No, I don't love every wine I drink. But since I'm starting this blog, I thought I might as well start with some wines I do like. Vacqueyras is a southern Rhone appellation, just to the north-east of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and this wine is a 75/25 blend of Grenache/Shiraz, two of the classic grapes of the region. It has good fruit (though not an Aussie fruit bomb), good complexity and excellent balance in the mid-note range. An old world wine with some new world character, I'd say. Kelly had this to say: "Reserved red fruit - raspberries, cranberries - evergreen and lavender on nose and palate. Long, ending with firm tannins." WineSpectator gave it a 91, and I'll go with that. Drinking well now.
Price: $25.29
Score: 91 [PS - but see comments. 89 is probably more accurate]
Value: 4/5
Tasted: January 2008
ANBL UPC: 631470000247
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This wine sounds interesting so I'm going to try it. Anyone else interested in trying the 2005 should pick it up asap as its no longer being supplied. The 2006 is being supplied instead however the NBliquor website hasn't updated the stock/details yet. I think in gereral 2005 was a better year than 2006.
ReplyDeleteThe Prospect St. store has only 2006 but I think the Brookdside store has some 2005 left.
Thanks for the info re availability. If you get a chance after you try it, leave a post and let me know what you thought.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe we tasted the same wine! After a fairly interesting and fruity nose, I found the wine pretty disappointing (tasted by 6 people I still had half a bottle left at the end of the night). I wanted to like it, and appreciated the 'reserved' fruit (I'l say plum-y) front and its old worldy bent, but just didn't find anything else compelling about it. Value wise I'd rate it slightly lower than 4/5.
ReplyDeleteVesper -- was that the '05 or the '06 that you tried?
ReplyDeleteIt was the '05.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Threw back a bit of the '05 immediately after opening and thought it a bit harsh, young, with a kicking finish -- all good traits in a rodeo bull, but a bit wearing in a wine. But things got better. Much better. After a while. After an hour it was balanced and full, long with tannins popping through. After an hour and a half it seemed to have a bit more complexity, thoroughly enjoyable and not a bad value although my personal holy grail has a smaller price tag on it, at least in my imagination.
ReplyDeleteI am trying the '06 Les Christins right now. When I was pouring it I thought it was lighter in color than anticipated, but once I had a glass in hand it wasn't so light afterall. A nice dark plum that extends very close to the rim. On the nose, I was surprised by the amount of fruit forward Shiraz, given the small percentage and the fact that this is a French wine. There is very evident scent of red cranberry, some cherry cough drops, and a bit of something between dark fruitcake and plum pudding. There is also leather, shiny squeaky leather, a refined top layer of a Burgundy Natuzzi armchair, and some licorice (signs of old world terroir, methinks) ...The first sip...very smooth on the whole mouth, and not as puckery as I thought for a relatively young wine. I am guessing limited oak aging. The mouth delivers a little under what the nose told my tastebuds to expect...less fruit. Wait, a fresh sip is seeing tannins not noticed in the first 5 ounces. Definitely a bit of complexity in the overall experience. Nice long finish, and refined tannins, the more I drink the more I sense some of those secondary flavours. Definitely a nice experience for ~$25
ReplyDeleteHi Vasco,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. Any thoughts as to score or value rating? I think your summary "a nice experience for $25" is right on - but maybe not a 91. And looking over the previous comments it seems that most people wouldn't score it that high. I'm thinking that I may have been overly influenced by the WineSpectator score when I scored it.
I think you hit it right on the nail...I would give it an 89...Just not quite enough there to put it in that 90+ bracket
ReplyDelete