the wines of france
June 23, 2008
Thanks to the over 50 guests that came to the French wine tasting Friday night, July 23 at the Armory Center.
It was a fun event despite the evening heat, with 13 classic French wines. Below you’ll find a summary of the
wines served, and some of my own personal notes about them. We hope you enjoyed yourself, and hope to
see you at the next event!
1. Domaine du Martinolles, Cremant de Limoux, (Languedoc)
This was a great way to start off the evening. This bubbly had a great nose of white bread and shortbread
cookies! There was a nice hint of complexity, with fresh, white fruit and a clean, long finish as well as great
balance. It was one of my favorites of the night. I could have mistaken this for lighter Champagne. Great
value. I gave it 90 points. $18.99
2. 2006 Mas de Soleilla, “Reserve Blance”, Coteaux du Languedoc, La Clape (Languedoc)
All agreed that this was quite a stunning white wine. It had tons of character, flavor, and was really appealing.
This had a nice rich nose, a bit candied, with earthy tones with ripe sweet fruit juice. It hinted at Classic
“Rhone character”, but more accessible. Very nice, structured, and rich. 92 points Wine Spectator. My score:
91. $34.99
3. 2005 Mas de Soleilla, “Les Bartelles”, Coteaux du Languedoc, La Clape (Languedoc)
This wine packed quite a punch, and was very generous with black fruit flavors. It had a big nose with vanilla,
ripe black fruits, licorice, a bit of tar, and ripe berry fruit. It had lots of smooth tannins and a nice rich body. I
enjoyed this much. Very classy New-World style wine. WS: 92; My score: 91. $34.99
4. 2005 Chateau La Tour Leognan, Pessac-Leognan (Bordeaux)
I smelled nuances of white raisins, really nice mineral notes and a touch of fruitcake in a medium bodied wine.
In the mouth it was very smooth with a good dose of tart acidity in the back of the mouth. Very good classy
stuff. Made by the same people who make the famous Chateau Carbonieu just next door. My score: 90
points. $23.99
5. 2005 Chateau Caronne St. Gemme, Haut-Medoc (Bordeaux)
This wine had classic Medoc notes of tobacco leaf and earth in a core of cassis and blackberry. It had a rich
mouthfeel, and tight tannins with great structure. Still very young, but it nonetheless showed well. I think in 3
years it will round out nicely. This was a very nice wine showing great typicity of the region. The 15 months of
oak was very well integrated. WS: 92 points; I didn’t go quite that far with (another) 90 points. $24.99
6. 2006 Domaine Gerard Tremblay, Chablis, Montmain, Premier Cru (Burgundy)
Chablis is known for un-oaked, austere, sometimes sharply acidic and minerally wines. That’s why I love
Chablis. However, this particular example left me a bit confused. For a Premier Cru, I think it should have
been more elegant and complex. I found it to be, as one of our tasters described, “dirty”, and musty. It may
have served well with a charcuterie plate or olives, but tonight it was my least favorite. You can’t win them all.
My score: 86. $31.99
7. 2004 Domaine Joseph Voillot, Pommard (Burgundy)
The color on this was a beautiful, very light red, with slight brick color. When we tasted this, we smelled a nice
dose of Horseradish right off the bat! Very intriguing! After those elements blew off, there were slight green
vegetal underpinnings which was a little distracting, but not off-putting. This is very typical of 2004
Burgundies. I loved the flavors in the mouth of red fruit and earth, and especially the nice concentration with
silky, soft, tannins and good structure. I had to divide my score in two this time! Nose: 87; Mouth: 90. $42.99
8. 2006 Leon Vatan, “Les Moulins Bales”, Sancerre (Loire)
I have a special love for Sancerre with its grassy, minerally, tropical fruit aromas and dry crisp mouth. This
particular bottling did not disappoint. It possessed the typical grassy notes, along with flinty minerals and
lemon and citrus flavors. It had a shorter finish, but over all it was clean and crisp. Very pleasant in the heat.
