winewaves

The Hunt for October Red

Click for a larger picture of these bottles.

The hunt for October red has turned up a whole lot of alternatives. Here are four to get the week off on the right track. I love them all and have repeated them in search of my favorite. I can't say which is best because they're all top notch, each perfect for the season, and each priced at about $15 or under per bottle. Two are from Spain, continuing on my October theme; one is French and one from Washington State. Perhaps the balance of the month will turn up something from California.

Eric Soloman's European Cellars is an importer many people trust. It's like a seal of approval for any Spanish wine in the eyes of many value conscious Americans. Eric brings us Capçanes Mas Donís Montsant Red 2004 ($15) and Mas Que Vinos Ercavio Tempranillo Roble 2005 ($13). Both are deep purple in the glass, but the Ercavio has more of an unfiltered appearance, showing some haziness under a halogen beam.

Mas Donís 2004 is mostly old-vine Grenache (80% Grenache with 20% Syrah) and has a perfumed black cherry nose with teaberry and hints of pencil lead. The body is medium, the flavor's tart and the mouth feel is moderately tannic. The cherry fruit along with some vanilla flavors come together nicely in the dusty dry finish. The only thing I don't like is the plastic cork. Why must anyone use that blasted plastic cork? Alcohol content: 14%.

Ercavio Tempranillo 2005 spent 5 months in French American oak and has a lovely aroma of black raspberry, loganberry and apple pie spice, plus the scent of a tobacco shop. Lush and fruit forward, this is what I would describe as a masculine comfort wine, and it would pair perfectly with a cheeseburger. The closure is a Nomacork*. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Jean-Philippe Bourgeois was the General Manager for Eric Solomon for 6 years, and now he is bringing French values to the American market. Château Capion 1C Rouge 2005 (Vin de Pays de l'Hérault, $13) is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and was barrel aged for 14 months. That sounds like a recipe for a great Bordeaux but this gem of a red comes from further south. Still you get the deep purple color and aromas of black currants, dark berries and hints of vanilla. The rich blackberry cobbler flavors envelop the mouth in a far reaching luscious dry finish.

The Magnificent Wine Company is the mass-production wing of K Vintners of Walla Walla, Washington. KV is the project of Charles Smith who brings us such magnificent wines as "The Creator". You might walk right past House Wine 2005 ($11) due to the rather "in your face" and non-standard graphics on the label. You might mistake it for a generic red blend but it's anything but. The blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 11% Syrah, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Here's another ideal Bordeaux blend, and the latitiude is virtually the same as Bordeaux. The resulting aromas and flavors are much better than the average house wine, with dark berry flavors and aromas, resolving nicely in to a lush dry finish that echoes the virtues of barrel aging. The closure is a real cork. Alcohol content: 13.9%.

*The Nomacork is a composite resin artificial cork that is similar to the Neocork, but the Nomacork brand is much more popular in terms of units sold.

Domaine D'Aupilhac Montpeyroux Languedoc 2004

The fastest and most economical way to get to the south of France may well be this luxurious cuvée that could also be called "the velvet underground". Open the bottle and you are there; this is the genuine article, bold and sophisticated.

Sylvain Fadat, proprietor of Domaine D'Aupilhac is the fifth generation to farm the Languedoc, near the village of Montpeyroux. Previously he grew white asparagus and melons before turning to wine grapes. Considered outspoken and wildly progressive, Sylvain champions the cause of delivering the best of the Languedoc to new world wine consumers.

With the help of his wife Desirée and the staff, Sylvain farms about 50 acres of grapes and is also the chief winemaker, marketer and "bottle washer". The 2004 vintage of Montpeyroux is a blend of 30% Mourvedre (a.k.a. Monastrell en España), 28% Carignan, 25% Syrah, 12% Grenache and 5% Cinsault. Aging was 20 months, underground, in large "old foudres" and oak barrels.

Outstanding value ($15). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.

Style: Fruit forward, lush, complex, unfiltered, some oak spice.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple cranberry with a nice unfiltered haze, nearly opaque. Aromas: Framboise, blackberry, dried blueberry, rose petals and hints of sweet spice. Medium to full-bodied with a firm structure, the generous fruit flavors take center stage joined by a bit of savory pepper, leading to a dry gravelly finish that evolves a bit of sophisticated oak spice.

Comment: A lot of people talk about terroir, but Sylvain Fadat delivers.

Winewaves reviewed the 2004 vintage of D'Aupilhac Lou Maset, a less aged cuvee.

Kermit Lynch is the importer.

Chateau De Combebelle St. Chinian Changes Hands

The new Combebelle label pictured above came to Winewaves from Catherine Wallace. Catherine and partner Patrick Keohane bought Domaine de Combebelle in December 2005. Winewaves reviewed the 2000 vintage of Combebelle's Syrah-Grenache in January, 2007, and incorrectly attributed current ownership of the property to Robert Eden. Eden was owner at the time that wine was made.

