Château Haut Queyran Medoc AOC 2009

The wine greets you with a deep cherry core that is moderately opaque moving to a narrow dark pink rim.  On the nose there is the pronounced aroma dried currants/raisins with hints of elusive vanilla, cedar-wood, earth and mintiness.  A melange of elusive aromas.  On the palate the wine is dry, light-bodied, almost thin, (surprising considering 13.%%ABV) with moderate mouth-watering acidity and low level of tannins.  The flavors are very low intensity (thin) with only slight hints of the cedar-wood/cigar-box and earth.  The finish is clean with a very short length of lingering cedar-wood and some black pepper spice evolving in the background.

Wine & Food:  Serve between 50F to 60F.  Ideal for Barbecue, pasta, pizza and other informal meals.

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

ROSE "N" BLUM Pinot Grigio San Jauquin County California 2011

A pale wheat color displays in your glass that is consistent to the rim.  On the nose the wine offers pronounced ripe peach with orange.orange rind along with some sweet floral notes in the background.  These aromas probably are due to the 20% Muscat in the blend.  On the palate the wine is dry, but has a slight hint of sweetness that is not enough to describe as off-dry.  It is light-bodied with mouth-watering acidity.  The flavors are low to almost medium intensity of pineapple/citrus and the ripe peach and orange.  The finish is clean with a medium length of lingering peach, orange and citrus seeming to be of medium intensity.  It would seem the citrus qualities are from the Pinot Gris/Grigio and the ripe peach from the Muscat.

Wine & Food:  Serve chilled between 45F to 50F.  As an aperitif or informal light summer meals such as vegetable salads with balsamic vinegar garnished with chicken, seafood or shellfish or the entree of chicken, seafood or shellfish. Cuisine seasoned with "hot" and "spicy" from Thailand or Mexico.

Approximate Retail Price: US12.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

Georges Vigouroux Gouleyant 2010 Cahors

Gouleyant means "Facile à Boire" = "Easy to Drink"
Made primarily with Malbec (about 80%) with the balance Merlot.

In the glass this wine displays a bright, deep cherry color with bluish highlights consistent to a narrow dark pink rim.  On the nose the wine wine offers a light intensity of red fuit, possibly raspberry, but it is elusive,  The wine is dry, medium-bodied with a low level of fine grained tannins and mouth-watering acidity.  The flavors are low intensity resembling unripe blackberry or blueberry.  The finish is clean and short with a very slight hint of lingering red fruit and refreshing character.

Wine & Food:  Serve between 55F and 60F.  The refreshing character of this wine makes it a wonderful for a barbecue, informal meat dish, pasta, pizza and watching a movie with your friends.  Remember this is a wine that is Goueyant!!

Approximate Retail Price: US$11.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

Barone Fini Pinot Grigio 2011 Val d'Adige DOC

The wine displays a very pale yellow pale wheat color in the glass.  On the nose there is medium intensity of peach and pear along with lemon and tangerine notes.  It seems to have a melange of pleasant aromas depending upon how your focus wanders.  On the palate the wine is dry, light bodied with mouth-watering acidity.  The flavors offered are light to medium intensity of citrus, especially lemon, along with a refreshing minerality in the background.  The finish is clean with a medium length of lingering lemon citrus being he dominant flavor.

Wine & Food: Serve chilled between 45F and 50F.  Certainly as an aperitif.  Ideally suited for lighter bodied dishes particularly delicate fish, seafood or shellfish.  You might try using fresh green herbs, greens olives, or citrus (lemon or lime) to highlight the wines flavors.

Approximate Retail Price: US15.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

Gérard Bertrand Grand Terroir Appellation Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel Protégée

In the glass the wine displays a deep black-cherry core that is slightly transparent and moves to a narrow dark pink rim.  On the nose the wine offers pronounced dried black currant and/or dried black raisin aromas along with hints of black licorice and the sweetness of very ripe black fruit.  On the palate the wine is dry, light to medium bodied with mouth-watering acidity.  The flavors are medium intensity of the dried black currant and/or dried black raisin, ripe black cherry or even fresh ripe red grapes.  There is the perception of sweetness that you would receive from eating a ripe black cherry or ripe red grape.  The finish is clean with a medium length dominated by the lingering ripe fruit perceived on the palate. (see comment by my wife, Randi)

Wine & Food: Serve between 55F to 60F.  I might try pairing this wine with cheeses such as Gouda, Fontina, Swiss,  and Jarlsberg.  Barbecue ribs (beef or pork) and steak.  If you prepared the ribs, steak or even chicken with a sweet and tangy (slight spiciness) barbecue sauce the flavors of the wine and sauce would complement each other.

