Wines we never thought to buy...but we did!

Sometimes, when you go into a wine shop, or even when you're doing your food shopping, you pass in front of a bottle with a label where we think "What is that?" and especially "What will be INSIDE that!" We are all sensitive to differents aspects and arts...

Here are the bottles that we never had bought if it wasn't for this article!

Fruité Catalan red, Côtes du Roussillon, Carrefour, 3,60€

55% Syrah, 25% Carignan, 20% Grenache noir.

Color: ++           Beautiful shiny ruby color, limpid.
Nose: +             Red fruits aromas (blackberries, cherry).
Mouth: ++         Intense, very well balanced, animal, blended tannins.

I would never thought buy a wine of this kind one day, very "marketing wine", but I tried it for you. The cork is pink with butterflies on it. (OMG)
Wonderful surprise! A wine with complexity and beautiful aromas in this bottle?! Impressive. Good job!
Very good value for money. To share with friends, it can even be drunk during a diner.

Oc Cellus 2010, AOC Limoux, Cave du Sieurs d’Arques, LIDL, 4,99€.

Buying a wine at a LIDL store was quite disappointing for me…Even if I get always tempted during their special wine offers at big occasions: Christmas, wine fairs…Actually, this wine was a “Christmas special offer” still not sold! So I decided to try…

Color: +               Deep, intense red. Almost black.

Nose: +               Strong nose on cooked red fruits, alcohol.

Mouth:+               Acidity at first, then some tannins. A lack of finess, but long length.

I was pretty puzzled by this wine. I was curious about the ACO Limoux, and even the blending of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, syrah, Grenache and cabernet franc surprised me. But I’m not really found about this wine, it misses a bit of originality. It was too common to be remembered, but I think it’s just a matter of taste!

Château Montfollet Le Valentin 2012, Blaye Côte de Bordeaux, Carrefour 3,95€. 

Grape variety :

75% Merlot

20% Cabernet Sauvignon

5% Cabernet Franc

Color: +                  Intense pink, almost orange

Nose: ++                 Very nice shiny nose dominated by aromas of red fruit (raspberry) and white flowers

Mouth: ++               The palate is full of freshness, in a dense lengthens, developing beautiful floral notes

I would never have bought this bottle with a really kitsch color and label  ... but the corny fuctia heart on the label reminded me that in a few days it is Valentine’s Day and is good for everyone to rediscover a bit of romance and sweetness!  So I share with you something that I would never have bought  but that isn’t really bad… appearance deceives you!

TU VIN PLUS AUX SOIREES, 2012, MAS DEL PERIE, Vin-de-France, Carrefour, 9.00€ 

”Tu Vin Plus Aux Soirées” is the name of this cuvée, a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Franc. It’s non-vintage, has no sulphur added, no fining, no filtration; pure expression of the grapes, a whole bottle of honesty and nature. Vin de France, vin de table!  That’s what you get when you don’t play by French wine law rules.  No mention of the appellation you’re in, no Vin de Pays either; hell, can’t even mention the grape(s) on the bottle!  You are on your own… As non traditional and unusual as the label is, it fits the wine quite well! 

-Color: +             Dark ruby color.

-Nose: ++            Dark purple fruit and spice. Blackberry & Pomegranate.

-Mouth: ++          Rich in fruits with notes of spice, round and smooth, complex finish and pretty tannins.                           

This wine is half Cabernet Franc, a grape illegal here, thus the “Vin de France” lack of appellation & no vintage on the label. The name is a pun on “Tu Viens Plus Aux Soirees” meaning “You’re no longer coming at parties?” ,the best translation I can come up with for this oddly eye catching label, a reference to a famous duet of French humorists, Omar et Fred, and one of their catchphrase.

The design of a wine label can make or break the success of a new wine introduced to the market, what do You think about ??

Drink cheap. Drink well!

Good names for good wines?

From the rudest to the most absurd, from the unorthodox to the conventional, wine names have been a lot more creative and inspired than in the past. Some of them still carry the family name, the name of the château or domain, or even a poetic reference to the wine or place itself. This naming convention has certain merits but newcomers have adopted a more modern method.