Wallace and Keohane are continuing with the 10 year history of biodynamics on the property. They will release a new Vin De Pays Rose in May of this year, and a white wine from contract grown fruit soon after. Current plans also include planting Roussanne and Marsanne in 2008 as well as Cinsault and Carignan in the future.

In describing their purchase of the property from Robert Eden, Wallace states, "I am living my dream of one day owning a vineyard in France and making wines in a region I fell in love with many years ago now! I knew from a fairly young age (8 or 9 years old) that I would one day become a vigneronne and a Master of Wine.  I have succeeded with the former and am working on the latter!"

Wallace is the principal winemaker and favors an approach which expresses the unique terroir. Wallace and Keohane are currently in talks with stateside importers to bring their new label to the U.S. soon. A summary of the change of ownership as provided by Wallace may be downloaded by clicking here.

The previous Robert Eden label is pictured (right - click the image for a larger version), or click here view the recent review of the 2000 vintage Combebelle Syrah Grenache.

Chateau de Combebelle St. Chinian Syrah-Grenache 2000 (Wine Blogging Wednesday #29 Jan. 2007)

It's alive, the soil and the wine!  What a fine find, divine and kind.

Situated in the "Catbird seat", nearly 1000 feet up from the sea, in the oft overlooked St. Chinian appellation in the center of the Languedoc in southern France above Beziers is the tiny 50-acre biodynamic vineyard known as Chateau Combebelle. The views are of the sea and mountains. Robert Eden is the proprietor and keeper of this Eden, and by all accounts he telegraphs the character of his wines with his own personality.

No doubt this monumental red wine bargain from Combebelle reflects the principles of modern biodynamic farming. To quote Eden, "We started out making wines in 1997. Our objective is to cultivate our vineyards with absolute respect for the environment so that our wines may express as naturally as possible their origin. We seek to preserve our local eco systems in as natural as state as possible, researching ways of allowing our vines to establish natural defences against their different predators. We feed our vines compost (from sheep and cow manure), made on each of our farms according to the Biodynamic principles, to ensure our soil is nurtured with live matter."

This is a worthy wine to consider for January 2007's "Wine Blogging Wednesday", and a unique and somewhat rare find for the wine bins in Nashville.

Produced by Eden's Comte Cathare Winery in La Livinière, Chateau de Combebelle St. Chinian Syrah-Grenache 2000 is a blend of 6/10 Syrah and 4/10 Grenache, aged a year in large vats.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep cranberry garnet, with an unfiltered haze, inky and opaque.  Aromas: Intense pungent dark berries and currants, roasted dark chocolate, plus hints of pepper, Worcestershire sauce and smoked meat. Almost full-bodied, the tannins are still alive and well albeit mature. Pepper-laced blackberry, spice and ripe olive flavors finish with strength and a twangy savory character.

Outstanding value ($18). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%

Food pairing: Sweet hot spicy barbecue, either Memphis pork ribs or Austin Hill Country beef brisket.  Or, spicy bacon and cheese meatloaf with bar-b-que sauce.

In keeping with "pay it forward", a portion of the proceeds of all Comte Cathare wines goes to the Rainforest Foundation.

Update/March 13, 2007: In December, 2005, Combebelle was purchased by Catherine Wallace and Patrick Keohane. This post incorrectly attributes current ownership to Robert Eden, who owned the property when this wine was made. A new post is available with all the details. Click here.

Château Mas Neuf Costières de Nîmes Tradition Rouge 2004

Rock on, this wine takes me back via its modernity. Twenty plus years ago when I first started drinking wine, some of the top Châteauneuf-du-Pape labels could be bought for 10-12 bucks a bottle.  I was working amongst food scientists at Procter & Gamble so I could easily afford them and developed a taste for their rocky firm textures and Mediterranean flavors.

After almost a decade, I had to get out of my cubicle, sacrificing high pay for low pay plus a measure of freedom. I had to give up Châteauneuf-du-Pape because the prices skyrocketed. The well-known labels are now fast approaching $100 a bottle, out of my range. Thankfully there are new winegrowers who recognize the need for wines of similar attributes that every person can afford.

The 150-acre vineyard of Château Mas Neuf is half way up a south facing slope in the Costières de Nîmes appellation, where the temperatures are moderated by elevation and ocean breezes. Along the route West of Arles, the location is between Nimes and the sea. The soil, if you want to call it that, is mostly pebbles, and as a result the terroir is similar to the southern Rhone, specifically Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Vines here average about 30 years old and some are as old as 90. The vineyard also boasts a few acres of olive trees, and they produce oil from them as well.

