The Gourmez

LaCheteau Vouvray 2011 Loire Valley, France The nose of this white wine is subdued. Honeydew and the tickle of tannins are all I get from it. On tasting, it initially reminds me of Southern white wines with a lot of sweetness. Luckily, a healthy dose of acidity counteracts that. It’s bright and buttery, and lime, [...]

Seigneurs de Bergerac 2011 Bergerac Sec Dordogne Valley, France This wine was part of a value pack from my wine shop up the street. It’s pale yellow. The nose is a well-blended mix of flowers and minerals. Mildly sweet, and tannins play against that sweetness for a nicely balanced body. The lime is perhaps too [...]

Absente France 55% ABV This is a pretty darn expensive absinthe at $60 according to my husband—it was a birthday present. It’s from France, but the fake import stickers on the label are off putting. If they are from France, they don’t need to play at it. However, my doubts are quieted as I drink [...]

Lucid Absinthe, 67% AC Loire Valley, France It’s no secret to those who read this blog that I love absinthe. In fact, we had an absinthe cocktail throwdown for New Year’s Eve, and I was the main recipient of the drinks because, well, not everyone loves absinthe. Only a select few of us do, mostly [...]

Revelation Cabernet-Merlot 2010 Pays D’Oc, France This French blend comes across like a Spanish wine with plenty of spice in nice proportions. Those Spaniards can go overboard sometimes, so the balance is appreciated. The fruit is lovely, bright and young with raspberry and champagne grapes prominently featured. A bit of tobacco lends depth, and the [...]

Les Portes de Bordeaux 2009 Bordeaux, France The nose of this French red wine contains copious amounts of mocha. Deep, rich blackberry is also present, but the chocolate dominates the nose. It’s very smooth when drinking. You hear the term jammy a lot when talking about wine, and this one fits that bill. I’d describe [...]

Castelmaure Corbières Col des Vents 2008 Languedoc, South France   This red wine’s nose is full of jammy blackberry-fruit-leather notes. It smells warm, with a smidge of potpourri essence to it. Aeration is important for appreciating this wine—-it tastes far too tight and tart without it, like cranberry and eucalyptus. Given some airing, the tartness [...]