Cote-Rotie

Tasting Note: 2006 Cuilleron Madiniere Cote Rotie

Opens with smoke, ash, cocoa, and indian curry spice. Barnyard emerges on second pour. Medium bodied frame with high acid. Finishes spicy with fresh red currants and pepper. The tannins are silky, long-ish, but disjointed. The structure becomes more pronounced, well rounded and better integrated with chilling.

Best chilling method: Place bottle outside in evening while in France at a 17th century gite, in the countryside outside of Vienne, uber close to the wine's birthplace, on a slightly drizzly, damp, November 2 French night.

This wine is clearly not ready to drink yet - too young. Give this at least two years of bottle age for it to start expressing itself.

Tasted November 2, 2008.

Condrieu

On November 1, we made our way up to the northern Rhone Valley, home to Syrah and Viognier. This particular picture was taken at our picnic lunch spot while gazing over the windswept vineyards of Condrieu. It was an overcast, brisk day with a persistant bone chilling wind cutting through the hillsides. As we snacked on baguette, fromage, and saucisson, for a brief moment, caught a glimpse of the rugged and and somewhat hostile terroir. Like the surrounding Viognier vines, we huddled together for warmth, desparately seeking any flicker of diffuse sunlight, clinging as close to the hillside as gravity would allow, stuggling for our very existence. (O.K., maybe I'm getting a little carried away here). Nonetheless, we felt the presence Condrieu's soul that day. And it was beautiful.

Tasting Note: 2006 George Vernay Coteau du Vernon Condrieu

Initally, vibrant aromas of fresh honey, baked apple, poached pears. Beautifully custardy nose - creme brulee and carmelized sugar with a hint of spice. On the second pour, the nose drips of liquid mineral, kumquat, and slight honeysuckle. On the third pour, orange zest. The palate is sensual - glycerous and mouthcoating with gorgeous acidity in the background. Lots of acid and spice on the finish. This wine is beautiful, amazingly balanced, with nothing out of place. Sexy, luscious, layered and complex.

Tasted on a chilly November 3rd, 2008.


Tasting Note: 2007 Cuilleron Le Petit Cote Condrieu

Light gold in color. Steely, and fruity with a burnt/toasted woodiness. This is made in a different style than the Vernay. It's tighter and not nearly as luscious or harmonious. It is as the new oak is masking the fruit's personality. Heat and toasted oak on finish. I'd be interested to see if this becomes more integrated with another year in bottle. This would be an excellent intro to a fresh/crisp style Condrieu with a little less new wood.

Tasted on a chilly November 4, 2008.

Hermitage

Tasting Note: 2003 Saint Cosme Chateauneuf du Pape

Jammy, spicy, and warm with spearmint and anis on nose. A subtle woody character similar to freshly fallen cedar logs in a cool, damp forest. Great structure with fine grainy tannin. This wine has aging potential, not quite chewy, a ripe wine that manages to show great finesse. Moderate plus acidity holds wine together. A puckery, dark chocolately finish.

Tasting Note: 2005 Chateau Pesquié Quintessence Ventoux

Deep ruby red. Right out of the bottle - sour pickles. Then animals, like squirrel hide. With some air time, it seems to find its form: cassis, stoney earth, lavender. The underlying animal quality remains present which is nice and adds complexity. Plush mouthfeel, dense, lively acidity - a big wine - has roundness without being sweet or overextracted.

Paired with Pan sautéed Gnocci with Chanterelles.

Tasting Note: Domaine Viret

2004 Domaine Viret Emergence Cotes du Rhone Villages Saint Maurice

Grenache, Carignan, Syrah

Suprisingly fruity, then menthol freshness with rose and raspberry. Animal and manure qualities creep in along with leather. Amazing natural acidity even at 15% alcohol. Grainy tannins leave lasting impression like licking grains of sand. Medium long finish with smoke and old "chalky" milk chocolate - the kind that has been sitting out for a couple of days. Some heat, but somehow balances the overall intensity of this rich and rustic wine.

