Youthful chunky "red of the mo" - Madiran

2009 Domaine de Peyret, Madiran red from the Cave de Crouseilles (mostly from the Tannat variety, 13.5% alc.) - this "modern-style" drink-now Madiran (although will easily soften out a little more over the next year or two), made by the region's main co-op winery despite its estate name, is a nice example of what you can get nowadays from this formerly obscure wine area lost in the southwest corner of France; skirting the edges of the Pyrenees, Atlantic facing rather than Med. It tastes like it's got a bit of Merlot and/or other varieties adding attractive plummy fleshy character to its deep purple black aura; spicy wild blackberry/currant fruit with savoury soy sauce edges, quite full and rounded with nice dry vs smooth tannins filling out the finish. A roast dinner kinda red and great value too at €4 (in French supermarkets).

Couple of Cavas

Both of these excellent value (well, in Spain at least) trad-method (bottle-fermented) sparklers were acquired and enjoyed following a little raid across the border:

Freixenet Excelencia Brut Nature (11.5% alc. Grapes: Macabeu, Xarel.lo, Parellada) - not sure if this Freixenet label makes it out of the country? Dry crisp style with elegant almond biscuit nuances, floral vs oily touches and light refreshing finish. €3-€4

Bach Rosé Brut (12%, Monastrell/Garnacha/Pinot Noir) - very attractive red-fruity profile with bready chocolatey edges, rounded and off-dry but still quite crisp and lively though. €3.50

Roussillon "red of the mo" by La Balmière

2006 Espoir Côtes du Roussillon Villages

Domaine de la Balmière, Latour de France.

Attractive maturing style: quite smoky, rustic-edged even, although has enticing dried black fruit profile and peppery vs 'sweet/savoury' finish; still fairly solid yet rounded tannins, drinking well now. Probably a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Grenache. About €6.

More Balmière wines and a few words here.

Photo = Laurent Marquier from domainedelabalmiere.com.

Roussillon "red of the mo" by La Balmière

2006 Espoir Côtes du Roussillon Villages - Domaine de la Balmière, Latour de France.

Attractive maturing style: quite smoky, rustic-edged even, although has enticing dried black fruit profile and peppery vs "sweet/savoury" finish; still fairly solid yet rounded tannins, drinking well now. Probably a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Grenache. About €6.

More Balmière wines and a few words on FrenchMediterraneanWine.com.

"Primeur" and "nouveau"... wine or chemistry experiment?

With Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 lurking ominously around the corner, and after recently reading some blatantly one-sided pro-wine business propaganda telling everyone to go out and buy a new "primeur wine" (French websites / magazines Terre des Vins and Vitisphere, just to get myself threatened with legal action...); I thought it might be worth asking if anyone else has found some of these wines virtually undrinkable? Admittedly, some are nice enough, such as the 2010 Colombelle white I tried recently by Producteurs Plaimont in Gascony: in a mega aromatic boiled-sweet bubble-gummy estery zingy zesty crisp fruity kind of way (although, at €4 to €4.50 in France, not exactly a bargain). But most of these autumn "new wines" I've tasted over the years just taste like a winemaking / chemistry experiment and don't come together at all like, well, wine. Unless you left them for six months, so what's the point?! Well, great cash flow for the producer for a start... sold and banked before Christmas of the same year. OK, so maybe I'll buy one red and one rosé primeur/nouveau 2010 vintage to substantiate my rantings. Watch this space, if I can be bothered...

"Primeur" and "nouveau"... wine or chemistry experiment?

With Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 lurking ominously around the corner, and after recently reading some blatantly one-sided pro-wine business propaganda telling everyone to go out and buy a new "primeur wine" (French websites / magazines Terre des Vins and Vitisphere, just to get myself threatened with legal action...); I thought it might be worth asking if anyone else has found some of these wines virtually undrinkable? Admittedly, some are nice enough, such as the 2010 Colombelle white I tried recently by Producteurs Plaimont in Gascony: in a mega aromatic boiled-sweet bubble-gummy estery zingy zesty crisp fruity kind of way (although, at €4 to €4.50 in France, not exactly a bargain). But most of these autumn "new wines" I've tasted over the years just taste like a winemaking / chemistry experiment and don't come together at all like, well, wine. Unless you left them for six months, so what's the point?! Well, great cash flow for the producer for a start... sold and banked before Christmas of the same year. OK, so maybe I'll buy one red and one rosé primeur/nouveau 2010 vintage to substantiate my rantings. Watch this space, if I can be bothered...