Wine Review of Domaine de la Curniere Vacqueyras
October 3, 2010
Grapes
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre
Facts
Up until 1990, Vacqueyras [Vah-keh-rahss] was a simple Cote-du-Rhone Village, but the consistently high quality of wine being produced in the appellation, earned it an upgrade to Vacqueyras.
Vacqueyras wines often need several years of aging before their full potential is reached. The wines are often very powerful, with high alcohol to boot, but still fairly easy-drinking.
Like its more prestigious neighbors, Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the wines of Vacqueyras are permitted to use only a blend of the 13 grape varieties permitted in the region. These grapes are: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Muscardin, Cournoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan, Vaccarese. Quite the mouthful!
Don’t spend too long getting to know all 13 grapes. Usually, Vacqueyras wines are a of minimum 50% Grenache, with 20% Syrah and/or Mourvèdre, and a dash of Cinsault.
Grenache is the main grape in many Rhone blends and Cotes du Rhone wines. It is one of the world’s most widely-planted grapes, and produces wines that are a true expression of the region where it is grown.
Place
Vacqueyras is located toward the southern end of the Rhône Valley in France, and produces a majority red wine with a small amount of white and rose.
Wine has been produced in Vacqueyras since the 15th century.
The red wine from Vacqueyras can be much like the wines from Gigondas but for some reason Vacqueyras rarely manages to match their northern sibling.
The climate in the region is Mediterranean, and it yields a long, hot, dry growing season which ensures optimum ripeness for grapes in its vineyards.
Tasting Notes
It’s been more than a year since I tasted a Vacqueyras. The Domaine de la Curniere is very aromatic on the nose, quite concentrated, showing dark berries, strawberry and dried herbs. Needed plenty of swirling to get it to open.
The oak is fairly prevalent up front on the palate. Anise, strawberry, cassis and plenty of tannin and acidity, leading me to believe it could do with a few more years in the bottle. Very chewy. Certainly needs food, and make sure you decant!
Food Pairing
I’m going to strongly suggest you pair the Domaine de la Curniere with food, or you don’t drink at all! Try grilled red meats, chicken liver pate, lamb, rabbit, escargot and cassoulets.
Price
$16.99
Posted in Reviews | Tagged France, Grenache, Rhone | Leave a comment //Video Wine Review of Apothic Red Blend
October 3, 2010
Grapes: Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot
Region: California (nowhere specific)
Price: $10-12 retail
Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment //
Wine Review of Botani Moscatel Seco
October 1, 2010
Grape
100% Moscatel (Muscat)
Muscat is one of the most versatile grapes in the world, producing everything from drier-styles of white wine (such as the Botani), to sparkling wines, all the way through to late-harvest dessert wines. Muscat also has an incredibly long history in wine-making, in fact scientists from the University of Pennsylvania when analyzing pots from King Midas’s burial mound, concluded that wine made from Muscat was one of the alcoholic beverages served at his funeral feast!
Facts
The Muscat grapes for the Botani are sourced from 70 year old vines.
70% of the wine is fermented in stainless steel and 30% in French oak.
The Botani received 91 points from Robert Parker at The Wine Advocate.
As an importer of some of the best Spanish wines in the U.S, Jorge Ordonez has been fighting to bring the wine of Spain wines out of obscurity since 1987. When looking at a bottle of Spanish wine, look for the Jorge Ordoñez importer information on the back of Spanish wines, it’s close to a 100% guarantee of quality of the juice in the bottle. I know for a fact that I haven’t tasted a single-one of his wines that I didn’t think was anything less than outstanding.
Place
Spain is located between 36° and 44° north, on the same latitude as Italy (between Sicily and Tuscany) and California (between Central Oregon and the Central Coast of California).
The Botani comes from the Málaga wine growing region of Spain, within the larger Andalucia region.
The climate in the region is Mediterranean, meaning hot and dry conditions with little rainfall.
Málaga is an area that has produced sweet wines since Roman times. It used to be that wines made in the Malaga region were predominantly sweet, however with international changes in taste, winemakers have been pursuing drier styles.
Tasting Notes
Green, grassy, floral and minerally on the nose. The wine shows multiple dimensions on the palate; green apple, orange, grapefruit with subtle white flowers and fresh squeezed lime acidity. A hint of anise and spice toward the medium finish.
Food Pairing
Dry styles of Muscat pair very well with smoked ham, soft cheeses, light curries, shellfish, seafood, vegetarian dishes, quiche, omelets, sushi or risotto.
Availability
For the first time ever since starting this blog I for the life in me cannot remember where I bought this wine from!
Recommended retail I know is around $14.99-$16.99. If you stumble across it, let me know where you find it!
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