2005 Domaine Viret Maréotis Cotes du Rhone Villages Saint Maurice

Grenache and Syrah

Deep, dark and purple, and very cloudy. Right out of the bottle - caper juice. Then pencil lead, white stone (marble), and sod. Perfumed with brioche with dried fruits/currants, charred meat. Full bodied, dense, and meaty. Grainy and leathery big tannins. Good acidity throughout. Teeth staining.

Tasting Note: 2006 Domaine de Mourchon Family Reserve Cotes du Rhone Villages Family Séguret

Grenache

165 cases produced

Fruity impression on nose, but not a fruit bomb. Christmas spice and menthol balance it out. Full bodied, soft, non serious tannin, but fine. No detection of 15.5% alcohol. Finish is medium, but nothing to note. Big mouthfeel. New world in style with nice acid to balance fruit and alcohol. A nice change.

Saint Cosme Cellar

The cellars of Saint Cosme have a rich history. In fact, 2nd century Gallo-Roman fermentation vats carved into the stone are perfectly preserved. The property has been owned by the current family since 1490, with 14 generations of vignerons. Concrete and wooden vats, hand stacked barrels are housed within the stone walls of this very traditional cellar. One traditional architectural feature that Rob could have certainly lived without is the 5 foot tall doorways. He just about knocked himself out cold while running through the doorway that leads to vat 1. You would think one would have learned his lesson, but no, it happened again the following week!

Saint Cosme Vineyards

As vintage is approaching the end, the newly fermented wines are warmly resting on their skins. The vineyards have slowly turned from their summer bright green robes to shades of yellow, rust, and amber. In the two pictures on the left are the bulk of the Saint Cosme Estate Gigondas vineyards. They are mainly planted in old vine Grenache, with the oldest parcels dating back to 1902. These vines make up the bulk of St. Cosme's Valbelle, Hominis Fides, and Le Claux wines. In the following picture, Syrah vines line the cool valley heading up to the Dentelles de Montmirail. The final stoney hillside Syrah vineyard is located in St. Maurice, a Cotes du Rhone village located in the next valley to the north. These grapes end up in the Les Deux Albion.

The beach in black and white

On Rob's day off this weekend we drove down to the Camargue, a National Park an hour and a half south of us. The Camargue is a vast swampy marshland where the Rhône River meets the Mediterranean. The day we went was cloudy and rainy, and the weather seemed in sync with the beauty of the land. The park is home to white horses that run wild, and black bulls grazing their way through adolescence until they are ready for the bullfights. There are many birds, including wild flamingos, a very special sight.




























The highlight of our afternoon was being on the beach. The rain had stopped, it was uncrowded, and we were able to play for awhile.

Valcombe

Our home in Gigondas, Valcombe, seems to be as big a part of our experience here as anything else, and so deserves some blog love.  Valcombe is outside of the center of Gigondas, about a 5-minute walk up the valley from St. Cosme leading to the Dentelles.   It is built into the hillside, thus our nickname for it, the ‘hobbit house’.  Other than it’s hillside orientation, it is perfectly sized for humans rather than hobbits.  

Our neighbors to the right are some of the St. Cosme syrah vines, and in front of us is a small ravine that spring water flows through. It has a small stone patio that is shaded most of the day by big trees, contributing to the green tinge on the grey stone.  The house is rectangular, made of stone and cement, and it’s roof angles down from the level of the road above.  It’s walls are about 18 inches thick, solid and rough, but softened a bit inside because the cement is painted light pink.  It is a great size for us, and even worked well when Sarah’s parents were with us.

It is quiet country living; the only noises we hear are the birds, the spring gurgling, the rain and mistral winds, and maybe a car.  Sometimes we hear the hunting dogs baying, and the occasional gunshot or two (apparently there is good boar hunting in the woods (or vineyards!) on the ridge above us).  

