Château Rouget Grand Vin Pomerol 2008 Bordeaux Red Wine, $42.49-$49.99, 89 points, was core black grading ruby to brick red with a broad clear wine ring.
Aromas of shy soft clove, cinnamon, and coffee notes with hints of bourbon and black cherry were good.
Medium-plus body was luscious enough to give a full-bodied impression, but mid-palate thinness was conflicting.
Fair to good acidity with comfortably round supportive tannin managed flavors of plum, pomegranate, coffee, and savory with some finesse.
Finished fair on good lingering spices and a warm 14% alcohol.
Commentary: This was one of the first Bordeaux wines I bought, back then, maybe five years ago, I was hesitant to buy Bordeaux, because of the cost verses value uncertainty, and without having researched this wine, looking back, my hesitation was justified. Not a bad wine, just not up to the standards of a $50 bottle of red wine; maybe a 2010 vintage would justify the cost, but I haven't seen that wine offered in New Hampshire.
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Château De Carles 2011 Grand Vin De Bordeaux Red Bordeaux, $12.99-$27.99, 90 points, appeared deep ruby-red trending crushed black currant purple/red with a broad clear wine ring and leggy glass wall.
Aromas of toasty blackberry, mocha, and freshly laundered linen were quite good.
Near full-bodied with good acidity, appropriately supportive tannin, and flavors of licorice, plum, blackberry, and mocha were rich.
Finished long with warm spices and the 14.5% alcohol on the trailing palate.
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Domaine Tempier Bandol 2014 Rosé, $34.84-$40.99, 91 points, was a ripe peach color.
The lovely floral strawberry aroma impressed.
Light-bodied, but with a rounder feel and a more complex flavor profile than that would imply.
Good acidity carried an array of red fruit and hints of hibiscus and jasmine flower flavors.
Finished long with gentle spice notes, a slightly noticeable alcohol, hints of ripe pear and a slightly tacky melon rind.
Varietals were 50% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 2% Carignan.
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Talking about wine, does it preclude drinking it or does it facilitate drinking the stuff? Is the very mention of the questions counting the number of angels on a pin?
As a bird watcher, I think bird watching is about looking out my window, listening to bird songs as I walk to my car in the morning on my way to work, but sometimes it's about focusing on one goal in mind: strapping on my binoculars, packing my bird guide(s), dressing for the occasion, and walking the woods, braving the beach for phalaropes and gannets, strolling along the river trails careening my head this way and that way, and even scoping-out the town dump for Ivory gulls.
What does this have to do with drinking wine? The idea that we must say wine is this and wine is that means little if anything at all; wine is what it is to individuals, all with their own motives, but just to be glib, let us say that wine is about a way of living, purely a beverage, a poor way to get inebriated, a complement to food, or even the paraphernalia of status, but whatever reason you drink wine, let us admit that for some of us, our interest in wine motivates us to strap on our camera, pack our trip brochures, adorn ourselves with touring vestments, and begin strolling the vineyards, the wine caves, and listening to the praises of the wine makers and hostesses, but don't forget: smelling, tasting, spitting, and just plain drinking wine, red wine, white wine, port, ice wine, rosé wine, etcetera, is the end goal.
Yes, I think talking about wine facilitates drinking the stuff, and doing so with a greater understanding and appreciation is a good thing; after all, wine is more than "sunlight held together by water", it's you and me and Bobby McGee "from Kentucky. . . to the California sun."
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Château Maine D'Arman Côtes De Bourg 2010 Bordeaux Red Wine, $10.09-$12.99, 88+ points, poured a deep purple/red with a broad clear wine ring and considerable sediment (decant).
Fragrant soft floral aromas with hints of sandalwood and ripe blackberry were excellent.
Medium-plus body with good acidity and firm appropriate tannin managed a somewhat oaky ripe blackberry flavor with hints of dried herbs and savory.
Finished fair on the trailing palate, licorice, plum, a hint of mint, soft spice notes, and a warm 14.5% alcohol.
Château Maine D'Arman Côtes De Bourg 2010 Bordeaux is another high QPR Bordeaux befitting most any dinner table, and at this price, you're not going to be disappointed (good entry level Red Bordeaux can be hit-or-miss).
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Château Mylord Cuvée Milady 2009 Grand Vin De Bordeaux Red Wine, $12.99, 88 points, poured purple/red with maroon tones trending brick-red near the broad clear wine ring.
Exceptionally shy aromas of underbrush, truffle, and plum were just okay.
Medium-plus body with good acidity and an unobtrusive underlayment of tannin carried flavors of mulberry, hints of anise, and a not quite ripe black currant.
Finished well with a whisper of coffee bean, good red pepper, and an appropriate 14% alcohol.
An excellent red table wine, but I enjoyed it solo too.
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Castellare 2014 Chianti Classico, $17.84-$24.99, 89+ points, poured a bright cranberry red with a broad clear wine ring and leggy glass bowl.
The nose was a fruity strawberry, blueberry, and just a hint of chocolate.
Medium-bodied, mouth-watering acidity, and firm supportive tannin managed well the fruity flavors of the nose.
Finished long with a hint of spearmint, mild spices, anise, hints of oak, and the well-integrated 13.5% alcohol.
Just as a side note, I liked this wine better on the second day.
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