As I was in the neighorhood, I dropped by the weekly Saturday tasting at The Spirited Gourmet in Winchester. Every Saturday, from 4pm-7pm, they have a free wine tasting. This week, the wines were from France, Italy and California.
2006 Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas Blanc ($21.99) from Paso Robles, California: This winery was founded by the famous Perrin Family of Chateau Beaucastel in France. This wine blends Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Rousanne. It has a bit of a perfumy nose. It is a medium bodied wine with good citrus fruit flavors and a touch of floral notes. This was an interesting wine though not my preference.
2006 Domaine Pichot Vouvray ($15.99) from the Loire Valley, France: This wine is made of Chenin Blanc, which can be made in different styles from very dry to sweet. I prefer my Chenin to be on the dry side so this wine was not for me. It was on the sweeter side, though not cloyingly so. There was some good fruit flavors but the added sweetness would make this more of a dessert wine for me though it is not really intended as such. If you prefer sweet wines, you might enjoy this.
2005 Monte Antico Toscana ($13.99) from Tuscany, Italy: This is a Super Tuscan, a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose entices with ripe berry and the ripe fruit, cherry and raspberry, comes out in the taste as well. An easy drinking and delicious wine that is a bargain at this price. A good choice for pizza, pasta or a burger. A Drink & Buy recommendation.
2005 Bishops Peak Rock Solid Red ($13.99) from Pas Robles, California: This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. It had a bit of a sour smell to me. It has moderate tannins that could use some food to help mellow them and the taste has a bit of spice. This wine did not impress me.
2005 Bogle Phantom ($19.99) from California: This wine is a blend of Petite Sirah, Old Vine Zinfandel, and Old Vine Mourvedre. I have had different vintage of this wine before and have been impressed. This vintage did not disappoint. It is a bold, inky dark wine with lush dark fruits and plenty of spice. It has a long, satisfying finish and it an excellent value for the price. I highly recommend this as a Drink & Buy.
2007 Domaine Renardat-Fache Cerdun du Bugey Rose ($21.99) from Bugey, France: The Bugey appellation is very tiny and lies between Lyons and Geneva. This sparkling rose is a blend of Gamay, Poulsard of the Jura, Rousette and Mondeuse from Savoie along with Chardonnay. Three of those grapes were totally unfamilar to me and I had hopes this wine might interest me. But it didn't. It had a lot of red cherry flavor but was too sweet for my taste. It was a simple wine without the complexity I hoped for.
The Spirited Gourmet
600 Main Street
Winchester, MA
Phone: (781) 721-9463
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