The top two photos are outside and inside views of Valcombe, and the bottom photo is the looking from the winery toward the house, which you can see in the middle after the vines.  

2007 Domaine de L’Echevin Guillaume de Rouville Cotes du Rhone Villages Saint Maurice

Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussane

250 cases produced 

Pale yellow with gold hints.  Nose is not so fruity and delicious!  Nougat, floral-y honeysuckle, lemon cheesecake, orange blossom, and stones.  Not creamy on the palate, medium bodied, but acidity/alcohol synergy gives intensity.  Alcohol at 14% is fully integrated.  Tight and structured palate and citrusy acid highlights the bright finish.  Paired with Pan Done-Up Salmon with Fennel and Pastis.

Tasted on October 20, 2008. 

Tasting Note: 2007 Hauller Vin d’Alsace, Pinot-Blanc

Pale straw color.  Very restrained nose, slight lemon zest and maybe some clay.  Crisp, clean acid, pure on palate.  Some residual sugar is detected, maybe 7 g/L – adds softness and nice balance.  Sarah detects alcohol on finish.  Palate reminiscent of TRW ’06 Delta Riesling in terms of acidity/residual sugar, alcohol balance, but no relation between them on the nose.  Paired with Rob’s guacamole and Sarah’s Famous Flatbread, with a green salad with radishes and red pepper, and a cheese plate (Reblochon and Crottin de Chavignol) for dessert.

Tasted on Oct. 19, 2008

Tasting Note: 2004 Frédérique & Denis Vinson Vinsobres, Cuvée Charles Joseph

The nose is not fruity, some raspberry initially.  Pepper, hot earth/red rocks, restrained.  Simple, balanced on palate.  Round mouthfeel, dusty tannins with red fruits and not much finish.

Tasted Oct. 18, 2008

Tasting Note: NV Darona Pére & Fils Saint-Péray Brut

Marsanne and roussanne blend

Straw yellow color with gold flecks.  Blossoms, musk, and baking aromas such as brioche, buttered biscuits, and sourdough with citrus undertones on the nose.  Bubbles disappeared quickly upon pouring.  Golden raisons and clove spice on palate.  Some density to the mid-palate, citrusy acidity though not super crisp, and fat on the finish.

Tasted on Oct. 17, 2008

Arles

Arles (kind of pronounced awl-luh in France as Rob found out with some difficulty with his ‘Missouri English accent’) is about an hour and a half south of Gigondas, and we, that is Rob, Sarah and Sarah’s parents Chris and Mick, spent the day there to get a little closer to Arles’ most famous resident, Vincent van Gogh.  The city of Arles has done a wonderful job of paying homage to van Gogh, who lived there for two years after living in Paris with his brother Theo. 

 

Here in Arles, van Gogh was inspired by the provençal light, and it is where he cut off part of his ear in an absinthe-induced fury.  There are easels placed throughout the city in the places he painted his masterpieces, so one can get the idea of what van Gogh possibly saw and his artistic interpretation.  We walked the city, finding the van Gogh sights.  One of our favorite spots was seeing where van Gogh’s ‘Café at Night’ was painted.  The café is still there, probably much as it has been for a century or two, with people sitting and enjoying a slow Sunday afternoon.  In fact, in Roman times this square was a gathering place as well, the ‘Place du Forum’, the political and religious center of Arles.  The Roman arena still stands in Arles, a testament to its long history.  

The top photo is Chris, Mick, Sarah and Rob standing under the plane trees in Arles.  The middle picture is van Gogh's Café at Night, and underneath it is Rob and Sarah standing in the very same spot.  Magic.

Tasting Note: 2007 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre

Biodynamic

Lime juice squeezed over river rock, guava, lemongrass.  Has a “cute” nose, not beautiful like the Mona Lisa or Angelina Jolie.  Tropical, not complex.  New Zealand in character aromatically and on the palate.  A fun wine, with juicy acidity and plenty of ripe Sauvignon character. 

Tasted on Oct. 12, 2008.