Proprietor Luc Baudet considers he an "atypical winegrower", having studied food science before working in Ireland where he discovered secrets of whisky aging. Next he worked with consumer products companies on issues of food product development and consumer research. A passion for wine and food coupled with a lack of passion for the corporate world led Luc Baudet to his destiny as a winegrower. He is young compared to his contemporaries in France, and a bit contrary, but his techniques seem very tradional.

Chateau Mas Neuf (translation: "new farmhouse") Tradition Rouge 2004 is 45% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, and 15% Carignan. Aging was mostly in large vats, as is traditional, with a small portion also seeing 9 months of barrel aging in used barrels from Bordeaux classified growths including Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Lafite-Rothschild, and Pape Clément.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Cranberry ruby with a slight haze. Aromas: Framboise liqueur, over-ripe strawberry, cinnamon spice, a healthy dose of rocks and touches of white pepper and garrigue. Very lean and somewhat hard edged at first on the tongue, the flavors open up and range from framboise to ripe Kalamata olives to cracked peppercorns to the ever-present sensation of pebbles.  The finish is very dry and rock solid.

Outstanding value ($8, San Diego Wine Co.). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.

Food pairing: Anything Mediterranean; black olive hummus, smoked Gouda, baked chicken with herbs.

Domaine D'Aupilhac Lou Maset Montpeyroux Coteaux de Languedoc 2004

The personality of this red by Domaine D'Aupilhac is very Mediterranean, with its origins in Montpeyroux, within the Languedoc in southern France.  This is definitely one of Kermit Lynch's more immediately accessible, fruit-forward wines.

D'Aupilhac Lou Maset 2004 is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, plus 10% each Syrah and Carignan.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Medium ruby with cranberry edges, with a nice unfiltered haze.  Aromas: Rose floral, cedar and spice top notes accent a dried cherry, framboise and raisin fruit nose.  Light-to-medium-bodied, dusty dry with rustic tannins, the sour cherry/berry flavors reverberate in the rustic finish.

Excellent value ($13).  Closure: Real cork.  Alcohol content: 13%

Food pairing: Beef vegetable soup with provencial herbs, roasted red pepper hummus.

Heron Pinot Noir 2004

Laely Heron delivers lagniappe from the Languedoc in the form of more Pinot Noir character and soul than you expect for the everyday price.

Laely comes at winemaking from a truly world-wide perspective, having lived in Africa, Asia, Europe and the US.

Today she makes wine in France, Spain and the US, priced in the everyday ($11-13) range, reflecting her belief that "delicious fine wines should be an unalienable right". The fruit for Heron Pinot Noir 2004 Vin de Pays D'Oc was sourced from Limoux, within the Languedoc AOC. About 1/5 of the wine was fermented in burgundy barrels. Alcohol content: 13%. Tasting Notes.  Color: Deep ruby translucent. Aromas: Cherry, raspberry, vanilla, cedar, spice and gravel. On the tongue, the feel is middleweight with fine tannins and good acidity. Dark fruit, spice, and roasted flavors finish tart, dry and gravelly.

Closure: Real cork.  Excellent value ($13).  Food pairing: Pan-seared Salmon.

Le Mark West Vin De Corse Pinot Noir 2004

Have you noticed a small but very significant change on the label of your 2004 Mark West Pinot Noir?

The wine could now be called "Le Mark West", because the latest release was sourced from the French island of Corsica*. Winemaker Alex Cose reports the grapes were gently crushed and fermented in small tanks, then pressed and aged in French oak. Tasting Notes. Color: Ruby translucent. Aromas: Smoky, lightly floral, blackberry, blueberry and black cherry. This is a smooth light bodied red on the tongue, perhaps a bit dilute by California standards. Smoky red and black fruit flavors lead to a simple light finish. Closure: Real cork. Good value ($11).

*In August, 2005, Winewaves reviewed Mark West Central Coast Pinot Noir 2004.

*Why shouldn't Proprietor Derek Benham source wine from Corsica**? However, I Wish there was a greater distinction on the label to make it obvious the wine inside is French, not from California. I preferred the Central Coast version, thought it a bit spicier, more complex and "varietal", and thus a better value.

**Corsica is in the Mediterranean Sea between France and Italy.

Croix Du Mayne Cahors Red 2002

Croix du Mayne Cahors Red is a blend of 85% Malbec and 15% Merlot.

The vineyard is about 50 acres situated in Cahors, on a terrace in the Lot River Valley, with gravelly soil. Cahors is southeast of Bordeaux.  The reds are known for being robust and more affordable alternatives to Bordeaux. 88 points. Color: Deep candy apple red. Aromas: Raspberry, sour cherry, earth/gravel, and hints of smoke and vanilla. The mouthfeel is firm, tart, with robust tannins and tart acidity. Restrained briary raspberry fruit flavors are tightly held and the finish is spicy and somewhat austere. Closure: Real cork. Retail: $17.