Le vin de Merde Rouge 2012, Vin De France, On-line, 6.50€

Despite a remarkable work undertaken since decades by winemakers that have improved the quality of their wine, many wines remain on the customer vision as "Shit Wines". In order to make sure that the reader understood the real meaning of the wine’s name, a big blue-colored fly was drawn in the right upper quarter of the label…

Color: +                  Intense red color.

Nose: +                  Subtle nose with aromas of small red fruits.  It does not smell of shit !!!

Mouth: +                Mature, fresh and beautifully dense. The velvety tannins got a bit rough in the finish.

It is sure to enliven conversations when it brought to the table… Sometimes the worst hides the best:     Really surprising! Under the label was a second thin one clarifying that this was “ Le Vin des Phylosophes” ! This wine was created in response to the entrenched prejudices and scatological criticisms to which some vintages have been subject. So Jean Marc Speziale, GOOD JOB !!

Pinot Evil Pinot Noir 2006, Vin de Pays de l’Ile de Beautè, Corsica , France, Art et vins € 6,70

Grape variety : 100% Pinot Noir

Color: ++              Light, cherry red

Nose: +                Rich fruit (black berries) forward style Pinot Noir

Mouth: ++            Hint of dark berries, chocolate, medium bodied with full round tannin finish

The Three Wise Monkey proverb “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil” was introduced to Japan by a Buddhist monk from China. A Buddhist maxim of wisdom recognizes that these wines are all made from grapes that belong to the Pinot family, and that it is really hard to make an affordable Pinot.

Well, Pinot shouldn’t have to be wicked to your wallet, which is why we set out to find really good Pinot that everyone could afford. Pinot Evil…a guilty pleasure!

D.O. Terra, French Tonton, Vin de la communauté européenne, 2012, La ligne rouge, 10€

« A wine without border », as told on the label. A blend between Spanish Mourvèdre and French Merlot. And that explain the name! Reference to the Spanish AOC (DO or DOC), they aim to make a wine that express the best of two different grape varieties, coming from the best areas where they were grown. The first chapter of a wine revolution?

Color : +               Deep red, with rubbish hints.

Nose: +                Very attractive nose, red fruits and strong pepper notes.

Mouth: ++            Soft tannins on ripe fruits. Medium-bodied and simple wine. Medium length.

A good wine to share “To drink with the people you love” as written on the back label. A wine that we wanted to support, because it defends a new way of making it! A strange name for a strange wine…   
       

L’Herault-ik, Eric Herault, AOC Chinon, 2009, Bought at the estate, 13,80€

A pretty hot wine…if you know what I mean! The name of this wine may be explained like that: This wine is made the warmest year in Chinon (2005, 2009…), from the most exposed vines of this estate…very warm grapes! He took his last name and made a joke of it, pretty clever, isn’t it?

Color : +               Red cherry, violet hints. Intense.

Nose: ++              Ripe fruits and spicy mostly. Very aromatic.

Mouth: ++            Very fruity and solar. Few tannins. A bit young, but already a fine wine.

An unusual Chinon! It would be great for a blind tasting. I drank a bottle two years ago, it was a bit too tannic and green peppery flavored, but now it’s evolving pretty well! A couple of years to wait still. A good wine to spicy up a romantic dinner…

New owners and winemakers have one thing in common: they all want to sell their wine. Regardless of the wine quality, the first step is to promote it and put it in front of the consumer with the help of various advertising techniques. One sure way to help this strategy is to provoke and intrigue the consumer by coming up with an unusual, ironic or provoking names . Who in their right mind would call a wine Vin de Merde? Now that’s overly silly and crazy, don’t you think?

Drink cheap. Drink well!

Do not be afraid ... to watch horror movies!

It’s time to dust off the vampire fangs and get ready for a scary night with your friends. 
Unfortunately, the scariest thing at some of these nights is going to be the wine.
You don’t want to spend a fortune on wine for a simple movie night, but with just a little effort you can find some perfectly acceptable wine. You can dress up your horror movie night this week with some really scary and spicy wines. 

The good news is that, despite we choose them, these are wines that you don’t have to be afraid to serve.

1) Solar De Castro Vendimia Seleccionada 2009, DOCa Rioja, Carrefour, 9,60€

Veteran Tempranillo and Garnacha vines offer sweet fruit, while rookie sensation.

- Color: +               Deep ruby in color.