Tasting Note: 2004 Cuilleron Cote-Rotie Terres Sombres

The color is a slightly cloudy red with hints of purple, dense-ish.  Nose just out of the bottle is all meat – bacon, proscuitto, animal fat.  This is followed by sweet cedar and oak which becomes integrated over time.  Dr. Pepper aromas, with rose or crushed rose, complemented by cassis, anis, and café mocha.  There is a smoky minerality, almost like BBQ ribs.  Friggin’ complex.  On the palate, the acid is the main player, and the tannin complements.  Polished, fine tannins, medium bodied.  Acid profile is amazing.  Smoky, sweet cedar flavors on a long finish.  Paired with saffron linguini with herb oil and manchego cheese, and they went together beautifully.

Tasted on Oct. 11, 2008

Tasting Note: 2006 Domaine de l’Echevin Cotes du Rhone Villages Saint Maurice

50% 

syrah, 

50% 

grenache 

Color is brilliant red/plum purple, with medium depth.  Garrigue, thyme and pepper on the nose, with stones and minerality.  Cooked raspberry fruit aromas.  Very bright and clean (meaning no funk), a terroir driven wine.  The palate is acid driven, medium bodied weight with velour (like Rob’s hippie pants he made in college) tannins, very seductive.  The high acid has no hard edge and is refreshing.  Short on the finish, but who cares!  This wine has beautiful balance and is a perfect food wine.  We’d actually prefer this wine to more prestigious and expensive wines we’ve ripped apart (aka over-ripe and over-extracted). 

Tasted on Oct. 10, 2008

The photo is from one of the vineyards of Saint Maurice, gorgeous slopes and rocks.

Tasting Note: 2003 Santa Duc Gigondas, Prestige des Hautes Garrigues

Deep ruby red color.  Nose of peppermint and menthol, ripe aromas of prunes and dried cherries.  Light perfume and rose; beautiful and alluring nose.  Medium bodied, an interesting wine – if you chew on it for a minute, it becomes very astringent and lengthens the finish a bit.  Otherwise, if you just sip it quick it appears much softer.  The acid is pronounced, not in harmony.  Finish is relatively short, all dark chocolate.  Could possibly use a couple years more age to integrate. 

Tasted on Oct. 7, 2008

Tasting Note: 2005 A. Hurst Muscat d’Alsace, Grand Cru Brand, Vendanges Tardives

Pale gold color.  Very fragrant nose.  Peach that is at the threshold of being rotten, soft dried apricots, floral and musk perfumes, faint underlying stonyness, marzipan, spicy gewürztraminer-like aromas.  Medium plus body, not very glycerous or oily.  Very sweet wine, a difficult style to pair with food because it isn’t quite dessert wine sweet.  Paired with muenster cheese, and the sweetness overpowered the stinky cheese too much to be enjoyable.  Acid just hangs in there for balance – interesting wine.

**Had the rest of the bottle for dessert the following evening, and it was delicious.  The nose is gorgeous, not heavy on the palate, honeyed and refreshing.  Paired with cantaloupe melon beautifully.

Tasted on Oct. 4^th and 5^th, 2008

Tasting Note: 2005 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvee du Baron

Gravely, stony nose (think ‘My Stony Baby’ by 311), as well as hot stones - alcohol is detected here.  Processed fruit aromas such as strawberry licorice, and ‘red fruit compote cake with gravel icing’.  Restrained nose.  Sweet impression in mouth, tight, slight astringency, medium body, flavors of red licorice and Sonic strawberry cheesecake milkshake on finish.  Broad on the mid-palate only, lacks concentration, and a short finish.  “This wine is like the lazy pothead sitting in the back of the classroom coasting along until graduation” in regard to lack of focus.

 

Tasted Oct. 2, 2008

Languedoc Tastings

The Languedoc is a large wine region in southwestern France, which produces huge quantities of wine not known for it's quality.  It is easily found in grocery stores here, and we decided to do a bit of exploring in the region, especially because the price can't be beat.