My score: 89 points. $25.99
9. 2006 Domaine du Grand Breviandre, Chinon (Loire)
There are basically two types of Chinon made in the Loire—lighter versions made on sandy soils near the
river banks, and richer, more concentrated ones made in clay and chalky “tuffa” soils from the area. This was
a very light version of the Cabernet Franc grape. It has a clear bright red color, and a tart cherry nose with
hints of pine and maybe grape gum. I loved the mineral aspect in the mouth. A great youthful summer wine to
serve a bit chilled. Tasty and simple, almost like a Beaujolais or a darker rosé. My score: 88. $15.99
10. 2005 Domaine Bernhard and Reibel, Gewurztraminer “Hahnenberg” (Alsace)
This wine was light yellow, and had nice pineapple, tropical fruit, and a slight spiciness to it (“gewurz” meaning
“spice” in German). Later I detected a very nice rose petal aspect which was lovely. Fairly simple, but still a
classic French Gewurztraminer. My score: 88. $24.99
11. 2004 Domaine Bernhard and Reibel, Riesling, “Weingarten” (Alsace)
These two Alsatian wines are both from single vineyards, this Riesling from the “Weingarten” vineyard. It was
darker yellow than the Gewurztraminer, and had a nose of white peach, some pineapple juice--just out of the
can, (which would explain the slight metallic smell I perceived!). This was a bit richer than the above, and had
nice balance. Again, a very good classic example of a Riesling from this region. My score: 89. $20.99
12. 2004 Vignerons de Saint Hilaire, Saint Joseph (Rhone)
This had a clear, bright, dark red-purple color—failry light for 100% Syrah. But like Chinon, there are two
main styles of St. Joseph. The flavors were like “juicy juice”, blueberries and other mixed red berries. Very
light tannins, but easy to drink, accessible, and friendly. Almost Burgundy like. This is a good everyday wine,
and especially suitable for a summer red. My score: 88. $21.99
13. 2005 Domaine de la Mavette, Gigondas (Rhone)
Yummy! This blend of Rhone grapes made me think of pepper and blackberries mashed together in a stone
bowl, with earth and leather mixed in for good measure. I loved the dusty Rhone smells along with the dark,
ripe fruit present in the nose. Fairly rustic tannins in a medium body, but it possessed classic Gigondas
character. I liked this a lot. My score: 90 points. $25.99
It was a fun event despite the evening heat, with 13 classic French wines. Below you’ll find a summary of the
wines served, and some of my own personal notes about them. We hope you enjoyed yourself, and hope to
see you at the next event!
1. Domaine du Martinolles, Cremant de Limoux, (Languedoc)
This was a great way to start off the evening. This bubbly had a great nose of white bread and shortbread
cookies! There was a nice hint of complexity, with fresh, white fruit and a clean, long finish as well as great
balance. It was one of my favorites of the night. I could have mistaken this for lighter Champagne. Great
value. I gave it 90 points. $18.99
2. 2006 Mas de Soleilla, “Reserve Blance”, Coteaux du Languedoc, La Clape (Languedoc)
All agreed that this was quite a stunning white wine. It had tons of character, flavor, and was really appealing.
This had a nice rich nose, a bit candied, with earthy tones with ripe sweet fruit juice. It hinted at Classic
“Rhone character”, but more accessible. Very nice, structured, and rich. 92 points Wine Spectator. My score:
91. $34.99
3. 2005 Mas de Soleilla, “Les Bartelles”, Coteaux du Languedoc, La Clape (Languedoc)
This wine packed quite a punch, and was very generous with black fruit flavors. It had a big nose with vanilla,
ripe black fruits, licorice, a bit of tar, and ripe berry fruit. It had lots of smooth tannins and a nice rich body. I
enjoyed this much. Very classy New-World style wine. WS: 92; My score: 91. $34.99
4. 2005 Chateau La Tour Leognan, Pessac-Leognan (Bordeaux)
I smelled nuances of white raisins, really nice mineral notes and a touch of fruitcake in a medium bodied wine.
