Wine from Bordeaux, France

Chateau De Courteillac 2010, Bordeaux

 Chateau De Courteillac is a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Its grapes are grown on an estate in Cleyrac in the heart of the Entre-Deux-Mers region southeast of the city of Bordeaux. 

This wine is still very young, but good for drinking. 

Ruby red color, black and red  berries aroma, with a little bit of spice. Dry, light body, plum and cherries on the palate with earthy notes. Very fruity. Nicely balanced. Can age.

Barbera

Grape from Piedmont, Italy. It grows in different regions. This one is from Asti.

Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti 2009

Ruby red color, on the nose we have sweet berries, touch of spices, on the palate this wine is very elegant, soft, good balance of tannins and acidity. Very light, fresh, pomegranate, very juicy, with good finish. You can feel the wood in the end.
Very food friendly.

Sparklig wines I enjoy.

 Monmousseau Brut Rosé Crémant De Loire, Ac, Loire, France, Méthode Traditionnelle

One of my favorite sparkling wines! This wine comes from Loire Valley, France.  It is the second largest sparkling wine producer in France after Champagne.
When you see the word cremant on a bottle that means sparkling wine is made by traditional method. 
This particular wine is made by the traditional method and blends Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Grolleau. Blend of red and white berries gives to this wine taste of summer berries, little bit of toast, aromas of apricot. Very soft on the palate, good mousse . Long, creamy  finish.

François Schwach Le Crémant Blanc De Blancs 2007, Ac Alsace

 Another bubbly made by traditional method. It' called blanc de blancs, that means that it is  made from only white grapes Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.

This is medium bodied wine with aromas of apple, fresh bread, peach. On a palate it is soft, good balance of acidity with lovely lingering finish.

Italian wine tasting

That was a great event! I've tasted lot's wonderful Italian wines and met my favorite chef!
It hard to write about all the wines I've tasted.
But there were some very nice examples.

Some food-beautiful mushroom risotto!

And good cappuccino  in the end.

Taste of Piedmont tour.

You can read more about the tour in my website!
http://ninawinetravel.com/

Taste of Piedmont. Day six.

In the morning, after a delightful breakfast at the hotel, you will visit a chocolate factory. You will learn about the chocolate’s history and the varieties of chocolates made in Turin.
In the afternoon, we are set to explore Turin. Turin is a forgotten gem. In your private tour you will learn about it’s history and the House of Savoy.
During this time, you will visit many gourmet shops, famous cafes and Enotecas.
There will be free time for shopping and exploring.

That evening, we will share our last dinner together. You will enjoy many exquisite Turin specialties.

More wines from the "wine and cheese" show

Kangarilla Road Shiraz 2008, Mclaren Vale

Shiraz,Australia

$18.95 at LCBO

 

Described as “an explosion of black cherries, with hints of spice”, the 2008 vintage was awarded 94 points from Tony Love, Top 100 Wines. He calls it “juicy and lip smacking”, created in true McLaren Vale fashion. From Kangarilla Road, a James Halliday 5 Star Winery, this premium Shiraz will be a showpiece in your section.

 

 

 

Stone Dwellers Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Strathbogie Ranges, Southwest

 Australia

$19.95 at LCBO

  130 km North of Melbourne. I would encourage you to go to www.plunkettfowles.com.au to find out more about this highly regarded winery and interesting cool climate region in South Eastern Australia. This is a well-balanced, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with a long finish. Well worth the price.

 

Some wines I tasted at recent "wine and cheese" show.

2008 Bouchard Pere et Fils Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 

 $159.00 at LCBO

 94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The Bouchard domaine 2008 Clos Vougeot Domaine Bouchard – from one parcel high-up in the Plante de l’Abbaye, and another low but against the wall of the clos – smells of cedar, licorice, blond tobacco, sandalwood, dark cherry, and black raspberry. Rich and sapid in fruit; deeply, cleanly meaty; savory and invigorating in its salinity and its recapitulation of themes sounded in the nose, this has surprisingly much in common with the virtues of the corresponding non-estate-bottled Clos Vougeot. The tannins are solid, but matched by sweet fruit. The aftertaste is expressive with spice and licorice notes.

 

Château Clos de Sarpe St. Emilion 2008

$119.00 at LCBO

 Attractive appearance: a deep cherry red colour with a purplish outline. A very expressive bouquet with notes of young red berry, oriental spices, black cutch and gingerbread. On the palate it is fresh, soft, pleasant and velvety with a fine and delicate texture. The tannins are fleshy and easy to drink. The finish is elegantly woody and spiced.
A very nice wine to drink. About 500 cases are produced of this 85% Merlot / 15% Cabernet Franc blend.

 

Michele Chiarlo Le Orme Barbera D'asti Superiore 2009, Docg

 Piedmont, Italy 

$14.95 at LCBO

Amazing find!  Sweet blackberry, plum and pomegranate fruit is fresh and vibrant as this red unfolds across the palate. Hints of flowers and spices intermingle, but this is more about the juicy fruit.

Sterling Vintner's Collection Chardonnay 2010

Chardonnay is very famous grape. It grows everywhere. It's very adaptable. That's why it is always interesting to try Chardonnay from different places, you always find different in this wine's taste.
What a difference!

Nice straw color, nose is very open, very complex. A lot of pineapple, tropical fruits, subtle aromas of vanilla, caramel. On the palate taste of tropical fruits continue with peach, little oak, toast and spices . Medium bodied.Long creamy finish , balanced acidity.

Tour taste of Piedmont.