Tasting Note:  2007 Le Marin Picpoul de Pinet Coteaux du Languedoc

Light yellow/straw with green tinge.  Fresh, fruity nose reminiscent of old world Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.  Lemony, honeydew melon, key lime pie, and clean.  Soft and light in body with citrusy acidity.  Yummy stuff, especially at 3 euros.

Tasted Oct. 1, 2008

 

Tasting Note:  2006 Domaine Des Lambrusques Pic Saint-Loop Coteaux du Languedoc

Syrah and Grenache.  Perfumed nose, not super fruity.  Medium body, slightly astringent, lightly drying.  Great table wine, fantastic for the price (3 euros).

Tasted Oct. 3, 2008

 

Tasting Note:  NV Domaine Rosier Blanquette de Limoux Brut

Funky funky funk nose.  Major musk, and a sulfuric essence, maybe salt lick.  Full, mouth encompassing mousse, a little rough, no finesse.  Spiced apple and cider on the palate, medium acid.  Excellent aperitif, again great for the price (5 euros).

Tasted on Oct. 5, 2008

Marseille

We caught our first look at the Mediterranean on a weekend trip down to Marseille at the end of September.  We spent a short time at Cassis, a small coastal town thrity minutes from Marseille before getting to our hotel.  Cassis is very beautiful, built into a small cove with crystal clear waters.  We were surprised by how busy it was, since we were under the impression touirst season was about over, but loved it anyhow.  Marseille is definately a highlight of our time spent in France.  It was nice to be in a big busy city for a bit, much different than our little town of Gigondas.   The diversity of culture is fantastic, and the marine environment is intoxicating.  There are endless dining options, and we had a delicious dinner at a Moroccan restraunt of chicken tagines.  

 

In the morning we woke to the noisy pier-side market, booths full of provençal soaps, linens, honeys, and all sorts of wonderful delights.  But one cannot escape the smell or draw of the fish stands, proudly displaying the catch of the day.  The selection was incredible, so many fish we had never seen before.  It was quite fantastic to see people buying their fish for dinner there, a totally different experience than buying from the seafood section at the grocery store.

After some navigating difficulties, we made our way out of Marseille to the nearby airport, where we picked up Sarah's parents, Chris and Mick, who came to visit us from Colorado.  We haven't been out of the US for too long really, but it was so great to see family! 

Tasting Note: 1880 Marsala Sicily

1880 is not a typo! And 1880 was not the year the vineyard was planted.  Yes, indeed, we tasted an 1880 vintage Marsala from the Southern Mediterranean island of Sicily.  Perfectly aged for 128 years, the color was a beautiful coppery amber.  Haunting aromas of toffee embedded tar and burnt caramel.  Vivacious on the palate and woodsy in character.  This wine topped off an amazing night of eating and drinking merrily with a  with great group of local and international winemakers.  Other highlights of the night:

 

2001 Didier Dagueneau Buisson Renard Pouilly-Fumé

1988 Vieux Telegraph

1988 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz

1996 St. Cosme Gigondas

1993 Paul Pernot Batard Montrachet Gran Cru 

 

Tasted on Sept. 26, 2008.      

Tasting Note: 2007 Chapoutier Deschants, St. Joseph Blanc

Tropical flavors are the first impression, pineapple and mango skin especially.  Followed by notes of lemon zest, orange creamsicle, and a slight candy corn sweetness.  Hints of smoke shadow the fruit.  The palate is soft, medium bodied, with medium plus acidity.  The palate at times appears almost lean, with not a lot of weight, and all the while remains very nicely balanced.  A scrumptious spiced finish with cinnamon, clove and orange.

 

Tasted on Sept. 23, 2008.

From The Top of Provence

Hello!  Apollogies for the delay in posts, internet is not readily available.  We are trying our best, so please don't give up on us!!