In the mouth it was very smooth with a good dose of tart acidity in the back of the mouth. Very good classy
stuff. Made by the same people who make the famous Chateau Carbonieu just next door. My score: 90
points. $23.99
5. 2005 Chateau Caronne St. Gemme, Haut-Medoc (Bordeaux)
This wine had classic Medoc notes of tobacco leaf and earth in a core of cassis and blackberry. It had a rich
mouthfeel, and tight tannins with great structure. Still very young, but it nonetheless showed well. I think in 3
years it will round out nicely. This was a very nice wine showing great typicity of the region. The 15 months of
oak was very well integrated. WS: 92 points; I didn’t go quite that far with (another) 90 points. $24.99
6. 2006 Domaine Gerard Tremblay, Chablis, Montmain, Premier Cru (Burgundy)
Chablis is known for un-oaked, austere, sometimes sharply acidic and minerally wines. That’s why I love
Chablis. However, this particular example left me a bit confused. For a Premier Cru, I think it should have
been more elegant and complex. I found it to be, as one of our tasters described, “dirty”, and musty. It may
have served well with a charcuterie plate or olives, but tonight it was my least favorite. You can’t win them all.
My score: 86. $31.99
7. 2004 Domaine Joseph Voillot, Pommard (Burgundy)
The color on this was a beautiful, very light red, with slight brick color. When we tasted this, we smelled a nice
dose of Horseradish right off the bat! Very intriguing! After those elements blew off, there were slight green
vegetal underpinnings which was a little distracting, but not off-putting. This is very typical of 2004
Burgundies. I loved the flavors in the mouth of red fruit and earth, and especially the nice concentration with
silky, soft, tannins and good structure. I had to divide my score in two this time! Nose: 87; Mouth: 90. $42.99
8. 2006 Leon Vatan, “Les Moulins Bales”, Sancerre (Loire)
I have a special love for Sancerre with its grassy, minerally, tropical fruit aromas and dry crisp mouth. This
particular bottling did not disappoint. It possessed the typical grassy notes, along with flinty minerals and
lemon and citrus flavors. It had a shorter finish, but over all it was clean and crisp. Very pleasant in the heat.
My score: 89 points. $25.99
9. 2006 Domaine du Grand Breviandre, Chinon (Loire)
There are basically two types of Chinon made in the Loire—lighter versions made on sandy soils near the
river banks, and richer, more concentrated ones made in clay and chalky “tuffa” soils from the area. This was
a very light version of the Cabernet Franc grape. It has a clear bright red color, and a tart cherry nose with
hints of pine and maybe grape gum. I loved the mineral aspect in the mouth. A great youthful summer wine to
serve a bit chilled. Tasty and simple, almost like a Beaujolais or a darker rosé. My score: 88. $15.99
10. 2005 Domaine Bernhard and Reibel, Gewurztraminer “Hahnenberg” (Alsace)
This wine was light yellow, and had nice pineapple, tropical fruit, and a slight spiciness to it (“gewurz” meaning
“spice” in German). Later I detected a very nice rose petal aspect which was lovely. Fairly simple, but still a
classic French Gewurztraminer. My score: 88. $24.99
11. 2004 Domaine Bernhard and Reibel, Riesling, “Weingarten” (Alsace)
These two Alsatian wines are both from single vineyards, this Riesling from the “Weingarten” vineyard. It was
darker yellow than the Gewurztraminer, and had a nose of white peach, some pineapple juice--just out of the
can, (which would explain the slight metallic smell I perceived!). This was a bit richer than the above, and had
nice balance. Again, a very good classic example of a Riesling from this region. My score: 89. $20.99
12. 2004 Vignerons de Saint Hilaire, Saint Joseph (Rhone)
This had a clear, bright, dark red-purple color—failry light for 100% Syrah. But like Chinon, there are two
main styles of St. Joseph. The flavors were like “juicy juice”, blueberries and other mixed red berries. Very
light tannins, but easy to drink, accessible, and friendly. Almost Burgundy like. This is a good everyday wine,
and especially suitable for a summer red. My score: 88. $21.99
13. 2005 Domaine de la Mavette, Gigondas (Rhone)
Yummy! This blend of Rhone grapes made me think of pepper and blackberries mashed together in a stone
bowl, with earth and leather mixed in for good measure. I loved the dusty Rhone smells along with the dark,
ripe fruit present in the nose. Fairly rustic tannins in a medium body, but it possessed classic Gigondas
character. I liked this a lot. My score: 90 points. $25.99