Château de Beucastel 2012

The colour is deep garnet. On the nose kirsch, prunes, espresso. In the mouth very juicy. The savour is delicious and the aftertaste last for quite a while.

Château de Beaucastel is made by Famille Perrin and is regarded as one of the great wines of France. Continue reading “Château de Beucastel 2012”

La Closerie 2018

The colour is deep purple. On the nose ripe blueberries, blackberries, plumbs, licorice, pepper. In the mouth not very balanced. Soft at the beginning and edgy at the end. The aftertaste is medium long, but unpleasantly dry and bitter.

This wine is made with Syrah and Grenache grapes by Château Lavabre under the Pic Saint-Loup AOP. Continue reading “La Closerie 2018”

Les Terasses d’Aurelia 2018

The colour is medium garnet. On the nose mainly game. In the mouth balanced, with an aftertaste that last quite a while. A simple but enjoyable wine.

This red wine is made by Henri Bonnaud under the Palette AOC, the smallest Appellation of the Provence region in southern France. It was established in 1948 and is located near Aix-en-Provence.

The first vineyards of Provence, a region better known for rosé wines, were planted by the Romans around 100 BC. Continue reading “Les Terasses d’Aurelia 2018”

Wines >100 CHF

Wines >100 CHF: Last month I organised a blind tasting of wines that sells between 100 CHF and 150 CHF.

The six wines we tasted were freely picked by the participants to the event. We usually taste completely blind, without even knowing the wines we are tasting. This time we decided to announce the wines beforehand. Continue reading “Wines >100 CHF”

Marie-Gabrielle 2019

The colour is deep purple. On the nose prunes and over-ripe blackberries, combined with wood and a hint of tobacco. In the mouth smooth, with drying fruity finish. The aftertaste is medium long.

This wine is produced by Domain Cazes under the Côtes du Roussillon denomination of southern France. Continue reading “Marie-Gabrielle 2019”

The Chocolate Block 2016

The colour is medium ruby. On the nose at first closed. With some air, dark berries and smoky notes show up. Despite the name, no chocolate whatsoever. In the mouth velvety and fruity, with an enjoyable drying finish. The aftertaste is pleasant, but short.

The Chocolate Block is a barrel-aged red wine made by Boekenhoutskloof winery in the Franschhoek Valley (“French corner” in Dutch), a broad vineyard-lined valley that has been producing wine since the 17th Century, when exiled French Huguenots brought their viticultural know-how to their new home in South Africa. Continue reading “The Chocolate Block 2016”

Spain

Last month I organized a wine tasting focused on the main wine producing regions of Spain.

In the last few years, I travelled extensively to the different wine regions of Europe and I covered all the major denominations of Spain. Continue reading “Spain”

Bodegas Volver & Casa Rojo

Despite the COVID-19 resurgence in Spain, early August I decided to stick to my plans and to go discover the wines made in the area around Alicante and Murcia.

My first visit right out of the plane has been Bodegas Volver, which I discovered by reviewing a wine I bought at Denner: Solnia 2014 (www.thelovedwine.com/solnia-2014). Continue reading “Bodegas Volver & Casa Rojo”

Maquinon 2015

The colour is medium ruby. On the nose the 14% alcohol content is clearly detectable and disturbing, also due to the lack of other aromas and a slight reminder of acetone. In the mouth acidity, dryness and bitterness is all I can perceive. No aftertaste worth mentioning, which, given the overall experience, is probably an advantage. Continue reading “Maquinon 2015”

Clos de l’Obac

So far my 152 posts on wine have focused on my tasting experience of single bottles. This time I want to write about the visit I had at Clos de l’Obac. A winery officially named Costers del Siurana and located in Gratallops, in the heart of the Priorat DOQ. Continue reading “Clos de l’Obac”