As foreigners in Southern France, there is never a shortage of sights and destinations to fill the non-working hours.  And happily, some are close to home, requiring just a few hours, perfect for a weary ‘flying’ winemaker.  On a recommendation from Rick Steves’ Provence book, we did a drive around the hill towns of the Cote du Rhone, circling the Dentelles du Montmirail, the limestone ridge Gigondas is nestled against.  We took a slight detour and drove to the top of Mont Ventoux, famous for its role in the Tour-du-France.  The mountain is the largest in the region, and climbs to 1910 meters.  When you reach the top you feel as if you are miles or planets away, it is so different from the provencal beauty you left only 30 minutes ago.  Green and trees give way to bare rock, warmth and sunshine is cut through by a ceaseless wind that plunges the temperature.  It really is astonishing – on a clear day, you can see almost to the Mediterranean, then to the French Alps, and assumingly into Italy. 

 

As we continued our driving tour, we came across the tiny town of Suzette, which is located on the backside of the Dentelles from Gigondas.  The scenery is quite different; the rock outcroppings are more dramatic, and while the hillsides are still planted with vines as they are in Gigondas, the earth is perceivably different.  The land is brick orange, an iron rich clay opposed to the white limestone that dominates in Gigondas.  It has been an incredible education on terroir here.  

The top photo is us on the top of Mont Ventoux, freezing because we are under dressed, and the photo underneath is the vineyards near Suzette. 

Tasting Note: 2005 Les Cailloux Chateauneuf-du-Pape

First impression of sweaty socks, prosciutto, and wool.  Followed by green, herby aromas, possibly Herbs-du-Provence.  Stones.  Also anis, more specifically the yellow anis flowers growing by the side of the road we walk to work.  As it opens further, some fruits come out, mostly cherry and wild raspberry.  Wet wool remains in the background.  A hint of bret.  The palate is seamless, in fantastic balance.  Acid is noticeable, and it accompanies the other components but does not overshadow anything.  Tannins have a soft fur quality, like Violet (Sarah’s parents’ dog, a super cute miniature schnauzer) after a bath.  Long, long, long finish of red licorice and raspberry dark chocolate.  A great introduction to Chateauneuf.

 

Tasted on Sept. 14, 2008, and paired with Red Pepper, Potato and Fig Curry. 

Tasting Note: 2007 Roger & Didier Raimbault, Sancerre

First impression is fruity.  As it opens, aromas of white stone/limestone/chalk, sweet asparagus, freshly cut lush grass, gooseberry, passionfruit, lemongrass.

The palate is super fresh, with razor beam, mouthwatering (‘gleek inspiring’) acidity.  Lemon dominates palate.  Fantastic Sauvignon Blanc. 

 

Tasted on Sept. 13, 2008, paired with Rob’s guacamole

Tasting Note: 2006 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas

Dull ruby color.  Upon opening, reductive aromas of burnt rubber.  Followed by dried cherry, prune, a mineral quality like rain on cement; cigar ashtray filled with dried fruits.  Possibly cooked cabbage.  On the palate, sweet tart acidity, thin body, watery tannins.  A simple, easy chugger, disappointing. 

Tasted Sept. 12, 2008

Gigondas Day to Day

 Bonjour all! 

 Over the weekend we moved from the gite in Gigondas where we have been since our arrival to our new residence, Valcombe.  It is our ‘petit chateau’; a small house a short walk to the winery, neighboring some of the estate syrah vines.  It is just the right size for two, and fully equipped.   We are breaking in the kitchen, making use of fantastic local goods.  Gigondas has a tiny market in town, and we love shopping there, when it is open (we still haven’t figured out their hours, but that’s assuming they keep them).  It is surprisingly well stocked, and we can get almost everything we need there.  Our favorites right now are the melons (small, cantaloupe looking and tasting, but sweeter), and the local figs.  And if you can make it before they close for lunch, fresh baguettes.  Being in Provence, we are in the in the heart of France’s agriculture region, and are very much benefiting from its bounty.  Even the uncultivated land is teeming with deliciousness.  Wild blackberries grow outside our door, and we have found peaches, currants, rosemary, anis, and others on walks.  And we are hoping to experience the holy grail of Provencal scavenging, the truffle.  The season doesn’t start until November, we’ll keep you updated.