Day 5

The delicious breakfast will be followed by a visit to another agriturismo in the Barolo region. On our way there we will visit local cantina and taste sweet Passito wine, as well as learn how it is made.

After wine tasting, we will head to Barolo Gioco dell’oca. There, we are going to have a cooking class, make an amazing Italian meal, and eat dinner paired with local wine.

In the afternoon, we will say goodbye to our lovely abode and make our way to Turin and check in to our hotel.

Jaffelin Bourgogne Passe Tout Grains 2009, Ac, Les Chapitres De Jaffelin

Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains is unique in Burgundy as the red wines from this appellation are a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir (with PN at least 33% of the blend).
Very light and delicate wine. Pale ruby color, on the nose cherries, lot's of strawberries, raspberries. On the palate lot's of berries, little earthiness, cranberries with their tart acidity. Little bit acidic, but balanced and enjoyable, juicy with really nice, long finish.
Can be chilled a little before opening.

Napa Ridge Chardonnay 2009

Light yellow color. On the nose little apple, toast, herbs. On the palate fruity, full bodied, with honey notes. Little oak, balanced acidity with long finish.

White wines from tasting

Château Salmonière Vieilles Vignes Gilbert Chon Et Ses Fils Muscadet Sèvre & Maine 2010

Muscadet is a white French wine. It is made at the western end of the Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region neighboring the Brittany Region. Often referred to simply as melon. Muscadet wines are often light bodied and almost always dry with very little, if any residual sugar. Left over carbon dioxide from the bottling process can leave the wines with a slight "prickly" sensation. Muscadet that have been aged sur lie can have very subtle "yeasty" aromas. The acidity keeps the wines light and refreshing.

Perrin et Fils Reserve Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2010

A fine bright straw-gold colour. An elegant nose that shows touches of toast. Good balance with no excess of alcohol, full-bodied and long.

Remarkably fresh and deep wine, with typical Rhône characteristics. A light, fresh style, with unadorned melon and honeysuckle notes and a breezy finish. Delightful.

Under the Perrin et Fils label, the 2010 Cotes du Rhone Reserve Blanc (50% Grenache, 20% Viognier and the rest Marsanne and Roussanne) is a crisp, minerally, fresh, medium-bodied white displaying notes of lemon oil, quince and white currants. 

 

Dessert

Perrin & Fils Muscat De Beaumes De Venise 2009, Ac, Rhône, France

Made with the finest version of Muscat – Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains – this dessert wine has exceptional, intense aromas of peach, table grapes, apricot, and mango, with hints of lychee. It is full, velvety and quite sweet, but beautifully balanced by a seam of acidity.

My latest wine tasting

  This wine tasting I devoted to French wine. We think that we know french wine. The most popular is Bordeaux and Burgundy. But France have so many  wine appellations .  I wanted to show great wines but not as popular.

My menu was all french too.

Menu

Appetizers

• goat cheese
• stuffed mushroom caps
• pissaladiere (french pizza with onion, tomato, anchovies)

Meat plate

• poulet au paprika
• raspberry duck
• ratatuille

Sardines platter

Dessert

• Lemon madelines

Wines

Reds

Château La Gontelle 2010, Ac 1er Côtes De Blaye

Aromas of cedar, berry, spice and cassis greet the nose here. The palate is crisp, round and in a modern style. There is lovely structure with great balance throughout and wonderfully complementary, integrated fruit, acidity and tannins. This wine is spicy, ripe, fruity and delicious.

 

2009 Perrin & Fils "Reserve" Côtes du Rhône

A beautiful deep red hue that seems almost opaque. The nose shows caramel and spices that mingle with red berry fruit. The palate is full and deep, with fine tannins and good length.

The 2009 Perrin et Fils Cotes du Rhone Reserve red is composed of 60% Grenache (from the estate vineyards at Prebois), 20% Syrah (from the estate vineyards in Vinsobres), and 20% Mourvedre. It offers lots of black cherry fruit, underbrush, licorice, pepper, and spice notes in a medium-bodied, richly fruity style with no hard edges.

Taste of Piedmont. Day four.

Day 4

Following a delicious breakfast we will drive to a local cheese factory and have the opportunity of learning and experiencing the traditions of cheese making, as well as try a variety of cheeses.

We will have an amazing lunch complemented with local cheeses and wine. After lunch, we will explore the local town.
We will then head to an agriturismo for a relaxing and scrumptious dinner.

Taste of Piedmont. Day three.

Day 3

For breakfast you will have fantastic selection of local cheeses, salami, cakes homemade that morning.

This morning you’ll have a later start giving you time to go for a walk in the vineyards.

Today we will visit winemaker Roberto Voerzio. His wines are unique and famous.

Production is very limited and the winery makes less than 4000 cases per vintage, which equals less than one bottle per vine.

After wine tasting we will have free time and lunch at the Castello di Grinzane Cavour.

Enjoy free time here to explore the castle, grounds and wine shop on your own.

And finally dinner in local trattoria with velvety and rich local wine.

Then we will drive back to Le Viole, enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure to enjoy a walk amid the vines.

Taste of Piedmont. Day two.

Day 2

After fulfilling breakfast, a drive to Barolo region.

Check in Le Viole. You will love beautiful view of the Piemontese Alps.

After a little rest we will visit famous wine makers in the Barolo region.

Oddero

You’ll tour the immense wine cellar and have a glass of wine.

Carry on to the historic Castello Falletti DI Barolo, 10th century castle.

Visit Barolo museum, interesting for the wine relics like ancient presses, antique cooperage equipment and historic Barolo wine bottles.