I think I’m definitely the Swirl-iest of the Swirl Girls these days – and that means I’m more than due for a round-up of all the wines I’ve been sipping. In fact, there’s been so much swirling and sipping in the last few months that there are too many wines to write about in one story. So I’ve decided to split up my reviews in a few different posts over the coming weeks.
Being SG Dry, I definitely prefer the dry and “dirty” terroir of the Old World. The French still make some of my favorite wines, though the Italians and Spanish are not far behind. Here are my thoughts on a selection of French wines I’ve tried recently. All wines were sent to Swirl Girls for review.
2007 Domaine Rémy Gresser Pinot Blanc – Alsace, France (from $20 online)
I always think that pinot blanc wines are pretty, and this one is no exception. A pale straw color in the glass, the wine has a soft nose of apples, pear and citrus fruits with white flowers and a nice minerality. It’s light on the palate with more apples, flowers and minerals, some acidity to balance and a clean, short finish.
2010 Les Deux Rives Rosé – Corbieres, France ($10 online)
I’m not too picky when it comes to rosé wines. I expect them to be fresh, fruity and enjoyable little sippers for the summer months when my reds are too heavy. This vibrant peachy-colored wine from the south of France is just that. It’s a blend of 40 percent syrah, 40 percent grenache and 20 percent cinsault. It’s got a very minerally nose with just a hint of sweet nectarine, cherry and raspberry fruit. The minerality carries through on the palate and the wine finishes clean and dry. It’s a simple summer sipper, nothing to go crazy about but perfectly enjoyable.
2010 Le jaja de jau syrah rosé – vin de pays d’oc, France (from $8 online)
This syrah-based rosé comes from the foothills of the Pyrenees in southern France. It’s a very pale ruby color with a fruity nose of strawberry, cherry and hints of spice. It’s all sweet fruit and softness on the palate without much acidity to balance it out. The fruit tastes slightly candied, like strawberry jolly ranchers. The finish is dry but still fruity.
2010 Prieuré de Montézargues – Tavel, France (from $19 online)
Yet another rose, but this one a bit more enjoyable than the previous two. Tavel is one of the premier regions for making rosé wine in France and this one is a nice example. It’s a deep cotton candy color in the glass and has an aroma of sweet strawberries balanced by a lovely minerality. It’s medium-bodied on the palate with more ripe, candied strawberry flavors and minerality. It’s got a nice acidic structure and a clean, dry finish.
2008 Le Domaine Saget Pouilly Fumé – Loire Valley, France (from $31 online)
Winner, winner, chicken dinner! This is probably my favorite of the French wines I’ve tried in the last few months. I’m a huge fan of Loire Valley wines, especially the crisp, dry sauvignon blancs made in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. These two wine regions lie on opposite sides of the Loire River and set the benchmark for sauvignon blanc around the world. Because of a difference in the soils of the two regions, Sancerre generally produces more delicate wines, while those from Pouilly-Fumé tend to have a fuller body and more structure.
Guy Saget is a leading producer in the Loire. The family-owned winery is in its ninth generation, now led by brothers Jean-Louis and Christian. The 2008 Le Domaine Saget Pouilly-Fumé is a bright, racy white wine with ripe lemon, white grapefruit and white flower aromas and mineral notes. It’s got a lovely weight in the mouth, a nice acidity and a long finish. It’s a lovely, refreshing wine for the summer season and a great pairing for light seafood dishes.
2009 Domaine la Perriere Sancerre – Loire Valley, France (from $19 online)
Sancerre is probably the most well-known and well-regarded region in the world for making sauvignon blanc. The domaine was created in 1910 by Magloire Archambault, one of the pioneers of the Sancerre appellation. Since 1996, the domaine has been owned and managed by the Saget family. The domaine has about 40 hectares of sauvignon blanc plantings. Part of these holdings are on flinty ground, which gives the wines a fleshy character and ageworthiness.
The wine is a pale straw color in the glass and has a fresh, ripe nose of lemon, honeydew melon, grass, white flowers and a stony minerality. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, round and smooth with a racy acidity to balance and a dry, minerally finish. It’s a nice example of the varietal in this region.
2010 Georges Duboeuf Chateau des Capitans – Juliénas, Beaujolais (from $12 online)
This wine is like a party in the glass with a bright magenta color and a fresh and fruity nose of cherry bubble gum. There’s a nice smoky, toasted oak element as well. On the palate, it’s full of red cherries and raspberries and feels lush and fruity in the mouth with soft tannins but balanced by a nice acidity. It’s everything one would expect from a Cru Beaujolais.
2009 Domaine les Bastides d’ Eole – Vacqueyras, France ($15.99 at ABC)
Located on the upper Garrigues plateau in the heart of the Vacqueyras region of the Rhone Valley, this rustic red wine is a classic blend of 70 percent grenache, 25 percent syrah and 5 percent mourvèdre. It’s full of blackberry, blueberry and spice with hints of grilled herbs and a gravelly minerality. The nose is slightly hot. On the palate it’s medium-bodied and dry with firm tannins and slightly tart fruit. Like many wines from this region, it reminds me of a sun-baked and calloused old farmer braving the elements to work his fields.