Tasting Note: 2005 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas

Deep ruby red.  A very tight nose of leather, black cherry, graphite, and hot stones.  High toned peppermint and menthol lift.  As wine opens, a floral note comes through along with blueberry. This wine need major decanting time (1-3 hours)  to really show its goods.  Initial attack is extremely dense on palate, but not at all heavy.  Tannins coat teeth and mouth like ultra-fine grade sandpaper, very polished.  Mouth puckering acidity.  Finishes long with smoke (not from oak). 

Pair this wine with some serious meat.  I'd like to taste this again after 5 years of bottle age. 

Grenache, Syrah, & Mourvedre blend 

Tasting Note: 2007 Chateau Saint Cosme Gigondas Rosé

Coppery salmon in color.  Almost ripe raspberry and strawberry fruit.  Freshly diced fennel bulb and river rock minerality add layers to the delicate fruit aromas.  There is a hint of pepper/clove spice. The medium(-) bodied frame finishes with juicy acidity, citrus-y grapefruit, and bone dry. Again, nicely balanced and refreshing.  

100% Mourvedre, 13.5% alc

Paired nicely with "Modified" Costa Rican Gallo Pinto with Lizano- sautéed garlic, onion, red bell pepper mixed with black beans, cilantro and warm quinoa topped with Worchester/Tunisian hot red pepper sauce.   

Tasting Note: 2007 Chateau Saint Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc

Honeydew melon, tropical fruit salad - lots of pineapple and orange rind on nose.  Super clean and fresh and complex.  Candied almonds (right at the point where the sugar starts to melt), custard-y.  Viscous mouthfeel! Well balanced acidity and medium/full bodied.  Unlike many USA viogniers, this wine has absolutely no heat or bitterness on the finish.  

A blend of 30% Viognier, 30% Roussane, 20% Marsanne, 10% Clariette, 10% Picpoul de Pinet.  13.5%alc.  At this price (7.50 Euros), I'll take a case please.  The obscure rhone varieties, Clairette and Picpoul, bring balance and fresh acidity to make this blend complete.

Tasted on 2 Sept, 2008.  Paired with Chick Pea and Kale Coconut Curry.   

Reims

After our stay in Paris, we decided to spend a weekend in Reims, the center of the champagne region.  Again, the beginning of the trip was interesting, due mostly to hauling our bags through the Paris Metro stations.  Sarah's bags took a couple hard falls down the stairs of Metro stations, all the while damning the lack of escalators.  The most humorous part, in hindsight, would probably be Sarah getting stuck in the Metro entrance turnstiles.

Upon arrival in Reims, we were able to find a hotel easily, and set out on discovering Champagne. 

We headed out on foot for our first Champagne house, Taittinger.  It was a bit of a walk, but an interesting one.  Reims is a very old city, but the architecture is varied, due to the heavy bombing the city endured during WWI especially and WWII.  You can walk past the newer, more modern buildings (very basic, seemingly cheaply done and flat) that is in stark contrast with the neighboring ornate and classic architecture.  The reigning symbol of the city, Notre Dame, is also very modified.  It stands now much as it did in the days when it was the place for the coronation of French kings, and during the triumphant moments of Joan of Arc.  During WWI the church was nearly destroyed, and was rebuilt largely by donations from Americans who loved Champagne  (a great book to read on 

 the history of Champagne is Champagne: How the World's Most 

Glamorous Wine Triumphed over War and Hard Times by Don & Petie Kladstrup).

