French red wine values tasted in 2011

The selected French bottlings have given me much pleasure for the price. I have purchased them again for personal consumption. I would consider doing so even with a 50 percent mark-up. (My criteria are explained here.)

This page skips 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 2011 (between April and December).
 

 Côtes de provence - Domaine de Jale - La Venne

2008 - USD 14 - typical - red fruit - red fruit, aromatic, dense but juicy, much alcohol, food-friendly

 Saint chinian - Jean-Marie Rimbert - Les Travers de Marceau

2010 - USD 14 - typical, intense red fruit - dense, food-friendly

 Saint chinian - Jean-Marie Rimbert - Le Chant de Marjolaine (carignan)

2009 - USD 15 - too young - punchy, dries the mouth, a varietal background note, food-friendly

 Vin de France - La Grange aux Belles - Le Vin de Jardin - grolleau

2010 - USD 15 - tasted at low temperature, great purity of fruit - wax polish, gooseberry - red fruit, no pepper, fresh, happily gulping

 Saumur champigny - Domaine Filliatreau - Domaine Filliatreau (Tradition)

2008 - USD 16 - red fruit, green pepper - harmonious, red fruit, green pepper, juicy, standing firm

 Anjou - Marc Houtin et Julien Bresteau - La Grange aux Belles - 53 - cabernet franc

2008 - USD 18 - varietal but with no bell pepper - harmonious, a red fruit that would smell of raw red meat, full grape ripeness, no vegetal note, no trace of élevage - intense, dense, dries the palate, firm

 Pic saint loup - Blandine Chauchat - Foulaquier - Les Tonillières

2009 - USD 18 -

 Morgon - Geneviève et Jean-Claude Chanudet - Domaine J. Chamonard

2008 - USD 20 - delicious, intense - strawberry, brandy cherry, roast beef (reduction?) - strawberry, roast beef, juicy, less dense than the 2005, fresher than the 2006, a firm balance

 Fleurie - G. Chanudet - La Madone

2008 - USD 20 - cherry, blackcurrant - not onctuous, cherry, blackcurrant, a green note (incomplete grape ripeness), juicy, sharper than the Morgon, standing firm

 

Quarterly additions

New tasting reports are put on-line every June, September and December. You will be emailed at the date of issue if you subscribe to the newsletter. (There currently are 1500 subscribers.)