French red wine values tasted in 2003

The selected French bottlings have given me much pleasure for the price. I have purchased them again for personal consumption. Featured values include five bottlings from the Midi and four Rhônes, and Domaine de Pierredon.

This page misses the tasting notes of the wines that are not imported into the USA. The complete page of french wine values can be found here.
 

The below wines were tasted in France, in 2003 (between April and December).
 

 Vin-de-pays du Pont du Gard - SCA les Vignerons d'Estézargues - Cuvée des galets - Non filtré
2002 - USD 11 - serve it cool - easy-going, not much onctuosity, cherry, dense, out of focus, pleasant but with a stiff hint

Where to purchase Les Vignerons d Estezargues wines
 

 Vin-de-pays-du-Jardin-de-la-France - A.Michel Brégeon - Cabernet - (cuve)
1994 - USD 11 - a nose of cherry, red pepper and mushroom - red pepper on the palate, firm but light

Where to purchase Bregeon wines
 

 Vin de pays du Var - Domaine L'Estagnol
2002 - USD 12 - cherry dominates the nose - dense, cherry, dries the palate, more tannic than the Bordeaux S.F.V. A F 69220
 

 Côtes-du-rhône - SCA les Vignerons d'Estézargues - Domaine de Pierredon
2001 - USD 12 - the easy-going mouth shows much fruit and a mineral or dry note, lacks focus

Where to purchase Les Vignerons d Estezargues wines
 

 Madiran - Denis Capmartin - Château Barréjat - Tradition
2000 - USD 14 - coffee and roasting dominate the nose - the palate is fruity (blackcurrant), roasted, and balanced: the wine is less open than Estézargues but more tannic and fresher, tightens the taste buds (healthy effect) - to be also compared to the 1999 vintage tasted at the same age)

Where to purchase Barrejat wines
 

 Côtes-du-rhône - Domaine du Vieux Colombier
1999 - USD 14 - conforms to the Rhône standard - smells of garrigue - fruit, balance
Barrière, ham Colombiers, 485 chemin du Pigeonnier, 30200 Sabran, tél: +33 (0) 4 66 89 98 94
 

 Coteaux-varois - Domaine Les Maurels
2001 - USD 14 - character - the nose is dominated by chicken shit, or at least farmyard (Brettanomyces?): not disagreeable to me and the other guests - nice if a bit hollow and thin
 

 Côtes-du-rhône - André Brunel - Cuvée Sommelongue
2001 - USD 15 - on the nose: lead pencil, liquorice, garrigue - on the palate: lead pencil, liquorice, little black fruit
 

 Côtes-d'auvergne - Domaine de Peyra - Vieilles vignes [clay-basalt] - non filtrée (sans soufre) - [gamay]
2001 - USD 16 - on the nose: spice, orange, and liquorice - onctuous, the fruit typical of a low-temperature winemaking (coulis of red fruit, sorbet, smokiness), fresh, pure - the persistance shows spice, orange, and smokiness

Where to purchase Peyra wines
 

 Saint-chinian - Jean-Marie Rimbert - Les Travers de Marceau
2002 - USD 18 - a nose with cherry and blackberry - big impact on entry, cherry and blackberry, silky with a mineral note, clean and balanced (to be compared to the 2001 vintage tasted at the same age)

Where to purchase Rimbert wines
 

 Ajaccio - Clos d'Alzeto - (Tradition)
1997 - USD 19 - wood varnish (but agreeable), blackcurrant, evolved fruit - evolved fruit, old casks, juicy - dries the taste buds
Clos d'Alzeto, 20151 Sari d'Orcino, tél. +33 (0) 4 95 52 24 67
 
 

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