2113 Wine Club - Southern Rhone, France

Southern Rhone porduces some of the worlds most delicious and sought after wines come from this region of Southern France.

Chateau Pesquie 2011 Terrasses Blanc

"Terrasses literally means "terrace" and evokes the vines cultivated in
terraces on the slope of the Ventoux. It is also a reference of the
various terraces in the Château Pesquié garden." - Eric Solomon Selections

Silver to light gold in color. White flowers and citrus on the nose. The palate is full of pear, peaches, citrus and apricot. Well structured and just a touch of minerality

Pair with citrus glazed trout, rockfish, baby clams. Ready to drink.

Domanie de Chantepierre Rosé (Tavel)

"Tavel is an unique wine which follows a vinification totally different from all other rosé wines, which is closely related to a red wine vinification : with long macerations from 48 to 72 hours. After pressing, a 10 to 15 days fermentation is led at low temperatures (13°-14°)." -terrisson-wines.com

Bright rosé with aromas of melon, pear, and cherry. Full bodied, dry and spicy.

Pair with italian mussels, calamari. Ready to drink.

2012 Dauvergne Ranvier, ‘Vin Gourmand’, Luberon AOC

This Luberon is a pretty, ruby color. The bright aromas remind you of fresh cherries, pomegranate and rosewood. The palate has wonderful fresh light red fruits character, black cherries and strawberries, with refreshing structure and a dry finish.

Chill slightly and pair with appetizers, soft cheeses, roasted chicken or pork.

Drink now through 2015

2011 Domaine Roche, Cotes du Rhone AOC

Incredibly rich and complex, revealing more flavors on each sip. Rich black fruit and spice on the nose. Heavy yet easy drinking. Slight notes of tobacco and black pepper.

Pair with lamb chops, pasta meat dishes. Drink now through 2017.

2113 Wine Club 1/15/14 Bordeaux, France

http://www.bordeaux.com/

2011 Chateaux Bellevue - Entre-Deux-Mers

This blend of Sauvignon and Semillion grapes is from the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux, France.

This is one of the most interesting and complex whites I have come across in a while. Its nuances are so powerful and numerous that every sip is a different experience. It has a powerfully funky nose, one of my club members said "It's like drinking wine and cheese together straight out of the glass." I absolutely love it and it is a tie for the wine of the week this week.

On the more technical side, the winery provides that the wine has notes of peaches and mangoes, with yellow fruit and a crisp body. I agree, but there is so much more underneath.

Pair with pears, asparagus, creamy pasta dishes, sushi.




2012 Paul Mas Picpoul De Pinet

88 Points and Best Buy from Wine & Spirits

Although from Southern France, I couldn't pass up brining this wine in to compare the differences in wine from Bordeaux and wines from Southern France.

This wine is briney, warm and smooth. Crisp, with a nose of apples and citrus. Palate is citrusy with the minerality as the leading character in this wine, smooth, long finish.

Pair with oysters.








2010 Chateau Bellevue Bordeaux Superieur

After being so impressed with the Entre-Deux-Mers I had to bring in the Bordeaux Superior. I must say right out of the gate, I was not impressed overall. While the wine expresses some of the expected traits of a Bordeaux Superior, a structured core, dry tannins, and a spicy nose, this wine delivers on all those points, then it just stops. The finish is nonexistent on this wine.

Disappointed but not heart broken. I would still drink this wine with a heavy steak.

Would like to try other vintages.








2011 Chateau Les Pasquets Rouge Bordeaux

This wine is a beauty! Off the nose a beautiful aroma of black and red fruits with a touch of spice and berry. The palate on this wine is phenomenal, full bodied and smooth, robust fruit with a finish of strawberry jam.

This wine will only get more complex, and I suspect more delicious, with age!

Pair with duck, heavy pasta dishes

2113 Wine Club 12/04/13 - Loire, France

This week at Wine Club we focused on the Loire Valley region of France. Loire is one of the largest and most diverse wine regions in France, producing virtually every type of wine. Loire, like Champagne, is close to the highest latitude that wine can be successfully grown. This cool climate makes for sharp and full fruit flavors that classify Loire wines. 

Domaine Pichot Vouvray 2012 

This wine is 100% Chenin Blanc and is considered Demi-Sec or off-dry. A very rich wine with a beautiful balance between dry and sweet. This wine pairs perfectly with pasta dishes prepared with a cream sauce, particularly with seafood or poultry. Very creamy mouthfeel and nice acidity throughout.

Muscadet Sevre & Maine Domaine de la Fruitiere "M" - 2012

100% Melon de Bourgogne (White Muscadet).

The Melon de Bourgogne grape, also called Muscadet, was brought to the region centuries ago from Burgundy. It flourished in this new environment and became famous in France for its ability to complement to saltiest of oysters and shellfish of the region. " - Tech Sheet

This was the favorite white of the evening. A very good balance of dry and acidity. Complex yet easy drinking.

Jean-Maurice Raffault Chinon - Les Galuches - 2011

"The Galuches lieu-dit is an ancient river bed of the Loire. The name of parcel derives from the presence of gravel. According the records from the era, vines were already well established in this sector by the 1830s. The Cabernet Franc ripens very well in the domaine’s 10 hectare holding on a sand and gravel soil. The Galuches is always among the first site to be picked because the soil warms up quickly and drains very well. The wine is very aromatic and is noted for its bouquet of violets, followed by lush and supple dark berry/cherry fruit."

 
 This Cabernet Franc has a great nose of dried violets, one of my favorite noses, and is a nice medium body red with a hint of dried fruit and possibly a dash of earth.

Pair with a rack of lamb.

Domaine Baron Touraine - Cot 2010

"Baron’s Cot is a deeply saturated, dark purple wine with juicy and spicy black cherry and kirsch flavors and characteristic Loire freshness and succulence."

Such a wonderful wine! The certain favorite of the night. Full of flavor and spice. Would recommend this wine as a French alternative with any pairings you would traditionally pair with a Malbec or Rioja.

I am making this my wine of the week!








Next week we will be focusing on Virginia wine at 2113 Wine Club. Come join us!