- Nose: +               Dark cherry, nuts, leather, and herbs on the nose. Wood, and backing spices.

- Mouth: ++          Sour cherry flavor, medium body with medium tannins, good acidity and medium length.

We probably expected more from this wine. We tasted an imbalance of the sour cherry flavors. We can find better Riojas out there in this price range, if we find anything interesting you know we’ll be glad to share it!

2) Las Corazas Tempranillo 2012, Bodegas Crin Roja, Tierra de Castilla, Carrefour, 3,96 €

Grape variety : 100% Tempranillo

- Color: ++            Cherry-red color, very cloudy.

- Nose: ++            Intense aroma, complex, rich red fruits on a background of liquorice.

- Mouth: ++          On the palate it is dense, very pleasant, and we find the fruity and floral wood                                                                   notes.

This fantastic value red with a lovely, soft blackcurrant fruit core, backed up by a touch of spice is perfect to drink in a good company…on your comfortable sofa…watching a scary movie!

3) Domaine des Homs, Paul, AOC Minervois, 2012, Comptoir des vignes, 7,60€

A good wine to drink with friends in front of an horror movie! With a wine called Paul, you won’t make any nightmares after watching it…

- Color: +               Deep purplish robe.

- Nose: +               Fresh red fruits. Very elegant and open for a 2012.

- Mouth: ++          Freshness and fruits at first. Evolve on some tannins. Simple and medium-bodied.

A simple wine, to pair with simple food and a simple activity : relaxing in front of a scary movie. A good value for money to enjoy with your friends! (Or to offer to a friend called Paul…) A good surprise because it’s quite young, you can start drinking it now or keep it for a few years.

4) Château Chartron La Grave, Bordeaux, 2010, Proxi, 5,95€

45% Merlot, 33% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc.

- Color: +               Red ruby, limpid.

- Nose: +               Muted blackcurrant nose.

- Mouth: +             Hard tannins, fruity but bitterness too presents.

No structure, any complexity, disappointing wine… It does not work every time, expecting our horror movie will be better!

Drink cheap. Drink well!

Sweet times & cheap wines!

After a week back to school,

some hard lessons and difficult exams...

We really needed to appreciate a sweet moment, nice and cosy.

What's better than a dessert or a cake with a good glass of wine?

1) Vina San Pedro Gato Negro , 2011, Central Valley, Chile, Monoprix, 6,70 €

Grape variety : 100% Syrah

- Color: +                 Deep red color

- Nose: +                 Dark fruit flavor, quite floral, smoky scents

- Mouth: ++             Fruity (blackberries and plums), peppery, good complexity.

Dark chocolate drops perfectly complements the spicy, smoky quality of this Syrah. I personally think that the flavors of Syrah complement chocolate better than any other varietal. You can pair this wine with a tasty Dark Chocolate Mousse!

2) Vain de rû, Domaine Haut Campagnau, 2012, Vin de France, La Cave d'Antoine, 6,90 € .

As I don't like sweet wines, I asked my wine merchant a nice fruity wine we can pair with dessert.

              - Color : ++          Shiny gold robe, straw reflects.

              - Nose : ++           Citrus nose at first, then pear and yellow fruits. Almost exotic.

              - Mouth +++         Freshness, acidity and exotic fruits very well balanced. A pleasure!

Honestly, one of the best surprise I had while tasting a white wine. Very fruity, light and fresh. No complexity at all, but who needs complexity with a wine of this quality? 

A perfect pairing with an apple pie or fruit cake, even with a lemon meringue pie.

3) Les Darons, Jeff Carrel, Languedoc, 2012, Soif de Vins, 6.90 €.

              - Color : +             Deep red, a bit troubled.

              - Nose : +              Fruity and spicy. A bit closed due to the millesima.

              - Mouth: +            Acidity at first, then cooked fruits and spices. A fresh red wine.

Even if it's a nice and elegant wine, a bit disappointed by this wine. A fresh light wine that will pair with a prune pie with honey.

4) Gros Manseng Sweet, Côtes de Gascogne, 2011, Chateau Bouscassé, 7,60€

100% Gros Manseng

             - Color: +              Beautiful yellow, limpid.
             - Nose: ++             Exotics fruits aromas, citrus.
             - Mouth: ++           Good balance and acidity, fresh, mango and ananas aromas.

