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:
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.
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!
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.
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!).
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