70% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, and 10% Cinsault, Counoise, Terret Noir, and Muscardin aged in foudre and barriques before tank.  This had a light, simpler nose of red, grapey fruit.  In the mouth the red fruit had some depth, a little muscle, but was overall light in personality.

Domaine Santa Duc

I am a big fan of Domaine Santa Duc so it was good fun to taste through a range from the 2009 vintage.  In general these were tight, muscular wines with a fair dose of tannins.  You should cellar all of these.

2009 Domaine Santa Duc, Cotes du Rhone, Vieilles Vignes
This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, and 10% Cinsault, Counoise, and Carignan sourced from roughly 50 year old vines.  It was aged on the lees in vats.  There was a Mourvedre like nose.  In the mouth the tight stony fruit started off spicy with lots of structure and fine tannins.  Everything is in balance but this needs several years of age.

2009 Domaine Santa Duc, Cotes du Rhone, Les Quatre Terres
This wine is a blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 5% Carignan and Cinsault sourced from Vacqueryas, Roaix, Seguret, and Rasteau.  The nose was still tight with aromas of brambly fruit.  In the mouth there was ripe, stoney, structured fruit which was a touch spicy with black fruit in the finish.  The drying tannins were citrus-like.  This really needs some age for the tannins to resolve.

2009 Domaine Santa Duc, Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau, Les Blovac
This wine is a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% syrah, and 10% Mourvedre sourced from the old vine parcel of Les Blovac.  The nose was a touch more tooty-fruity with its red aromas. In the mouth the flavors taste traditional with red fruit, structure, good acidity, and a hint of Mourvedre personality.  I would cellar this for three years.

2009 Domaine Santa Duc, Vacqueyras, Les Aubres
This wine is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah sourced from Les Aubes and La Ponche.  It was aged on the lees for 18 months in cask.  This wine had lurking power with its brambly fruit.  There was good restraint, tight structure, tasty flavors, and fine drying citrus-like tannins before the perfumed aftertaste.  I would cellar this three to five years.

2009 Domaine Santa Duc, Gigondas, Les Garancieres
This wine is a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre sourced from old vines.  It was aged half in old wooden vats and half on the lees in tank.  The nose was a bit earthy as it stood out.  In the mouth the muscular red fruit existed in a muscular frame but still managed delicate red notes.  There were very fine powerful tannins.  I would try this again after five years.

Two Wines from Hecht & Bannier

Hecht & Bannier are a negociant which has specialized in the red wines of Southern France since 2002.  They select only wine that has completed fermentation which they bring back to their facility for blending and aging.  Since they do not maintain contracts they may freely change their sources on an annual basis.  The cuvees are typically a blend of 5-10 sources.  For aging they prefer to use larger barrels blended with some tank aged wine to preserve the fruit.

The 2007 vintages of Hect & Bannier, Minervois and Cotes du Roussillon Villages were rock-star wines in two ways: the Minervois was flat-out incredible but the Cotes du Roussillon Villages combined the generosity of the vintage with the warmth of Roussillon to produce a wine turned up to 11.  These new selections are quite different.  The 2008 Minervois omits the Mourvedre that was in the 2007 which I sorely miss in this vintage.  It is a good wine with nice dried-herb notes but it failed to excite me.  The 2009 Cotes du Roussillon Villages adds some Lledoner Pelut in a style that showcases restraint and structure for aging.  I quite like it and recommend you cellar a few bottles.  These wines are currently available at MacArthur Beverages.

2008 Hecht & Bannier, Minervois – $17
Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons.  This wine is mainly Syrah followed by Grenache and “[s]ome drops of Carignan.”  It was aged 30% in tank, 30% in 225L barrels, 20% in demi-muids,  and 20% in 400L barrels.  The nose was bright with tart red fruit.  In the mouth the flavors start with red fruit mixed with dried herbs.  With air the flavors become moderately expansive before they mix with a fair amount of acidity and some tannins. This needs a year or two to come together.  ** 2014-2017.

2009 Hecht & Bannier, Cotes du Roussillon Villages – $22
Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons.  This wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Lledoner Pelut.  It was aged 40% in demi-muids, 30% in tank, and 30% in stock vat.  There is a light nose of black fruit.  In the mouth the blacker fruit has a cool aspect, restrained ripeness yet shows good depth.  With air bit of minerals come out, some ink, and garrigue in the finish.  With air a tea note develops along with subtle spices and lipstick, with a touch of spiciness in the finish along with glimmer of heat.  Give this wine a few years to settle down.  *** 2014-2019.

