 Click on the menu bar for additional selections from specific regions in France. |
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| Country: France Region: Grape Varietal: Type: Still wine La Ferme de Gicon 2004 Ctes du Rhne ($8.50)
This is a dark reddish-purple wine with a bright garnet edge, showing the bluish-purple colors that are often characteristic of a young red wine. Aromas are fresh and bright, ripe raspberries and spice. Juicy and tart, red-fruit flavors follow the nose; fresh and almost grapey with a dash of fragrant pepper. Mouth-watering acidity becomes more apparent in the finish. Fruit-forward, but plenty of acidity to provide good structure in a simple but appealing wine. FOOD MATCH: The wine's simple fruit and snappy acidity made it a surprisingly good match with a roast bone-in pork loin, which seemed to bring out the wine's grapey fruitiness. (Best Value 2006 Robin Garr: WineLovers.com) | | 
| Country: France Region: Grape Varietal: Type: Still wine Domaine de Pouy 2004 Vin de Pays des Ctes de Gascogne ($11.00) This is a clear, straw-color wine with fresh citrus aromas of lemon, lime and a touch of grapefruit. Crisp, clean and tart flavors, juicy citrus and zippy acidity, food-friendly and refreshing. A surprising tangy-citric aftertaste hung on and on, an odd but not unpleasant phenomenon. FOOD MATCH: An excellent seafood match, it went beautifully with fish cakes fashioned from leftover halibut and shredded potatoes. (Best value 2006 Robin Garr: WineLovers.com) |  Cuvee de Pena 2004($10): “blueberry and blackberry scented, light-bodied, satin-textured, good depth of fruit, wild dark berry flavors. 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Carignan. Maybe the world’s most versatile wine, it happily pairs with hot dogs, tuna casserole, gourmet burgers, roast prime rib of beef, fish sticks,
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| chinese carry-out, pizza... You get the picture.
The world’s friendliest red wine. “World’s Best Wine Values” Robert M. Parker, Jr.’s The Wine Advocate
Pena Cooperative President: Jean Christophe Bourquin and Pierre Vilert, Administrator.
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 |  Chateau de Lancyre 'Vieilles Vignes' 2003 ($20) is a concentrated, unoaked, cherry and raspberry nuanced blend of 65% Syrah, 35% Grenache. The vineyards are at 1500 feet and are surrounded on 3 sides by the Cevennes Mountains, so days are hot and mountain air cools the night allowing for a long growing season. Bernard Durand and Regis |
|  Valentin co-own the cellar (Picture). The Durands have grown wine here since the 1700's, Bernard since 1960. Durand's family's original 30 acres has grown to 180 acres, half in Pic Saint Loup, arguably the best district of Languedoc (RobertParker), Lancyre being the biggest producer. Food: "A fine match for roasted lamb.”
The WineSpectator |
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| Country: France Region: Grape Varietal: Type: Still wine Louis Jadot 2005 Beaujolais-Villages ($11.99)
This is a very dark reddish-violet wine, clear at the edge and almost black at the center. Its aromas and flavors are classic Beaujolais: Juicy strawberries and clean, "dusty" earthy notes, crisp and mouth-watering, refreshing and balanced. Fine Beaujolais, and about 30 minutes in the refrigerator brings it to a perfect serving temperature. FOOD MATCH: This summery red made a fine match with a light summer dinner of small portions of caprese (fresh tomato, fresh basil, creamy mozzarella and fruity olive oil) wrapped in bite-size prosciutto packets. (Best Value 2006 Robin Garr WineLovers.com) | 
| Country: France Region: Rhone Valley Grape Varietal: 75% Grenache, 25% Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault Type: Still Wine
Wine Advocate: 91 Points - Robert Parker
Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras 2004 ($16) "A superb example of a bargain-priced beauty is the 2004 Vacqueyras. This wine exhibits a dense plum/purple color as well as a sumptuous nose of roasted herbs, grilled meats, blackberries, sweet jammy cherries, and licorice. Boasting huge flavors, abundant glycerin, and a long, concentrated, pure, lightly tannic finish, it should age for 4-6 years. It reminds me of the top Vacqueyras cuvees from that appellation's benchmark domaine, Sang des Cailloux. There are 1,000 cases of this stunning effort for the U.S. marketplace. Don't miss it! This is a very special wine!"
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| Country: France Region: Rhone Valley Grape Varietal: 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah Type: Still Wine
Wine Advocate: 90 Points - Robert Parker
Domaine la Garrigue Cotes du Rhone 2004 ($13) "A stunning value, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Romaine is a 7,000-case blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. Its big, sweet bouquet of licorice, garrigue, kirsch liqueur, and black fruits is followed by a dense, opulent, medium to full-bodied, supple, luscious wine to enjoy over the next several years. This is a very special wine!"
Domaine de la Garrigue is one of the oldest in the area and is owned b the Bernard family. The vines were planted in the late 1940’s after the departure of the Germans. The climate here is suited extremely well to the growing of grapes that produce rich, full-bodied, spicy wines. Temperatures typically range in the 90’s during the summer growing months. | | 
| Country: France Region: Languedoc Rousillon Grape Varietal: Chardonnay Type: Still Wine
Novellum Chardonnay 2005 ($13)
The Languedoc region of France has for too long been a qualitative also-ran. Blessed by a warm, temperate Mediterranean climate and many ideal sub-zones for quality grape cultivation, the Languedoc is now studded with growers who have made the shift from quantity to quality, often attempting to breathe new life into newly inherited or recently purchased properties. Novellum is produced not far from Montpellier, in an area that is protected from the temperature extremes found in other parts of the Languedoc, leading to a wine with better acid levels and an elegance and freshness rare in hot-climate whites. A cold soak of the must prior to fermentation, and a period during which the Chardonnay is passed over the lees of a Viognier also produced at the estate, gives this wine its unusual expressiveness. Noble rot-afflicted Viognier grapes show up in the finished wine as aromas of peaches, honey, and ripe pears. A final note—while textural, rich, and deep, this Chardonnay is also unoaked! It's nice to taste a wine of true fullness that has been allowed to retain its unsullied fruity character. The food pairing opportunities are endless. . . .
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