Tom and Melody’s wine blog

It is a Tuesday night in April and we have had our cocktail. Tom opened this Beaumont Des Gras Cotes Du Rhone 2006 from France for our dinner. I can’t remember where we purchased this wine or whether we received this as a shipment in a wine club, but it is an excellent wine. I started ‘mmm-mmmm-ing” as soon as I took in the bouquet and certainly after I had my first sip.

This wine is a lovely red color with a very pleasant nose. On the palate is a burst of berries and spice. The tannins are evident and the finish is dry and satisfying. I appreciate the deficience of fruit forward presentation — this is a more austere and crisp old-world wine. Absolutely delicious.

This Vinsas Côtes du Rhone 2006 is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carigname, and Cinsault. In the glass it is a very dark violet. On the nose is a flowery pepper and herbs.

It is Saturday night and we are relaxing while dinner simmers on the stove. It is bitter cold today in Michigan. My Saturday-morning running partner and I ran 9 miles this morning. The wind chill was pretty brutal. At one point, I took off my mittens and stuck them in my hat to form “flaps” to hang over my face because my face was freezing! It worked. I tucked my hands into my jacket sleeves and kept my mittens on my face the rest of the run. Our son Tony chose this bitter cold weekend to try outdoor camping. I will be very relieved to hear from him. I’m worried!

This wine is delectable. A perfect end to a wonderful Saturday.

Tom: This Vinsas Côtes du Rhone 2006 is very nice: rich, plummy, tannic. We also had this on New Year’s Eve.

Tonight was a night to finish off the last of three bottles. We started with the Sleeping Bear Winery Merlot, then finished the rest of the Valréas Côtes Du Rhône Villages, and then, finally, the Reserve De L’Estey Médoc. We just decided, since we had a little bit in three bottles, to finish them. It’s a beautiful evening in Michigan and we are sitting on our patio.

For dinner tonight, I have a fresh-baked loaf of whole wheat bread, and a pot of turkey/garlic/potato/asparagus soup. (This is my own invention and it is fabulous. If you want the recipe, let me know.) Although it is a summer night, I was in the mood for a cozy meal tonight.

This Valréas “Cuvée Prestige” Côtes du Rhône Villages, a French red Rhône, is a blend of grenache and syrah. Robert Parker, in Wines of the Rhone Valley and Provence, states that the village from which this wine is made is “the top private domaine of Valréas, among the most elegant of the Côtes du Rhône Villages wines.” Only 16 villages of this appellation are allowed to feature the village name on the label.

We chose this wine tonight to accompany grilled steak and salad for our dinner tonight. It will turn out to be a good choice because I believe it will hold its own and complement the steak nicely. It isn’t the least bit fruity, but rather it is spicy and dry. The nose is delicate, but the taste is rather audacious and a bit astringent. This is a wine for those that want a change from new-world, fruit-forward style wines. Drink this wine when you are relaxing and have time to sip and savor. I would suggest letting this one breathe for 15 minutes or so before serving.

We had this Altitude 500 Côtes du Ventoux 2003 on New Year’s Eve and loved it; so, I don’t know if our tastes are changing or if this wine just tastes better on a cold, winter’s night. However, tonight I wouldn’t give it as high a rating as I did in January. What I am not enjoying about the wine tonight is the nose. The nose is musty and unappealing. On the palate, however, the wine is good. It is dark, bitter chocolate and blackberries. While I actually really like the taste, I am realizing how important the nose it to the total experience. I would rate this wine as average.

Tom: I can’t say that I would recommend this Altitude 500 Côtes du Ventoux 2003. It has a very strong alcohol whiff and a vegetal nose. As Melody says, it may be an off night for us or the wine, but tonight this one doesn’t work for me.

We are finishing this bottle of Belleruche Cotes-du-Rhone tonight after opening last night. It is always interesting to taste a wine after it has been decanted to see the effect. I notice a greater aroma of cured meats. This wine has good body, a firm mouthfeel and plenty of acidity. There is a very fruity taste on the front of the tongue, with definite tannins and minerals in the finish. A dry and satisfying, lovely French wine.

Tom: This is an interesting, full-flavored, big-bouquet, dry red table wine. This is another excellent wine that we picked up at A&L Wine Castle in Ann Arbor. I pick up some smoky, tobacco-y taste and some fruit, maybe blackberry or blueberry. This is a red-wine drinker’s wine. It takes your spit away, as my father would say.

Melody: Yum. This is quite delicious. It is a deep, translucent ruby red. The aroma is of bacon, pepper, spice and fruit. It is full bodied and firm. I especially enjoy the level of acidity. This has a definite mineral finish which is long and satisfying.

12-31-06 Our choice for New Year’s Eve is this Altitude 500 Rhone Valley Cote du Ventoux! This incredible tasting wine has a strong dark-chocolate finish. Not the least bit frivolous. I tasted licorice and blackberries. Mmmmm.