Perfect match with foie gras of course or desserts like : apricot or kiwi pie, "tarte tatin".
Also fresh goat's cheese. The best money for value sweet wine ever!

                   

5) Castel Ruggero, 2010, IGT, BarGilli (FI), 9,70€

A predominance of Merlot and Cabernet Franc blended with a small percentage of Syrah.

- Color: +              Intense Red with purple shades.

- Nose: ++             Smells intense notes of blueberry and blackberry with secondary aromas of                                                                   undergrowth and spices.

- Mouth: ++          The taste is robust, elegant, with persistent noble tannins. Very long final.

The wine reflects the elegant and rugged terrain of Tuscany. Great potential for aging.

A wine with an elegant and contemporary profile.

Thanks to this five wines, we spent a delightful pretty sweet moment with friends.

A little bit of sugar for titillate our tastebuds will help us to have a beautiful sunday 
before to come back to school again!

Enjoy and delight your tastebuds!

Drink cheap. Drink well!

Chatty times calls for cheap wines!

Hi everyone! How was your Christmas holidays? Time to get back on the school bench?

Same here! We decided to make an article about this, the chats with your friends 
about your Christmas presents, and so on…

Here are five wines we bought thinking “what do I want to drink with my friends?”

Wines you don’t necesseraly eat with, but they just go with your talking...

1)  Meletino Bianco Toscana , Castello di Meleto 2012 , La Cantinetta del Chianti , 6 €

Grape variety : 100% Vermentino

- Color: +               Yellow color with greenish reflections

- Nose: +                Hints of citrus, fresh and slightly tangy.

- Mouth: ++           Good persistence combined with a pleasant ending and mineral.

Vermentino is the main white grape variety of the Tuscany coast and one of the most popular in the Mediterranean.

Ideal for our occasion due to its freshness and rich flavor.

2)  Vigna Rondolino, Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG, 2008, Enoteca Obsequium, 9,80€

From the beautiful city of San Gimignano in Toscana, one of the only white wines from that region with a DOCG designation, 100% Vernaccia

- Color: +               Pale straw-colored pour with clinging fingers of glycerin

- Nose: ++             Straw, with lemon kissed bleu cheese-stuffed olives.     

- Mouth: +             Brightly acidic but still has chewy breadth that counterbalances a                                                           watery tongue.

It is nicely drinkable and a versatile fit with Mediterranean fare.

Gastronomic accompaniments: All types of seafood and shellfish, white meats and Carpaccio.

3)  Clot de l’Origine, “Mon P’tit Barriot”, Côtes du Roussillon, 2012, Les vins de Vincent, 8.50€

Grape variety : 100% syrah

- Color: ++              Dark rubis, very deep red, unfiltered

- Nose: ++              Strong aromas of wild strawberries riped black fruits, smoky                                              with hints of leather. 

- Mouth: +              Thick, displaying similar notes as the nose, juicy with hints of                                               black pepper, medium – bodied and very low tannins.

A really pleasant wine to share with a friend and a simple meal, it could surprise many people by its unusual taste, always a good idea after Xmas and all the traditional wines drunk.

4)  Le Jonc-Blanc, “Les sens du fruit blanc”, Vin de France, Bergerac, Soif de vins, 7€90.

This wine could be an AOC Bergerac Blanc, but the owners of the Château decided to make a “Vin de France” instead, as it’s a very different wine than the others Bergerac.

          - Color : ++            Bright gold, with straw reflects.

          - Nose : +/-            Light nose, quite closed. A few floral notes on second nose.

          - Mouth : ++          A strong white wine. Freshness at first, then mineral notes and floral                                                    finale. Long length.

This wine is very well made and very good, but it has to be paired with food. Drank it at first without any food, it was too strong, but when I ate it with sushi, it was really perfect. Not a wine made to chat only, but perfect if you are planning to eat with your friends!

5)  Gayté, Chardonnay blanc sec, 2012, Vine Soul, 6.95 €

Grape variety : 100% Chardonnay

- Color: ++               Limpid with gold shiny reflect.
- Nose: ++               Very fruity, yellow fruits & citrus aromas.
- Mouth: ++             Very good acidity, fresh & fruity attack. Nice balance!

