Weekday Wine: French Syrah (Domaine la Bastide Syrah 2005, $8.99)

 
This is not the thick, syrupy Syrah that many wine drinkers out there may be accustomed to.   Nope, we’re talking about the more elegant French version, which usually — but not this time – costs a lot more.   
The Domaine la Bastide Syrah 2005 has a beautifully attractive ruby color, and flavors and aromas of plum, earth, licorice, smoke, and black pepper.  The [...]

Weekday Wine: Bordeaux (Château Charron 2005, $11)

 
We enjoyed our last Bordeaux from a couple of weeks ago so much that we thought we’d give another one a try, but this time from the highly regarded 2005 vintage.  The result was something very, very different, which became apparent to us even from smelling the cork.
Whereas the previous Bordeaux’s defining features were its earthiness and elegance, we felt the Château Charron was best [...]

Weekday Wine: French Malbec (Château de Gaudou Cahors Cuvée Tradition 2004, $9.99)

Ok.  The price is not a typo, and as soon as you get a whiff of this one, you may have an even harder time believing me.
While the Argentines make a lot (and probably most) of the world’s Malbec, the grape actually originated in France.  As you might expect, the French version is of a different style: subtler in body, less [...]

Weekend Wine: Côtes du Rhône Villages (Féraud-Brunel Côtes du Rhône Villages 2005, $15)

Inadvertently, I let this one sit for an hour or so in my glass, and when I came back to it I was enormously surprised at how much the wine had opened up.  The Féraud-Brunel Côtes du Rhône Villages consists of a high percentage of Grenache, a grape typically found in southern Rhône-style wines.  When I first popped open the bottle, I got [...]

Weekday Wine: Bordeaux (Chateau Haut-Vigneau Pessac-Léognan 2004, $14)

Wow.  I’m still incredulous about the fact that this bottle cost only $14.  The person who sold it to us described the Chateau Haut-Vigneau as ”a Bordeaux drinker’s wine” because of its emphasis on elegance over richness and earthiness over fruitiness.  After giving it a try, we found ourselves in complete agreement.  This blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon had a classy, medium body that was complemented [...]

Weekday Wine: Bergerac Merlot (Château la Colline Côté Ouest 2004, $13.50)

 
Recently, I was looking for a reasonably priced Merlot in the ten to fifteen dollar range, when I came upon the Château la Colline Côté Ouest 2004.  Aside from being a superb value at $13.50 and another perfect companion on a chilly winter’s day, the Côté Ouest’s blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon is made all the more [...]

Weekday Wine: Super Tuesday Special Feature

   vs.         
Today, we feel that’s it’s our patriotic duty to depart from the every day discourse to answer a question that’s been on a lot of people’s minds: are we better off relying on the experience of the old guard, or should we take our chances on the newcomers? 
Ok people, we’re not really going to talk politics here, [...]

Weekday Wine: Sancerre (Domaine Franck Millet Sancerre 2006, $15)

We opened this bottle last night, and I can’t wait to fill up another glass this evening.  One of my favorite things about wine in general is that the same variety of grape grown in two different regions can produce wines with entirely different characteristics due to the influence of factors like soil composition and sun exposure.  If you’d like to experience this [...]

Weekday Wine: Côtes du Rhône (Domaine de la Garrigue “Cuvee Romaine” 2005, $13)

Try this wine and you are guaranteed at least a “hmmmm.”  Think dark berries, must, tobacco, even a little bit of old leather; picture an old library, close your eyes and take a deep breath.  There are no tropical fruits or florals here. 
I was drawn to seek out a Rhône for today because I recently heard a bit about 2005’s having been a killer year [...]