Taittinger was a fantastic experience, with a very informative tour.  The three pictures are from the caves of Taittinger at a depth of 14 meters.  The caves are older than the city of Reims, with some parts dating back to the 4th century, having been dug out by the Romans.  The caves remain at a constant cool temperature, and the chalk that forms the caves retains a constant high humidity as well.  What the pictures reveal that we could not tell in the caves was the green mold growing on the walls.  At the end of the tour was a tasting, and we really enjoyed this house's nonvintage brut.

Tasting Note: 2005 Domaine Les Pallieres Gigondas

Ruby red.  Nose opens with obvious raspberry and garrigue (herbs de provence). Perfumed with cedar chest stocked with old blankets.  Lots of vanilla, warm baking spices.  On the palate, this wine has elegance and firm structure.  Finishes with raspberry infused dark chocolate.  

Les Pallieres is a collaboration between Berkeley importer Kermit Lynch and Domaine Vieux Telegraphe.  Made from 60 year old vines.  

Tasted 31 Aug., 2008

Paris

Hello!  We have had some internet issues the last couple days - there has been a couple storms in the area, and as our Gite manager put it 'there was storm, so sometime internet work, sometime not'.  Well, it is working now and we are going to take full advantage.  

Here are a couple of our favorite pics from Paris.  We flew into Paris, and stayed for five days.  It was Sarah's first time to the city, Rob's second, and loved the introduction to French culture.  We had a bit of a rocky start - our flights had to be rescheduled due to delays, and when we finally made it to Paris our bags had not.  So our first day in Paris was not a glamorous one, as we did our sight seeing in the same clothes we had been traveling in for two days (but to our surprise, the airline was really great and we had our bags delivered to our hotel the next afternoon, plus they gave us money to go shopping for new clothes - imagine the Griswolds in European Vacation).  We still had a fantastic day, dirty as we were, walking around the city.   The first place we went was Notre Dame, and Rob got a great snap of the gargoyles and flying buttresses.  

Our wanderings also took us to the Louvre, and the picture on the left is Rob next to the entrance.  We didn't go in, but went back on Friday evening, when it is free for young adults (that includes Sarah), and discounted for the adults (Rob).  We had read how huge the museum is and it is best to have a plan going in, but we didn't, and yes it is very big and recommend a plan for sure.  We did see the famous Mona Lisa, the Code of Hammurabi, and the Rubens gallery, but there was a massive amount of people also there for the discounted rates, and in some of the rooms the heat was stifling.  We didn't stay for long, but promised ourselves we would be back, next time with a plan.  Hopefully.

During our stay, we visited the Rodin Museum, a real treasure.   His sculptures are exhibited in a garden, with a small museum in the middle containing some of his other work and his personal art collection.  At left is Sarah in front of the Burghers of Calais.  

From the Rodin Museum we walked to the Eiffel Tower.  It was a cloudy, kind of chilly day, but loved seeing the famous landmark.

We woke one morning to rain, and thought rain boots would be appropriate for a walk to breakfast.  

Our Paris trip continued to be wonderful.  We went to the Picasso Museum, to the neighborhood of Montmartre where we had espresso at the cafe from the movie Amelie and went to Sacre Couer.  Ate lots of baguette sandwiches and stopped for many cafe allonges.

Au revoir!

Bonjour!

Hello All!

Welcome to our blog.  Our intention is to post as many pictures as possible and to keep our peeps updated on our adventures while we are living and working in France.  Wine speak and tasting notes will undoubtedly be present, as that is the reason we are here, our love of wine!

First, we want to share photos of Gigondas, where we will be living for the next couple months.  Gigondas is a small town in Southern France, in the Southern Rhone wine region.  Gigondas is a hillside village of about 600 people, and located in a prime wine growing area.  We arrived a week ago, after five days in Paris and two days in Reims (photos to come), and have been busy getting to know the area.  Rob has started his 'flying winemaker' job at Chateau St. Cosme, and Sarah starts in the vineyard tomorrow.  Harvest has officially started, with the arrival of viognier grapes for the Cotes du Rhone blanc, with more grapes for the blend coming the rest of the week.  Should be a busy harvest!