An Older-Wine Dinner at Joan’s House

Joan has been a lover of fine wine for quite some time. She has bought a variety of wines over the years both from local stores and also on national and international wine trips. She has held on to particular bottles which she likes to bring out once they are mature. Joan recently hosted a dinner so that she could open the 1992 and 1993 Beringer, Private Reserve. The wines this evening were lovely. With the exception of the completely faded fruit of the Veedercrest all of the bottles were in great shape and developed throughout the course of the evening. My thanks go out to Joan for hosting an evening of wonderful food and wine.

2010 Domaine du Pas de l’Escalette, Les clapas Blanc, VdP de l’Herault
Imported by Elite Wines. This a blend of 40% Carignan Blanc, 30% Granache Blanc, and 30% Terret Bourret. Though a lighter color in the glass the nose was medium strength with focused aromas of white flowers and stones. This medium bodied wine offered lemon flavors with plenty of stone notes, tilting towards a tart profile with green apple flavors. This was a fresh wine that is young and will benefit from short-term cellaring. If you must drink it now then decant it for one to two hours. *** 2015-2019.

2009 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Les Caillerets, Chassagne Montracher 1er Cru
Imported by MacArthur Beverages. Two-thirds of the fruit is sourced from 60-year-old vines with the remaining third from 20-year-old vines. The nose was young with a subtle ripeness of fruit mixed with flint. The gentle texture bore apple-like tart fruit which developed lifted flavors of flint as the wine breathed. There were some toast notes in the finish. This tight wine slowly developed before the bottle was finished, this definitely requires cellaring before it will reveal its full personality. **(**) 2017-2022.

Opening the red wines

After the Bouillabaise we moved onto the red wines. Joan cooked braised short-ribs accompanied by roasted Brussel sprouts and root vegetables. The Veedercrest and Beringers had been stood up a day or two ahead and opened shortly before being poured. The Judd’s Hill had been double-decanted to remove sediment thus had four to five hours of air.

Corks from the 1974 Veedercrest and 1993 Beringer

I did not start with the best luck in removing the corks. The Judd’s Hill cork crumbled in two using a waiter’s corkscrew and the 1992 Beringer cork got stuck. So I switched to my poor-man’s Durand corkscrew composed of the worm from a Screwpull and an Ah-So. This worked wonders with the Beringer corks. The Veedercrest cork did not want to come out so at Lou’s advice I put the bottle on the floor between my feet. After some concentrated tugging and twisting it finally came free!

1974 Veedercrest Vineyards, Petite Sirah, Cask YUG 77 Batch 2, Sonoma County
This was a vibrant medium garnet color. The musky nose was animale with dark fruit notes. Eventually the musk blew off to reveal a nose of old wood. The flavors were light in the mouth, still a little acidity to keep things going. The fruit had faded way leaving old sweet wood notes. * Now.

1992 Beringer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Private Reserve, Napa Valley
This is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from 57% Bancroft Ranch, 21% State Lane, 14% St. Helena Home, and 5% Chabot along with Cabernet Franc from Bancroft. Each vineyard was aged for two years in new French oak before blending. This was a medium garnet color. The nose was medium strength with aromas of meat stew, a little roast, and Hoison sauce (or was it sweet soy sauce?). The complex flavors were very expansive at the start before a midpalate of tart red and black fruit flavors. With air the roast veggies and soy/Hoison sauce remained but the fruit became riper and balanced everything out. **** Now-2017.

1993 Beringer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Private Reserve, Napa Valley
This is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from 62% Bancroft Ranch, 24% St. Helena Home, and 11% Tre Colline along with 2% Cabernet Franc from Bancroft and 1% Cabernet Franc from Tre Colline. Each vineyard was aged for two years in new French oak before blending. The nose was subtler than the 1992 with the fruit more primary and aromas of herbs. In the mouth the youthful flavors were subtler, a little chewy as they were mixed with grapey tannins. There was a lovely cedar box component in the tart and gritty finish. **** Now-2019.

1997 Judd’s Hill, Cabernet Sauvignon
This is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Compared to the Beringers the nose was simpler with riper fruit and tobacco with the aromas becoming delineated with air. In the mouth the youthful and tight flavors were of tart red fruit, tobacco, and cedar. But over the evening it started to open up very well. This is a lovely wine just hinting at maturity and will undoubtedly develop for many years to come. ***(*) 2015-2025.

