Saturday, September 22, 2012

LE Mistral Monterey County 2007 Red Wine


LE Mistral Monterey County 2007 Red Wine, $19.99-$38.99, 90 points, has a garnet to Burgundy color with some sediment.
The aroma is near muted with hints of spice, earth, and a hint of alcohol (14.5%).
The dominant feature of this wine is the texture, which is smooth and velvety, with mild acidity, mellow to unnoticeable tannin, and a round mouth-feel.
"THE Mistral" or Masterful, of Southern Rhône Valley of France has as primary varietals Syrah and Grenache. 
This is not a sweet wine, yet may appeal to those who like sweet red wines simply because it is so easy to drink. 
The flavor is nearly as muted as the aroma, but licorice and damson plum are enough to carry into the fair finish of spice.
I paired this with a tenderloin and wasn't disappointed, but I'd say this wine may just be on its descent. 



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4 comments:

  1. Is this the current incarnation of the Joseph Phelps "Le Mistral" Rhone blend?

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    1. Bill, this is the product of Ventana winery, founded ("incarnation") by Joseph Phelps.
      I did add to the body of the post the dominant varietals. The name "LE Mistral" does refer to the Southern Rhône Valley of France, but could refer to the strong winds of the region, or the Province.
      WS did give this wine 92 points, and I did like this wine a little better the second day. If I were looking for a red-wine to drink tonight and found this available for under twenty bucks, I'd grab it; if I wanted to cellar it, I'd think twice!

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    2. Very good. Back in the early 90s I went to a tasting at In Good Taste, a little wine/gourmet food shop in Charleston, SC where a rep from Joseph Phelps poured us 100ml or so of all the components of the "Le Mistral" blend and let us try to re-create it; or come up with something better. He was rather dismissive of my efforts.

      Ran into the same rep at a tasting in Atlanta a few years later and he completely blew me off when I was asked him a question about one of the wines. I swore then and there that I would never buy another bottle of Joseph Phelps wine. I don't normally harbor a grudge like that, but it's been with me for two decades.

      I'm sure Phelps is really feeling the pinch from my lack of support :)

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    3. Bill, you probably have a good sense as to what kind of a person I am, but I'm a "humanist" in the truest sense of the word, and I always feel that you can tell what a person is like by how he/she treats people that cannot benefit themselves, i.e. old ladies on the street (not that you couldn't benefit JP's winery or that you are an old lady;-).
      I can't tell how wonderful you, John, Claire, Nick, Dave, and others have been to me(All much more knowledgeable about wine than I am). Even though it's a virtual-reality-cyber relationship,still quite pleasant, but as a rule, I've met some pretty unreasonably proud folk who will never die, some don't even have go to the restroom.

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