Variety: Blended. 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah
Region: Cotes du Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $18 per bottle, online listed for $17
Wine.com Review: "Garnet red in color, this wine emits aromas of red fruits such as morello cherries and spices of liquorice and grey pepper. In the mouth this wine has a great structure with firm and silky tannins."
My Review: Right off the bat I smell some something sweet and tart. Full disclosure, my roomate (who is also in this class) bought this last night and drank half of the bottle. So it has been in our fridge (corked) overnight. I pulled it out today and set it on the table for a couple hours so that it could cool down. I don't notice too much ruin from the 15 hours it has been open, but it does not come off as fresh. So much for a bottle that has been packaged and on a shelf somewhere for a couple years. I smell the cherry that the professional review mentions, and maybe even the black pepper. I do not pick up any liquorice. It looks a bit dark. I am currently enjoying it outside in my yard with a cup of chocolate ice cream. I think chocolate and any red wine taste good together, but the tartness of this wine paired with the ice cream I like especially. While it is $18, I taste what I refer to as a "cheap" taste, closer to 10. But I could also be served this wine in a fancy restaurant and be fooled. As the class continues, I look forward to gaining the vocabulary to more accurately describe my experience with this wine.
