The Grape Crusader

Winery: Bonny Doon Vineyards

Bottling: 2004 Le Cigare Volant (35% Syrah, 38% Grenache, 12% Mourvedre, 8% Carignane, 7% Cinsault)

Region: California

Sub-Region: Santa Cruz Mountains

Estimated Retail Price: $30 – $35

Purchase Details: Purchased for $44 off the wine menu at Spork SF in the Mission District neighborhood of San Francisco.  A great deal considering restaurant pricing.

Tasting Notes: In the glass, pretty violet hues.  On the nose, spices and wild berries.  In the mouth, flavors of cherry, blueberry, pepper and dried herbs.  Tightly wound and taut tannins and a fairly long finish.  I think this wine has a nice blend of savory and sweet flavor components.  The sweet kirsch flavors are very apparent as well as the spiciness and meatiness of the wine and they work very well together to balance out the wine and give it a little yin and yang flavor dance.

This is a new world wine with an old-world sensibility that can easily age for several more years.  I think its worth having several bottles lying around the home cellar.

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Unfortunate zuchinni in the background, awaiting their fate.

Winery: Chateau Trinquevedel

Bottling: 2008 Tavel Rose

Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants

Region: France

Sub-Region:  Tavel, Southern Rhone Valley

Estimated Retail Price: $17

Purchase Details: Purchased directly from Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants in Berekeley, California for around $17.

Tasting Notes: In the glass, a saturated and intense, dark pink hue.  On the nose, ripe red stone fruits and ripe strawberries.  In the mouth, flavors of ripe strawberry and spice.  The wine is firm, rich and juicy and has a dry tea like, but surprisingly refreshing finish.  Although the fruit takes center stage here, the wine never seems heavy or cloying and retains a nice fresh quality.

I’m not sure what the grape make up is on this particular Tavel, but the grapes that are typically used include grenache, syrah, cinsault, mouvedre and carignan (not to exceed more than 10%).  Also, not one grape can exceed more than 60% of the blend.

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Winery: Domaine de Fontsainte

Bottling: 2007 Cobieres Rouge (60% Carignan, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah)

Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant

Region: France

Sub-Region: Corbieres, Languedoc-Roussillon

Estimated Retail Price: $13

Purchase Details: Purchased for $12.95 plus tax directly from Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant in Berkeley, California.

Tasting Notes: In the glass, the wine exhibits a purple and ruby color.  On the nose, dark fruits and fennel.  In the mouth, flavors of dark and red fruits – raspberries, boysenberries, blackberries, charcoal, black pepper, fire roasted herbs and a little meat.  Vibrant acidity, clean, but firm tannins, a medium-bodied texture and weight and a dry finish complete the ride with this wine.  I think we drunk the wine too quickly as it could have benefited from a little more air.  I also think you could lay this down for a couple of years for future enjoyment.

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Winery: Le Pigeoulet en Provence Rouge, F. & D. Brunier

Bottling: 2007 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge (80% Grenache, 10% syrah, 5% Cinsault and 5% Carignan)

Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merhcant

Region: France

Sub-Region: Vin de Pays de Vaucluse

Estimated Retail Price: $20.00

Purchase Details: Purchased directly from Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant in Berkeley, California for approximately $16.95.

Tasting Notes: In the glass, a dark red and purple tinge.  On the nose, red and black fruit aromas of raspberries and plum.  In the mouth, flavors of herbs that were roasted over an open campfire, ripe raspberries, cherries and pomegranate.  Medium grained tannins, medium body in weight and food friendly acidity.  A very well balanced wine with no highs, lows or curve balls.  Goes from lips to stomach in a nice seamless fashion.

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I did a little bit of a double-take when I saw this wine on the shelf, because if my memory served me right, Marc Kreydenweiss is a well-known producer of wines from Alsace.  This was a Costieres de Nimes, red, grenache-syrah-mourvedre blend that’s nowhere near an Alsatian white wine.

Nevertheless, I promptly grabbed this off the shelf.  Even though I haven’t posted very many reviews on Cotes du Rhone, Languedoc, Southern France regional red blends, I’m a big fan of these value priced, “cheap” bottles of wine.  I never hesitate to grab one off the shelf.  They’re great to have around the house for any occasion.  Note to yourself, lots of great wines $15 and under can be had from these regions.

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