Tuesday, March 24, 2009

2007 Girardet Grand Rouge


Road Trip!

My oldest son is here on Spring Break from Santa Fe for two weeks. What better way to counterbalance the warm, dry desert air and blue skies of New Mexico than a trip to the Oregon coast in March. We set out with the only clear destination being Tillamook, for cheese curds. We all love squeaky cheese curds.

After loading up on cheese curds we headed South to the Blue Heron French Cheese Company for a bottle of wine and a visit with the chickens. Granted my son is 17 and not the least interested in a petting zoo at this point in his life, but I'm a fan of chickens and wine, so he humored me. He's a good kid.

Blue Heron has an amazing selection of Oregon wines. After skipping bottle after bottle of $50.00 Pinot Noir, I discovered a 2007 Girardet Grand Rouge for a mere $12.00. The label said it was "In the tradition of the French Rhone Valley" but failed to mention what varietals were actually in the wine. No matter. I'm feeling adventurous.

Now before you go and say "Well, she should just change the name of this blog to 'Recession Rhone' I will tell you I have TWO wines that are next in line for review that aren't Rhones. One of them isn't even French. One of them is WHITE. So..just..be paitent.

This has an old world nose. Mmmm... beautiful, stinky barnyard. Got a little hazelnut and vanilla. Not a fruit forward wine- picked up some blueberry and currant on the mid-pallet. Nice structure, a bit tannic but not like I wanted to rip my face off, would be interested in seeing what this would taste like tomorrow. Except my brother-in-law finished off the bottle. Great value though, I'll keep an eye out for more of Girardet's wines.

I tried to find out the breakdown of grapes with no luck. The only thing I could find was "a blend of 14 varietals." ! ! !

Yum.




Monday, March 2, 2009

Le Ferme Julien Rouge 2007


Has it been a month? Really?

I'm sorry. Really, truly five followers of this blog. I am sorry I have neglected you. I work at a winery. Some months are painfully slow. Others, like wine club shipment month, can be a bit hectic. Add on a 144 mile commute each day and it's all I can do to keep my eyes open, let alone blog. The next two weeks will be spent house sitting for a lovely couple who happen to live a 1/2 mile from where I work as they vacation in Mexico. I hope to update this more frequently than once a month. I also vow with the new found three hours a day I have, to purchase more wine out side of "Trader Joe's"

You don't want my excuses, I know. You just want to know what, or what not to purchase.

"La Ferme Julien Rouge 2007"

I know I said Rhone and I were on a break. My name is Sara and I am an addict, ok? My cart filled with fresh fruits and veggies, brown rice, salmon..oh what the Hell? A Rhone blend for $5.99? Fine, whatever. I bought it, ok?

Classic Rhone table wine. 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Carignan and 15% Cinsault.

This is not offensive. This wine is a second label from from French winemaker Francois Perrin. It has bright fruit and cracked pepper on the nose. It's young and tight, but opened up a bit after an hour of leaving the screw cap off (yes friends, the screw cap). It reminds me a lot of the Rhone Wine with the chicken on the label, who's name escapes me at the moment. The wine I would drink in Jersey when I was feeling less than flush with cash. (I googled it, La Vieille Ferme). It tastes almost identical except there is a goat on the label, not a chicken. Barnyard animals aside, it's an easy drinking, every day table wine with bright raspberry and spice notes and soft tannins. Would I serve this at a dinner party? No. I'd pour Syncline Wine Cellars Mourvedre (one case left- jump on it). However, with a tomato and basil sandwich after a long day of wine club shipments? Yes yes yes.