Monthly Archives: December 2019

2016 Domaine Grand Veneur “Champauvins” Cotes du Rhone-Villages

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I had the pleasure of tasting this bottling from Alain Jaume at an event the other night, coming back around the room and sampling it twice just to make sure. 

Hailing from the Southern Rhone, this wine is a Cotes du Rhone Villages, a step up from the generic Cotes du Rhone wines. These bottlings of ‘Villages’ are frequently found here in the US as they can represent some of the best values in the market and are priced less than a Gigondas or a Chateauneuf du Pape wine.  However, as with all wines, producers do matter and Alain Jaume delivers quality.

Visually, the wine was dark ruby in color with a solid core.  On the nose, a good dose of black cherry, blackberry, lavender, and tobacco leaf with a bit of peppery spice presented. On the palate, the wine was full bodied and concentrated with good red and black fruits and that Southern Rhone garrique element…lavender, spice and sun kissed rocks.  There are tannins present with medium acidity which helps to bring all the elements together.  The finish lingers.  A very tasty wine!

This is a GSM blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre.  I found it locally at these sellers:

K&L Wine Merchants      $ 19.99

The Wine Steward       $ 25.99  (discount given on case sales)

Total Wine     $ 23.99  (discount given on purchase of 6 wines)

If you are looking for a rock-solid wine for the Holidays, this will deliver a lot of flavor and body at a modest price. 

Established in the northern part of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the commune of Orange, the Jaume family has been dedicated to the art of wine growing since 1826. Founded by Mathieu Jaume, the Domaine is now run by the 5th and 6th generations of Jaumes: Alain Jaume & his children Christophe, Sébastien, and Hélène.

Sante!

Sudsy

Does ‘vintage’ matter?

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I thoroughly enjoyed this 2009 Tronquoy-Lalande last evening.  The wine was inky in color thanks to the addition of Petit Verdot in this St. Estephe Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tight at first, the nose opened up to black cherries, dark berries, tobacco with a hint of French roasted coffee and minerality.  The oak structure was present but soft and the oak was well integrated in the wine.  On the palate, it still had primary fruit flavors with good structure and soft tannins. The finish was long and all the elements described were evident in the finale.  A really good bottle of Left Bank Bordeaux!

The media touted 2009 as a great vintage just to turn around in 2010 and claim it as the better of the two.  The 2009 vintage had almost perfect weather and growing conditions producing wines that are a bit softer in tannin and more approachable in their youth.  The 2009 Tronquoy-Lalande from St. Estephe (at 10 years of age) was a good representation of the deliciousness of this vintage.  As for the 2010 vintage, the conditions were somewhat variable and although it is considered a classic vintage as well, the 2010 wines are more tannic and will take more time to soften and integrate.  I suspect some may lose their fruit before the transformation occurs.

So, does vintage matter?  Yes!  Maybe not if you are purchasing ‘Wednesday wines’ to enjoy with your pizza tonight, but certainly if you are investing your money in wines to hold for a while.  I consider ‘Wednesday wines’ to be good quality wine, ready to drink now and not intended to age.  For the cellar, I purchase classic examples of wines of good quality, not ready to drink now but to hold as these should improve with age…hopefully.

To borrow (and tweak) a line from Forrest Gump, ‘Wine is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re going to get.”  It’s the journey that really counts and you can be sure you will always learn something and enjoy yourself along the way!

Santé

Sudsy