Our opinion
A very pleasant wine that combines a generous fruity substance with a delicate, silky structure. The wine has just started to mature, making it the perfect accompaniment to bourgeoise or foreign cuisine or for spicy winter meals. If drinking today, be sure to decant before serving.Description
With the experience of 4 generations of vine growers behind them, the new generation at the head of the Bodega Albert i Noya has projected this domaine to the top of the appellation! Albert i Noya is the leader in the production of Spanish wines made according to organic methods. The property is well-known for vinifying each grape variety separately, in order to extract the very best from each variety, while at the same time managing to retain its typical characteristics.Tips on service
• Conservation: ready now but will improve• At its best in: 2006
• To decant: 1 hour
• Serve at 17°
Food and wine matching
Duck stew, beef with carrots, lamb curry with basmati rice, pork with prunes, duck breast in a rich cherry sauce, refined cheeses.Tasting notes
By Jean Michel Deluc : Master Sommelier
Eye - A wine of ruby colour and good intensity, with violet reflections and more tender shades of mauve towards the edge of the glass. The wine is bright, limpid and displays good concentration.Nose - A round and smooth impression on the nose, with a mature aromatic background of prunes, cherries and raspberry jam. The wine is only very slightly marked by notes of barrel ageing, leaving pride of place to the grape and the terroir. A very flattering and particularly attractive wine that is already wonderfully generous and harmonious.
Palate - The same impression is found on the palate, with a soft and velvety attack of jammy flavours of red and black fruits, and a more acidic mid-palate. Fine, silky tannins prolong the gustative sensation over a good length. Generous and harmonious overall.
Château Brillette 1996 1 x 12 bottles 0.75cl. 321.36 CHF inc VAT
Our opinion
This wine is particularly appreciable for its very pleasant vintage which offers a very harmonious, complex wine. This wine would be a perfect match for all kinds of autumn cuisine as well as (party food) as it is of particularly high quality. A rare find, so take advantage of it while you can!Description
Delivery mid-September. Château Brillette is one of the most renowned chateaux from the Moulis commune. In 1874, it was classed alongside Chasse Spleen and Poujeaux as one of the three best wines from the appellation. In 1990 Robert Parker suggested that it was of a similar quality to a 5th Grand Cru. It is situated on the highest slopes of the Moulis commune, where the soil is particularly gravely with a high proportion of pebbles and shingle – the origins of the Brillette name. Chateau Brillette wines are generally elegant, full-bodied wines with a honey-like consistency and incredibly rich colours. They can be described as feminine wines due to the fineness of their bouquet and their fine tannins. Chateau advised by Michel Rolland.Tips on service
• Conservation: drinking now• At its best in: 2010
• Serve at 17°
Food and wine matching
Fricasse of mushrooms, roast beef in Périgord sauce, salad of truffles and fois gras, lentil soup, refined cheeses.Tasting notes
By Jean Michel Deluc : Master Sommelier
Eye - A young wine with ruby shades and early signs of maturity on the edge of the glass with shades of pink and glints of orange. A very good colour, velvety, shimmering, bright and limpid with an silky appearance in the glass.Nose - A complex, aromatic framework that is rich in fruity aromas of jammy fruits including strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries followed by toasted, smoky notes that give this wine is seductfullness. With aeration, notes of .. coffee and pepper begin to surface. An harmonious wine that is ready to drink from today.
Palate - The same harmony is present on the palate accompanied by a soft and velvety attack with delicate fruity notes, followed by a distinct acidity that is almost hidden in the richness of the structure and the fine silky tannins. This wine has already reached its full potential.
Château Pesquié Quintessence 2003 1 x 6 bottles 0.75cl. 150.00 CHF inc VAT
Our opinion
There is no doubt that this wine will be worthy of a five star rating in just a couple of months. Despite its relative discretion today, this wine definitely hides a great deal of potential! You will discover the perfectionist style of this Château, reflecting the style of vinification and plentiful notes of barrel ageing, resulting in a wonderfully enticing wine. Be sure to decant before serving with generous, well-simmered cuisine.Description
In 1985, Paul and Edith Chaudière, physiotherapist and speech therapist from Avignon, decided to take a step back and rethink their professional lives, in the hope of returning back to the family tradition of wine making. They decided to realise their dream and took up the family vineyard at Château Pesquié, which used to belong to the illustrious Daudet family from Provence. The first few steps came as quite a challenge for the family who, not having much experience in the field of wine making, then found themselves trying to compete in this little known appellation where almost no independent vinegrowers were left, after the appellation had become dominated by co-operative wineries. Over four years, they painstakingly reconstructed and developed the vineyard, in the hope of bringing it back to its former glory. They ripped out the table-grapes and cherry trees, favouring old vines, and planted Syrah and Grenache varieties. In 1989, after an incredible journey of new experiences, acheivements and some important lessons learnt, the Chaudière and Bastide families decided to create the wine cellar at Château Pesquié. Over the last 15 years, the adventure has continued, with the continued expansion of both the wine cellar and domain at Château Pesquié, resulting in a coveted position as one of the best domains in the appellation. The Chaudière family chose the name "Quintessence" to emphasize the notion of exceptional wines of outstanding quality. Quintessence from Château Pesquié is a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache, matured for 12 months in oak barrels (60% new wood, 40% old wood). It is a meaty, ample and spicy wine that displays great power and complexity. It is the result of a double selection process from the oldest vines at the vineyard and the very best cuvées from the Domain.Tips on service
• Conservation: ready now but will improve• At its best in: 2008
• To decant: 2 hours
• Serve at 16°
Food and wine matching
Beef casserole, lamb navarin, young pork chop in a sticky caramel sauce, wild boar casserole, stewed hare, salmi of wood pigeon, strong and well-aged cheeses.Tasting notes
By Jean Michel Deluc : Master Sommelier
Eye - A wine of ruby colour and very good intensity, with nuances in colour shading from aubergine to darker purple at the edge of the glass. No signs of maturity are evident in the colour of this wine. The concentration of colour is equally matched by the richness of the wine in the glass. It is bright and rendered opaque due to its density of colour.Nose - The nose displays lots of finesse, despite its discrete nature. A certain amount of aeration is required before you will discover superb, jammy notes of blackberries, blueberries and morello cherries, followed by notes of barrel ageing; cedar wood, cocoa, coffee, incense, pepper and liquorice. A final note of mint adds freshness and distinction. Despite being slightly reserved, this wine still expresses all the typical notes of the terroir with through its racy and enticing background.
Palate - The attack on the palate is soft and fruity, like a fruity sweet. The first impression on the palate is of an absolutely delicious wine, but one that quickly takes on a more cartesian nature and a much stronger structure. Fine, silky tannins and a thirstquenching acidity are found towards the finish of this wine that has a superb length.
French Wine Lover's Case - Buy 6 get 6 free ! 1 x 68.00 CHF inc VAT
Domaine d'Astruc DA 2004
Our opinion
For the past few years we've known that Coteaux du Languedoc wines can be excellent. The Domaine d'Astruc has taken part of this qualitative advance. This is a balanced cuvée, elegant, fruity and mineral. A true pleasure for the senses. Though enjoyable to drink today, it's also good enough to keep a bit.Our opinion
Description
In 1977, having finished his studies, Jacques Astruc returned from Paris to fulfill his grandfather's dream and work with his father, Pierre Astruc. They founded the Domaine Astruc. Since then the Astruc estate has continued to grow and modernize. The increasing range and quality of the wines produced has led to a change in status; once merely winegrowers, they became proprietary winemakers who were also middlemen with their own wine shipping business. In 2003 Jean-Claude and Michel Mas, owners of Domaines Paul Mas at Pézenas purchased the commercial operations of Domaine Astruc with the idea of developing strong brands destined mainly for the export market. The estate covers 50 hectares of vines, 20 of which are classified as AOC, 11 hectares are Vin de Pays d'Oc Blanc and 17 hectares are classed as Vin de Pays d'Oc Rouge. The Domaine Astruc has a particular “transitional” climate, straddling the watershed and sheltered by the Pyrenees, where influences from the Atlantic combine with those from the Mediterranean. The regions' soils are fairly diverse but they all derive from the same kind of rock, molasse. The Limoux appellation zone is situated on upland hillsides that are gently sloping, on land that is thin, light and pebbly. A parcellary selection harvested partly by machine and partly by hand. The grapes are de-stemmed and cooled to 10 degrees C in order to proceed with pre-fermentation maceration to extract the color and aromas of the fruit. The Grenache is fermented for 4 days and the Syrah 5 days at a maximum temperature of 28 degrees C. In 2003 the wines had traditional maceration: 12 days for the Syrah and 10 days for the Grenache. Vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks and cement-lined tanks at controlled temperatures.Food and wine matching
A wine to serve with cuisine served in sauces. Try with beef stew, roast duck with olives, pork with prunes, Niçois style stuffed vegetables, rabbit stew, strong cheesesTasting notes
Eye - A wine of a ruby color of good intensity with shadings ranging from bluish-black to purple and crimson tones at the edge of the glass. The wine is concentrated, making it opaque in the glass. The wine is bright.Nose - The nose reveals jam-like notes of strawberries, raspberry jelly, grapes, blueberries and sloe berries. Thereafter subdued and well-integrated notes of barrel-aging surface, including notes of pepper, vanilla, licorice and brown tobacco. With aeration fresher notes of grape skins and pepper mint come to the fore. A generous and powerful wine, it would seem.
Palate - On the palate the attack is smooth and sweet with flavors of jammy fruit. The structure is incisive and fresh and lends contrast to the whole. The tannins are very delicate. The wine is balanced, but requires a bit of time in order to become harmonious. Very elegant, overall.
Château des Léotins 2003
Our opinion
No need to make a fuss – isn't this just a generic Bordeaux? Au contraire! This one is truly delightful, combining a fruity substance, freshness of structure and tannic finesses. An easy to drink wine that offers lovely depth and reveals fine potential for the future. A luscious wine to savor for its impetuosity and enticing character, but one that will develop into a very fine bottle over the next few months; serve with simple, tasty dishes. (October 2004).Description
Tips on service
• Conservation: ready now but will improve• At its best in: 2010
• To decant: 1 hour
• Serve at 16°
Food and wine matching
Serve beef rib steak in ‘marchand de vin' sauce, rabbit stew, duck breast in morello cherries, terrines or pates of game, cold cuts of meat, young cheeses (pélardon, Cantal).Tasting notes
By Jean Michel Deluc : Master Sommelier
Eye - A wine of a ruby color of lovely intensity with youthful glints of purple and violet and a fade that tends toward a crimson tone. The wine is bright, glittering and opaque due to its density. It displays moderate concentration.Nose - The nose reveals a lovely aromatic background underpinned by very ripe fruity notes (blackcurrants, cherries, Damson plums), floral notes (roses, violets), and notes derived from barrel-aging (wood, smoke, pepper, vanilla) joined by a fresher note of licorice after aeration. On the whole it indicates a delicate wine of great finesse.
Palate - On the palate we find the same finesse and delicacy present in the nose. The attack is soft and velvety, with by a fine fruity background shortly joined by fresh acidity and ending with refined, tight tannins. The wine is still in the prime of youth but we can detect marvelous potential for complexity and aging.
Mas Igneus FA 206 2002 1 x 6 bottles 0cl. 135.00 CHF inc
Our opinion
Further proof that Spain is currently producing absolutely outstanding wines. This wine from Priorat combines softness and finesse with race and power like no other. The typical virile, animal notes of this appellation arrive towards the finish, letting the spicy and fruity notes express themselves to the full. A superb choice to serve with game or other meats cooked in sauces.Description
A completely new bodega from the Priorat region. It is also the first Priorat property to produce wines according to organic methods of agriculture. One of the great advantages of this domain, apart from the incredible experience of it's vinegrowers, is the high proportion of old Carigan and Grenache vines, aged between 60 and 100 years. Combined with an exceptional terroir and very low yields, the concentration of polyphenols is also very important, resulting in luxuriously rich reds and fine, delicate whites.Tips on service
• Conservation: ready now but will improve• At its best in: 2008
• To decant: 1 hour
• Serve at 16°
Food and wine matching
Beef casserole with carrots, goulash, veal with paprika, monkfish stew, duck in a green pepper sauce, pork ribs in a spicy caramel sauce, chilli con carne, strong blue cheeses.Tasting notes
By Jean Michel Deluc : Master Sommelier
Eye - A wine of ruby colour and good intensity, with reflections of violet and purple and an intensity of colour that remains even towards the very edge of the glass. No sign of maturity is evident in the shade of this wine. Bright, rendered opaque due to the density of colour and displaying very good concentration.Nose - A nose full of finesse that quickly develops with a powerful background and jammy notes of red and black fruits. You will discover notes of cherries, prunes, blackcurrants, blackberries and redcurrants. With aeration, the wine opens with a more complex aromatic background of cinnamon, pepper, vanilla and liquorice. InThe finish reveals more lively notes of leather and dried meats.
Palate - The attack on the palate is wonderfully smooth and velvety, carried by the same fruity flavours that were found on the nose. The structure is full of finesse and the fine tannins bring a certain amount of relief and a liqourice freshness to the finish. A wine of incredibly high quality, but one that several months of further keeping will render perfectly harmonious.
