Tag Archives: France

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2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White

This dish was so great the first time we tried it (thanks Blue Apron!) that we had to run it back–it’s cod kedgeree, over a bed of basmati rice, cabbage, and frizzled onion. The onion is a salty accent, as is freshly squeezed lime juice, and it all went with the 2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White. This bottle has been with us for about a year, even moving between homes, and this evening was its great unveiling. Its purchase was actually a happy accident that yielded dividends we’re enjoying tonight with the light dinner fare.

2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White

2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White, Bordeaux, France.

The 2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White is really fun. Citrusy, light, and not at all sweet. The vineyard, producing grapes for over eight generations, now embraces chemical free methods so you even feel “organic” and clean when you’re drinking this wine. Its a mix of 60% Sauvignon and 40% Semillon (my first taste of the latter?) that comes together in an even, gentle white. It is sweeter than a Blanc and less buttery than a Chardonnay–a good place to be, in the opinion of this taster.

The winemaker’s notes read, “Yellow pale with iridescent hints. Aromatic, citrus fruits with aromas of white flowers. Lively, rich, with the fine presence of acidity.”

Now, I have no palate or idea what an ‘iridescent hint’ means, but I can confirm it’s an enjoyable citrus pick-me-up. The 2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White won Gold “Best In Class” recognition at the 2014 Los Angeles International Wine Competition, which means you might put more stock into this wine than just the opinion of this guy. I’m looking forward to finding another bottle of this in the future.

 

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2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend

The Georges Vigouroux winery in France produces the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend, a new bottle we received in a recent mail order shipment. It’s new to our house and this blog, and I’m still wrestling with my notes to find something worthwhile to pass along here for anyone who was interested enough to click.

2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend

2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend, France.

My palate for white wine is very unrefined, and that’s a key limitation when sampling a bottle as layered as the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle. It’s a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (60%) and a grape entirely new to me, the Loin De L’oeil (40%). As I do some reading on the latter, I understand it’s the Loin that gives the wine the vibrancy and balance I tasted. Virtually every review of white wine uses “citrus” in some form to describe the wine, and this one should as well. You definitely get some of that in the Cuvée Joëlle. It’s less about flowers and more about fruit notes–yet still reminds me of when you cut into green flower stalks and get a whiff of their chlorophyl?

I can also tell you it’s not as dry as other Sauv Blancs I’ve had, but more dry than sweet. And I have no clue whatsoever a ‘gooseberry’ is in this importer’s description: “This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Loin De L’oeil gives flavors of gooseberry and citrus with notes of green.” If that means something to you, then great. Just passing along a possible nugget your way.

Have your own opinion of what it means to order a bulk shipment with no previous expectation with the agent or the wines. Me? I think it a new adventure that exposed me to grapes and wines I would likely stroll past in my local wine store. Wines such as the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend remind you that it’s good to take Frost’s road every now and again.

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2010 Chateau Marin Bordeaux

I blind-tested a fragrant red blend last night, not sure of what grapes, vineyard, or region from which it originated. A fairly decent test of my wine tasting prowess, this red devil. Even as a wine neophyte, I could tell I was having no Cabernet, no Syrah, no Merlot, no Zinfandel or Pinot. It had a hint of vanilla and a bit of a tannic bite to it in the glass. What’s in the glass? I wasn’t sure if this was maybe a Malbec or a Bordeaux, but I could tell it had some initial sharpness that pointed me more to France than Argentina.

Sounds like a World Cup match, right? We’ll come back to the wine in a moment.

I sipped my glass of red along with a dinner of roasted shrimp, asparagus, and hash browns—the latter made with peppers and onions and mixed with shredded cheddar cheese, melted butter, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. It was all delicious, and though conventional thought may have pushed me more toward a white for the shrimp, their spicy seasoning made me feel like the red was a better call. At least for this guy.

2010 Chateau Marin

2010 Chateau Marin, (Right Bank) Bordeaux, France.

At this point, I’m fairly convinced I’m drinking Bordeaux and was pleased to see it was–in fact, the Chateau Marin 2010—a mix of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend surprised me, as the Merlot was sort of overshadowed on that first evening. The Chateau Marin hails from a Right Bank vineyard (thus my surprise at the Cab’s forwardness) just 50 kms south east of Bordeaux and is supposed to show “ripe red fruit flavors on a sound and balanced palate.”

That didn’t come through Friday night, so I suspect we needed to either let it breathe for a longer spell or decant. On day two, however, the tannins had mellowed considerably and the 2010 probably showed its true colors and notes—even though we polished off the bottle long before a celebratory dinner. And, as you glance at the photo here, you’ll see it had company (the KJ Chardonnay I didn’t have myself and thus you’ll have to look up some other blog if you’re interested in that wine). Overall I liked the Marin and enjoyed learning a bit more about Right Bank flavors in preparing these notes for you. Enjoy…

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2010 Clos Floridene Grand Vin de Graves

I’m cheating a little bit here. The 2010 Clos Floridene Grand Vin de Graves we actually finished last night but, given the beautiful ice storm that’s striking our windows at present (thanks Octavia), I opted instead to photograph the bottle this evening…and still I didn’t do our icy scene enough justice. We are just below the snow line so weather to the north is more imposing but this thin icy coating will be problematic over the coming 12 hours or so.