After the red wines we moved onto a trio of desserts made by Joan’s friend Patty. To accompany the fruit tart, rice pudding, and apple cobbler Joan offered a selection of dessert wines with Lou picking one from the Loire. Located within the Coteaux du Layon the village of Chaume sets its own requirements which include a significantly higher minimum level of sugar from grapes that must be affected by botrytis (noble rot) or passerillage (drying of the grapes by the sun). Joan used to drink quite a few wines from Chaume with this particular bottle purchased for $23 from MacArthur Beverages some years ago. After trying this bottle I am kicking myself for being content to read about these sweet wines made from Chenin Blanc instead of actually drinking them!

1997 Domaine Cady, Coteaux du Layon Chaume
Imported by Vintner Select. There was a woodsy amber color. This was fun to smell with aromas of maderized pear and apple that opened up rapidly. In the mouth the flavors were well-perfumed with lots of residual sugar but good acidity, plenty of sweet spices, flavors of apricot, and an unctuous caramelized apple-cinnamon and sugar vein. Incredibly tasty and enjoyed by all. **** Now-2025.

Lou, Joan, and the Author

Revisiting the 2008 Mas Conscience, Les Cas

I first tried a bottle of the Mas Conscience, Les Cas back in April 2011 at which point I found my bottle underwhelming.  Phil recently received more inventory at MacArthur Beverages so I decided to try it again.  This bottle showed much better with interesting potential.  This old-vine Carignan is slowly evolving so it  is a good candidate for cellaring.  If you have patience then squirrel a few bottles away in your cellar.  In the mean time, if you need some old-vine Carignan to drink while this cellars than grab the 2007 l’Argentier, Carignan, Vieilles Vignes.

2008 Mas Conscience, Les Cas, VdP l’Herault – $18
Imported by Vintage ’59.  This wine is 100% Carignan sourced from a six acre vineyard of 50 year old vines then fermented and aged in cement vat.  The nose reveals hard red fruit with a touch of floral aromas.  In the mouth the black fruits are driven by a fair amount of salivating acidity.  While the immediate flavors contain stones there is dried potpurri in the aftertaste.  I would give this at least another two years before trying again.  Drink 2014-2020.

The Lovely 2010 Chateau Coupe Roses, La Bastide

It has been a particularly busy and tiring week so last night I just wanted an honest and interesting wine.  Upon pouring a glass my nose was immediately engaged with my mouth quickly confirming that this wine was delightful.  The Cuvee La Bastide is the introductory cuvee of the four red wines produced by Chateau Coupe Roses.  For those curious, you may find some background information in my review of the 2009 Cuvee Vignals.  I highly recommend that you purchase a few bottles this weekend.  I suspect a glass at lunchtime might make you smile.  Available for $13 at MacArthur Beverages this is a lovely value imported by Roy Cloud.

2010 Chateau Coupe Roses, La Bastide, Minervois – $13
Imported by Vintage ’59 Imports.  This wine is a rough blend of 47% Carignan, 47% Grenache, and 5% Syrah that was tank raised.  There is a medium strength nose of gritty fruit and floral notes evocative of the countryside.  In the mouth there is a darkness to the blue fruit which has lovely sweet spice, a pepper and cinnamon component reminiscent of “Big Red”, and powdery tannins.  With air the nose becomes quite floral with tropical aromas and perfumed flavors in the mouth.  This good wine drinks well now (give it an hour of air) or over the next five years.

The Textured 2010 Clos des Fees, Grenache Blanc, Vieilles Vignes

Photo de Vendanges 2011, Image from Clos des Fees

Herve Bizeul of Clos des Fees kindly provided many images for me to include in this post.  I have selected three images of the Grenache Blanc to include and will provide the other images in a subsequent post.

Grenache Blanc, Image from Clos des Fees

While I have been drinking the wines of Clos des Fees for several vintages I have never tried the Grenache Blanc.  Recommended by Phil at MacArthurs I opened a bottle earlier this week.  I was immediatedly excited by my first sip.  Beyond the flavors and mouthfeel, there is an engaging texture to the finish that persists in the aftertaste.  This should not be drunk at refridgerator temperature for too much is muted.  Let the bottle or glass warm up.  I suspect this wine will improve over the next year.  Whether you drink this now or next year, you will be pleased for this is a unique wine at an a reasonable price.  Give a bottle a go!

Grenache Blanc, Image from Clos des Fees

The Grenache Blanc, Vieilles Vignes is produced from fruit sourced from a 2.5 hectare plot that contains vines over 100 years old and old vines of Grenache Gris from plots known as grains meles.  The Grenache Blanc is fermented in stainless steel tanks where as the Grenach Gris is fermented in two-year old barrels.  After malolactic fermentation the wine is matured on the lees for eight months.

2010 Domaine du Clos des Fees, Grenache Blanc, Vieilles Vignes, VdP Cotes Catalanes - $27
Imported by Simon “N” Cellars.  This wine is a blend of 90% Grenache Blanc and 10% Grenache Gris   The wine is a light straw color.  The flavors are round in the mouth with sweeter tropical fruits at first followed by a broad swathe of acidity.  The young, white peach flavors are almost tart.  Things warm up in the finish where sweet, spiced tannins dry on the lips with flavors persisting for a long time in the aftertaste.  A very good, interesting wine. Though quite drinkable now it might benefit from 6-12 months of age.

Three Tasty Wines For the Weekend

Terre Blanches, Image from Borie La Vitarele

I do not normally post five tasting notes in one day but I felt compelled to publish a second post.  We greatly enjoyed these three selections and I strongly recommend you consider purchasing these wines during your weekend wine shopping.  It has been a couple of years since we drank many bottles of the 2007 Borie La Vitarele so I am glad to see that the 2009 is just as good.  The Domaine du Pas De L’Escalette provides a second excellent vintage of Les Petit Pas.  This 2010 vintage is more floral and peppery whereas the 2009 was inky and gritty.

Vineyard, Image from Quinta do Crasto

Of these three wines I am most excited about the Quinta do Crasto.  Like the 2009 Duorum, Colheita there is such a lovely mixture of floral and berry notes on the nose.  Combining a sense of the Douro, enjoyment, and strong price you should try this along with the Duorum.  I hope that MacArthurs searches for more of these lovely Portuguese wines.

2009 Borie La Vitarele, Les Terres Blanches, Saint-Chinian – $15
Imported by Bacchus Importers.  This wine is a blend of 45% Grenache, 45% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre.  The wine was aged for 12 months in oak barrels and tanks.  There is a fruity, youthful nose.  In the mouth there are flavors of cool fruit, stones, fine+ tannins, and a little spicy finish.  With air the high-toned red fruit mixed with hard blue fruit, showing subtle ripeness and raspberry flavors in the finish.  Slow to unveil it ultimately reveals a somewhat juicy and inky personality.  I would cellar this for a few years before drink but if you try it now give it 2-3 hours of air.

2010 Domaine du Pas De L’Escalette, Les Petit Pas, Coteaux du Languedoc – $15
Imported by Elite Wines.  This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan.  This wine has a light nose with pure floral and pepper notes.  In the mouth the delicate red berries are fresh, gentle and ride on a medium beam of acidity.  There is mild back-end sweetness.  On the second night the wine puts on some weight and the pepper component is stronger.  This could stand a year in the cellar before drinking over the short-term.

2009 Quinta do Crasto, Douro – $15
Imported by Broadbent Selections.  This wine is a blend of 35% Tinta Roriz, 25% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Franca, and 15% Touriga Nacional source from 20-year-old vines.  The wine was aged in stainless steel.  There is a light to medium strength nose of an attractive mixture of flowers and fresh berries.  In the mouth flavors of black pencil lead and low-lying sweet fruit are medium in weight with a great salinity.  This chewy wine has salivating acidity.  With air the nose becomes firmly medium-strength with Jenn finding a clean aroma of “oranges.”  I would drink this now or over the next five years.  Quite lovely.

Three Selections From the Rhone

These three wines were originally drunk a month or so ago.  I forgot we had tasted Reserve Saint Dominique and Domaine Pelaquie  so I recently purchased them again. Though I try to drink as diversely as possible, I certainly do drink additional bottles which are particularly enjoyable.  My tasting notes are typically revised over two nights so trying another bottle helps account for bottle variations.  I am a big fan of La Bastide Saint Dominique with a particular soft spot for the Cuvee Jules Rochebonne and Les Argiles Rouge but we did not enjoy this 2010 Vacqueyras.  In searching this blog I realize I have not yet posted on the 2007 vintages of Cuvee Jules Rochebonne and Les Argiles Rouge, I will do so this week, I have loved each and every bottle we have drunk.  The 2010 Domaine Pelaquie is a solid buy, there is good vigor for a cold winter’s night but also the ability to develop for a few years.    Having now drunk three selections from Hecht & Bannier from the 2007 vintage, I find that the 2007 Hecht & Bannier, Minervois hits a sweet spot in terms of aroma, flavor, and price.  While the this Languedoc will remind you of sunny southern-France it is best to spend the extra $5 on the Minervois.