Perfect to share with friends, to begin a simple diner or just before to go in a party. 
This wine give you the smile!

This five wines are pretty different, and some fits better than others with a friendly chat. 
We hope that you will find the perfect wine within this five 
(or the other wines that we advise you in our precedent articles…)

We just have to wish you a happy wine year! Full of wine discoveries 
and chats with your friends…
But don't forget:

Drink cheap. Drink well!

Time to chill...

So, how was your Christmas?

Did Santa brought you nice presents? How was your dinner?

For us, we ate too much (and maybe drank too much).

So we wanted to find wines we like to drink when we don't feel hungry, 

we just want to relax after a very festive period...Before celebrating again!

1)   Valdimezzo, 2012, Valpolicella Superiore D.O.C. Ripasso, COOP (FI),  7.73€

Wine made from selected and local grapes grown on the sunny hills in verone region.

Varieties: 55% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella, 5% Croatina

                - Color: +             Bright red garnet with a great tone.

                - Nose: +              Smell is awarded by hints of red berry  and ripe cherries.     

                - Mouth: ++          The palate shows great smoothness for a very full body.

It goes to a dinner table where the first important dishes are really savored and seconds are wild meats cooked in the oven. To also pair with aged cheeses.

Personally, I think the Ripasso is a perfect wine, never too difficult to be understood, never too common to be forgotten.

2)   DOC Tai Rosso “Vigneto Riveselle”, Piovene Porto Godi 2009 , La Cantinetta del Chianti , 7 €

This is the example of the simple wine but perfect, obtained from Tocai Rosso grape from Veneto region (Grenache).

                - Color: +                  Exciting color, scarlet red, almost pinkish

                - Nose: ++                Floreal notes of rose petals,fruity notes of strawberry and cherry

                - Mouth: ++              Fresh and fruity aroma, crisp, fine tannins

The red Tocai is a light wine match with codfish, a classic of the region. Good tannic balance with a bitter aftertaste, harmonious and delicate.

3)   Domaine de la Louvetrie,Muscadet sur Lie: Cash Vin Bayonne, 7,50€

OK, I know what you will say “A Muscadet, really? Sorry but not for me, too acid too crispy “. We agree that through the time Muscadet (Western Loire Valley) earned a reputation of low quality white without great interest. Nowadays a bunch of Biodynamic winemakers managed to make some outstanding Muscadet, so as Jo Landron one of the leader of the AOP famous for his wines but also for his big moustache.

                - Color ++                 Medium yellow gold

                - Nose +                    Lightly intense, with strong aromas of lemon and minerality

                - Mouth ++                Light to medium – bodied, very fresh and lively, salty and pear aromas a little bit of thickness at the end.

Very good value for money wine, simple but very well balanced, perfect choice if you seek a light white to detox after all those Christmas meals, or also to share a dozen of oysters with your friends.

4)   Les Cabanes, 2011, Vin de France, Domaine de Simonet, Languedoc, Soif de Vins, 5,60€

Fed up by too rich dinners during this Christmas period, I went to my favourite wine shop to find a simple wine. And I went back home with this wine (and a few other bottles). No complexity, without any fuss.

                 - Color : +                  Pretty intense red, almost ruby.

                 - Nose : ++                Red fruits at first, then spicy hints. Very aromatic.

                 - Mouth : ++              Spicy at first, then evolve on red fruits. Simple but well balanced.

I really loved this wine. It’s a matter of taste, but this wine really fits me well: Balanced, simple and tasty, just what we need after eating so much! I had already tasted a few wines from this winemaker (Christophe Barbier), a little more expensive and complex, that were absolutely lovely. But for this price, this wine is definitely a very good value for money.

5)   EXCELLENCE, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux, 2009, Les Vignerons de Tutiac, 6,95 €.

                 - Color: +++               Deep shiny ruby, black reflect. 
                 - Nose: +                  Toasted with wood notes.
                 - Mouth: ++              Round and well balanced, slightly woody and spicy, a bit short/not enough long in mouth.

Well structured but not extraordinary. Easy to drink with a simple diner, after an excess of food and alcohol during Christmas!

Hope you'll be delighted by those five wines. We really needed to relax in this festive times, and this wines were perfect for it! Now, get ready for new years eve, and see you next year!

Drink cheap. Drink well!