The descriptions found below are the ones you will find with your monthly shipment of two bottles of fine wine from the French Wine Club.
Red: Château la Bastide, Cabardes, 1999
The Château now called Château la Bastide was built as a fortified outpost of Château de Lastours, the center of the heretic Cathars movement of the 11th and 12th Centuries. The location of the Château is just outside the medieval walled and turreted city of Carcassonne and not far to the East of Toulouse.
The sun is strong, very hot, very Mediterranean on the Château's vines, but the winds that sweep the region are those that carry the Atlantic Ocean's marine moisture to the grapes of Bordeaux. Château la Bastide lies in the foothills between the Black mountains and the Pyrenees.
The altitude tempers the heat, and because of this unusual mixture, Cabardes is the only appellation allowed to plant the Bordeaux grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cot and those of the Mediterranean South - Syrah and Grenache). The former provide aroma, finesse and elegance, while the latter produce the strength, structure and fruit that mark Southern vintage.
The result is that in a region known for its rough and rustic wines, the Château La Bastide is aromatic, full and fruity, imbedded in the traditional flavors, but with soft rounded tannins, and pleasantly drinkable. Aging 5 to 6 years.
To order, click here: Bottle ($14.00), Case ($151.20).
White: Domaine de Rieux 2002
Domaine de Rieux is part of the Château Tariquet estate, well known for its superb Armagnacs. About 15 years ago, when sales of Armagnac slowed down, Yves Grassa experimented with the vinification of the Ugny Blanc grape as a table wine. Yves developed the cold maceration method. The grapes are kept at a low temperature for a few hours before being crushed and fermented. The results of Yves' efforts have become a major success story. They produced an extremely fruity, refreshing dry wine, which is a delight.
Robert Parker and other journalists have repeatedly stated that this wine is perhaps the best value available today.
Domaine de Rieux is made of 60% Ugni Blanc and 40 % Colombard. The secret to the quality of the white Côtes de Gascogne is the final and essential touch of blending. The delicate combination of the fine, distinguished Ugni Blanc and the rich, fruity Colombard gives birth to light and lively grassy wines Some of the wines will mature for a few months in oak casks to add a slight caramel color and a hint of sandalwood. Connoisseurs will detect flavors of mango, lime, exotic fruit, peach and apricot, scents of the sun combined with the oceanic climate of southwestern France.
To order, click here: Bottle ($14.00), Case ($151.20). |
Previous Wine of the Month Selections:
December 2003:
Red: Château Castegens, Côtes de Castillon 1998
White: Domaine de Molines 1999, Vin de Pays du Gard
November 2003:
Red: Moulin d'Eole Costières de Nîmes 2001 (Languedoc-Roussillon)
White: Vouvray 1999, Domaine du Clos de l’Epinay, Cuvée Marcus (Loire Valley)
October 2003:
Red: Domaine du Vieux Chêne, Cuvée des Capucines, Côtes du Rhone 2001
White: Ile La Forge, Viognier 2002, Languedoc-Roussillon
September 2003:
Red: Château Reysson 1998, Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc
White: Château les Tuileries 2002
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