Tasting this wine, there is no doubting its origins. Not a fat or flabby red, this has focused lean blackberry fruit with notes of meat, herbs, and spice. This has all the character I expect of a sotuh French wine. Like many French wines, this works very well with food. A fine value at about $18.

Lovey dark red wine.

Dried fruit and herbal nose with a slightly floral hint.

Medium bodied, but concentrated. Very dry and savory. Very French. Plenty of fine, ripe tannin.

An honest, dry, old world style wine that's not out to impress critics with over-extraction, too much oak or sweetness.

Not necessarily a friendly sipper though, this really ought to be drunk with big, savory foods....red meat, spicy pasta etc.

My kind of wine.

This gal will certainly cellar for at least 5 years, it will likely soften and develop a more complex bouquet.

But it's good to go now.

90
September 2010

Seeing the Wine Align reviews, I decided to give this wine a try; first in July with dinner and second in August during wine tasting with a group of friends. Each time, I did not "taste" what the other reviewers tasted. Every time, the wine seemed medium to full bodied, aromatic with fruity to integrated notes of cherry and black currant and with refined tannins. However, as my notes tell me, the two bottles differed considerably. The first time, the wine seemed somewhat sweet and my overall impression was NOTHING SPECIAL; the second time, the wine had a strong, unappealing smell of brettanomyces - reminiscent of spoiled yogurt. This time my (and others) impression was DRINKABLE BUT WHY. At this price range, I should expect to see consistency. Perhaps I purchased an odd bottle as the wine seems quite popular. I however would really not recommend it. Averaged 87 pts. Tasted July and August 2010.

If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):

http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recomended-wines-you-can-still-buy