But not at the moment, so let’s talk wine. This full Bordeaux has some excellent qualities…but overall left me just a bit wanting.

2010 Clos Floridene Grand Vin de Graves France

2010 Clos Floridene Grand Vin de Graves, France.

At first I thought this big red just needed to breathe more before drinking, but even giving it some space I found the Floridene a bit tannic and youthful for my taste. I had held this bottle for some time (was it originally a gift?) and even broke it out for a classic Bordeaux dinner, but even complementing steak, asparagus, and baked potato, I found myself thinking about Cabs and Syrah instead of the bird in the hand.

The 2010 Clos Floridene originates from Graves, France, where they should know plenty about grapes. And I’m sure they do…but whether they’re depending on me to blithely accept this as great, let it age longer, or just not tell the difference I’m not complying. Gave this one a go once but know there are others out there for me from Bordeaux…or even Cab country.

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2011 Beaujolais-Villages, Georges Duboeuf

Broke out the Beaujolais tonight, Christmas Eve, in part to help usher in Christmas and in part to blunt the disappointment of a holiday flight unexpectedly cancelled because of a wayward US Airways crew. Beaujolais is a favorite of my father’s and often part of our Christmas Eve celebration at his home; my wife picked out this specific vintage and bottle and sampled alongside me tonight as we think of friends and family.

2011 Beaujolais-Villages, Georges Duboeuf, France.

2011 Beaujolais-Villages, Georges Duboeuf, France.

The 2011 Beaujolais-Villages, Georges Duboeuf first came out during our cocktail hour, one filled with good tunes, jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce, and a rousing game of Monopoly—the Star Wars version. The “reds” were the differentiating factor in that game, and thankfully the Beaujolais carried over from game time to our dinner hour.

We had emptied much of the fridge in anticipation of holiday travel and didn’t have on hand the special foodstuffs we would typically have for such an occasion. Coming home from the airport, however, we did get not only those shrimp but also a couple of great NY strip steaks (no, love, not “shells”), fresh Brussell Sprouts, and some garlic mashed potatoes to brighten our holiday plates. The grill was good to us, and meat just red enough to keep us content.

So what of the Beaujolais? We didn’t quite let it breathe, but I can report the bottle pours pretty quickly. Must be a bigger opening on this bottle or something…seriously, now, my brain remembered previous Beaujolais as having more of a fruit-forward vibe, a less tannic finish. The 2011 was a bit more tart–though admittedly we may have rushed the bottle just a tad.

Frequent readers know my tastes run more toward Bordeaux-style reds and certainly California Cabernet Sauvignon, so know your audience for sure. But know too that the 2011 Beaujolais-Villages, Georges Duboeuf was a good port in a frustrating storm of flight cancellation too.

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Cremant d’Alsace Arthur Metz Brut Prestige

It’s Thanksgiving, and this year we can only be with our families in spirit. We send our hellos, smiles, and just a smidge of our humor to loved ones enjoying a day of celebration and reflection.

On our holiday table are classics and new adventures. We have deviled eggs; we have hors d’oeuvre consisting of pickles, meat, and cheeses. Hard apple cider is a notable addition to the food prep phase, which includes fresh veggies (i.e., Brussel sprouts, asparagus, potato, carrots), jellied cranberries, and, most notably, a Cajun spice-rubbed turducken. Yup, it’s a day for new adventures.

Cremant d'Alsace Arthur Metz Brut Prestige, France.

Cremant d’Alsace Arthur Metz Brut Prestige, France.

The champagne–Cremant d’Alsace Arthur Metz Brut Prestige–fits into that same vibe. It is an odd mix both pale and gold, and it’s packed full of pear smells and fruits that you can detect on the nose and certainly on the palate. Compared to other bubbly that occasionally graces our celebrations, the Cremant is much sweeter in taste. Presumably more of a sugar profile than, say, a Veuve (which we’d prefer for its finish and its slightly drier taste). We’d hoped the Cremant might be a more affordable champagne option than Cliquot, and though it is less expensive than our go-to champagne it is certainly lesser in quality.

This isn’t a food blog, so I won’t spend too much time on the turducken–but it was delicious. I really enjoyed its soft, spicy goodness (not too rare or overdone but just right) and its unusual stuffings. It might have another seating soon, but the Cremant has run its course at our place. We’ll try another champagne in the future and hope for more Veuve.

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Summer Reds

The summer is nearing its end, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share several reds that we sampled along the way. Some scored high marks (like the Atilla’s Selection from Buena Vista); others like the Toro or Navardia will probably fall into the “been there done that” camp. The real fun is in discovering which is which. Here’s a fly-by for your consideration:

2013 Toro Tempranillo, Spain.
2011 Insomnia Red Wine Blend, California, USA.
2010 Solanera, vinas viejas, Yecla, Spain.
2011 Cairanne La Cigalette, Rhone Villages, France.
2011 Mannara Primitivo, Puglia, Italy.
2012 Navardia, Rioja, Spain.
2012 Buena Vista Atilla’s Selection Zinfandel, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA.
2012 Cruz Alba Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina.