Sunday, November 4, 2007

TN: 2006 Domaine de Fenouillet Vin de Pays de Vaucluse

Following up on yesterday's lesson about wine importers:

The Story: A few weeks ago, I went to my local wine shop (Mister Wright on 3rd Ave. between 89th and 90th) and come across the above Southern Rhone blend that is selling for $8.99. I usually, I do not buy wines less than $10 unless a respected salesperson recommends it because I have usually been burned in the category. However, I looked at the back of the bottle and see that it was imported by Rosenthal, so I put my liver in the hands of Neal Rosenthal and decide to give it a try. Fast-forward two weeks and it I have a perfectly modest wine to go with my Sunday supper of herb roasted chicken.

The Region: Southern Rhone, France. This region is in Southern, France. Wikipedia informs me that this region has a "mediterranean climate with milder winters and hot summers." Domaine de Fenouillet on Google Maps

The Grapes: This is a red blend. I am not sure what grapes went into this wine, but wines from the Southern Rhone valley generally contain a combination of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, and/or Cinsaut.

The Look: Dark purple and with little transparency. I can barely see my fingers through the glass.

The Aroma: Fruity. Cherries, maybe?

The Swish: This wine does not do much for me on the first few tastes; there is just not much flavor to me. Did I get what my 9$ paid for? Am I too stressed about getting dinner on the table to be able to have a discerning taste? Or does the wine just need some time to open up?

Fortunately for my $9, it was the latter. I begin to enjoy this wine after I have let the glass sit for about 30 minutes. It's medium-bodied and fruity. I wish I could say what fruits I taste, but I am not far enough along in my wine journey yet. All I can say at this point is that I like it, and that's all I can ask for at $9.

The Verdict: This wine is perfect for a modest Sunday night or weekday supper. For $8.99, I think it would be difficult to do much better.

4 comments:

Joe Manekin said...

Eddie,

Congrats on the new blog - It's always good to see another blog in the ever growing wine blogosphere. Especially if it is representing a unique viewpoint and isn't a bore to read. While there are lots of blogs from an assortment of wine geeks, wine snobs, and other assorted jaded wine folks, I haven't seen too many out there from a newbie's perspective.

Keep up the good work.

Eddie Howard said...

Hi Joe,

Thanks for visiting OeNo! I am still trying to get the hang of this blogging thing, but I hope this blog will be useful not only in helping me learn more about wine, but also to teach others about wine. Wine is supposed to be fun, so I hope that others can join in on the fun of learning about wine with me.

As I get more used to blogging, I will add more structure to my wine education. Starting in December, I plan to have weekly themes for my blog where I will either do blind tastings, taste wines solely from one varietal, region, etc, so please continue checking out my blog.

Thanks again for your comment!

Anonymous said...

I tasted this too a couple of weeks back and liked it. agree- it took a little while for things to come together, but at $9, it was well worth it in the end. I liked the bright fruit aromas and the dusty earthy, slightly roasted sense to the nose.

Eddie Howard said...

Thanks for your comment, brooklynguy. It's always nice to hear someone else's take on a wine I've tasted (especially when that person's take agrees with my opinion on the wine!).