2010 Reserve Saint Dominique, Vacqueyras – $18
Imported by Simon “N” Cellars. There is a subtle, youthful nose with underlying hints of blackberries and some sweet, blackcurrant. There are black and red fruit flavors, some creamy character, and  a large amount of fine, very drying tannins.  Lots of acidity. There were some berry and floral flavors in the aftertaste.   Plain and boring on the second night with tart fruit.  In the end, this remained restrained in flavors and heavily tannic.  It certainly needs several years of age.

2010 Domaine Pelaquie, Lirac – $15
Imported by Oslo Enterprise.  This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Mourvedre sourced from 25-year-old vines.  There is a light grapey nose with delicate berries.  In the mouth the hard red fruit mixes with herbs and gravelly fruits.  There are cranberry notes as acidity comes ou in the back of the mouth.  It wraps up with dusty tannins.  On the second night Jenn found flavors of “black licorice”.  It certainly starts off with riper fruit before taking a wild character with a wee bit of heat in the finish.  Drink now for vigor or cellar for the short-term.

2007 Hecht & Bannier, Languedoc – $12
Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons.  This wine is 80% Syrah, 10% Grenache, and 10% Carignan.  This was a fresh and sunny wine with grapier red fruit and some minerals.  The flavors turned bluer midpalate as plenty of acidity came out.  This is an easy-going wine.

2007 Hecht & Bannier, Minervois

Hecht & Bannier is a negocient that specializes in producing wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon that are “the reference for quality in the region with a unique range of appellation wines.”  Four selections from the 2007 vintage received Parker scores of 90-94 points.  Back in April the Cotes du Roussillon-Villages became available so I quickly snagged a bottle then posted a review.  MacArthur’s recently put out bottles of the 2007 Hecht & Bannier, Minervois so once again I zipped over to snag a bottle.  I also grabbed another Cotes du Roussillon-Villages for comparison.

Vineyard Used by Hecht & Bannier, Image by Frederick Wildman & Sons (Flickr)

These wines are imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons and available at MacArthur’s.  The Minervois will set you back $17 and the Cotes du Roussillon-Villages $22.  They are both tasty wines and reasonably priced.  The Minervois was our favorite of the two, showing delineated fruit amongst the smooth body of the wine.  The Cotes du Roussillon-Villages is primarily Grenache (and I am an unabashed Grenache lover) but  the ripe nature spoke of both a ripe region and vintage.  The cherry/Kirsch notes, herbs, and cool minerality are all lovely but the restraint of the Minervois did a better job of showcasing the fruit.  While the bottle of Minervois was finished first I would still recommend both wines.  I really look forward to the 2009 vintage.

2007 Hecht & Bannier, Minervois
This wine is a blend of mostly Syrah, some Grenache, and a splash of Carignan and Mourvedre.  It was aged for two years in 30% tank with the rest in both new and old demi-muids and barrels.  This took several hours to open up.  The medium nose is Syrah driven with notes of pepper.  In the mouth there is creamy fruit all of the way through with herbs and sweet tannin flavors.  In the finish there are spices and fine tannins.  This is a rich wine but the black/blue fruits are lively and in no way cloying.  This should drink well for the medium-term. ***(*) Now-2022.

2003 Dme Santa Duc, Gigondas and 2004 Mas de Daumas Gassac

These selections were recently purchased from MacArthur’s.  I grabbed the last four bottles of 2003 Santa Duc at $22 and the last bottle of Daumas Gassac for $34.  I had also purchased the last bottle of 2004 Santa Duc but that turned out to be corked. Bummer!  The Santa Duc is lovely.  I suspect will develop for a few more years and last many more.  The Daumas Gassac was good, I think Jenn enjoyed it more than I did, but at this price point it is not the best value.  The back label suggest the mature phase is between 7 to 25 years of age.  Perhaps I should have waited?

2003 Domaine Santa Duc, Gigondas
This wine has a lovely nose of incensed blue and red fruits.  In the mouth there is a ripe burst of fruit followed by garrigue.  It opened up over several hours and on the second night the blue fruit flavors mixed with a lovely minerality.  There are ample rugged grape tannins mixed with wood tannins but the blue fruits handle it well.  The tannins are persistant and stick to ones lips. ***(*) Now-2022.

2004 Mas de Daumas Gassac, VDP de l’Herault
This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Pinot Noir, and 3% Syrah.  The wine was aged in oak barrels for 18 months.  This wine has a gentle nose.  In the mouth there are flavors of tart, light, red fruit and tea leaves in this lighter bodied wine.  It is almost Burgundian.  With air bits of spicey alcohol and notes of tobacco come out.  This is a balanced and easy to drink wine.  I have no experience drinking older vintages so why not age it some more? **(*)? 2015-2020?