Approximate Retail Price: US$14.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

Historical Note: The pre-historic skeletons at Tautavel are among the oldest human remains ever discovered in Europe.  The Arago Cave, very close to the village of Tautavel,  was occupied periodically between 690,000 and 35,000 years ago.  Accumulations of animal and human bones and stone tools attest to some forty different occupation periods in the cave. (http://www.saissac.com/Region/Tautavel+Man.html)

Randi's Comment:  I get some bitterness on the finish at the back of my tongue like strong black coffee.
Kenn's Comment: I did not experience this bitterness, however, the bitterness Randi experienced might be the result of barely ripe red grapes, bruised grape skins and pips.  It also might be due to excessive extraction during maceration.

Château du Moulin Blanc Entre-Deux-Mers 2011

I am guessing that the predominant grape variety is Sauvignon Blanc with maybe some Semillion in the blend.  There are no technical notes from the producer.

In the glass the wine is bright showing a light pale yellow color.  On the nose the wine has a medium intensity of peach with a hint of melon (honeydew?) and a floral note in the background.  You might think tropical fruit nuances.  On the palate the with is dry and medium bodied with mouth-watering acidity.  There is a light intensity of either peach, pineapple or pear.  The finish is clean with the white fruits lingering along with some refreshing and zesty citrus (lemon) and pineapple.

Wine & Food:  Serve between 45F and 50F. Serve as an aperitif or with cheeses (possibly a type of blue cheese or goat) but it would be an experiment.  Would match with a leisurely meal with fresh fish, seafood and shellfish.  Another option might be grilled poutry seasoned lightly with fresh green herbs.  If you used citrus slices as a light garnish (i.e. lemon) it would complement the acidity and flavors of the wine.

Approximate Retail Price: US$10.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

Chateau Franc Gueyrot Saint-Emilion 2010

As with many "left bank" Bordeaux, Merlot is dominant (90%) along with a little seasoning of Cabernet Franc (10%)

This is a fresh, dry, light (to maybe medium) bodied wine with gentle tannins.

In the glass the wine displays a deep black cherry color core moving to a narrow, dark pink rim.   On the nose there is a fleeting light intensity of vanilla with elusive and very slight hints of cinnamon spice and black cherry fruit.  On the palate the wine is dry with a low level of tannins that offer just enough to give the wine some structure.  The acidity is mouth-watering and pleasant.  The flavor is a light to medium intensity of black cherry fruit.  The finish is clean and short to medium with lingering black cherry on the back end.

Wine & Food:  Serve between 55F and 60F.  This would pair with soft cheeses such as Camembert, Brie and try Roquefort.  Enjoy with Barbecue,  and Lamb, Veal or a beef dishes seasoned with fresh herbs.

Approximate Retail Price: US$15.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

Gérard Bertrand Réserve Spéciale Pinot Noir 2010 Vin de Pays D'Oc

The wine greets you with a bright, medium garnet color that is consistent to the rim.  The nose is clean.  I really searched for some aromatic qualities or descriptors and but the wine could not evoke anything definitive (maybe a hint of fresh blueberries, but I am really reaching for something here).  On the palate the wine is dry, light-bodied with a pleasant low to medium level of soft tannins that creates a pleasurable structure for the wine.  There also is mouth-watering acidity.  The flavors are low intensity leaning toward fresh minerality (due to the acidity??) and a sweet black-cherry.  The finish is clean with a medium to long length of lingering ripe (sweet) black-cherry flavor that seems to counter the initial low intensity on the palate.

Wine & Food: Serve slightly chilled at 55F.  Cheeses might be Brie. Aged Cheddar, or Goat.  Due to the tannins and sweetness on the finish this might be a nice pairing with beef, pork and duck as the base ingredient complemented with sauces or seasoning such as cherries, sweet onions, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and green herbs.

Approximate Retail Price: US$13.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

Thomas Barton Reserve Graves Blanc AOC 2010 (Barton & Guestier)

In the glass the wine greets you with a bright pale gold color.  On the nose there is a light intensity of pear or peach with a very slight hint of an elusive floral note.  On the palate the wine is dry and medium to full-bodied.  It has mouth-watering acidity although it is not sharp-edged --  the wine seems to possess a luscious creamy texture.  The flavors are similar to the nose with a light to medium intensity of peach and pear.  The finish clean with a short length with slight hints of the peach and pear.

Wine & Food: Serve chilled between 45F to 55F.  As an aperitif or with cheeses (possibly a type of blue cheese or goat) but it would be an experiment.  Certainly this wine is perfect for a leisurely meal with fresh fish, seafood and shellfish.  another option might be grilled poultry seasoned lightly with fresh green herbs.  If you used citrus slices as a light garish (i.e. lemon) it would complement the acidity.

Approximate Retail Price: US$19.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")

Fontana di Papa Rosso 100% Sangiovese Lazio IGT

In the glass the color is a dusty medium dark garnet core moving to a medium dark pink rim.  On the nose there is a very slight intensity of an elusive fruit, maybe a light fleeting black cherry.  On the palate the wine is dry, although there is a hint of sweetness that might lead me to comment that the wine is off-dry.  The wine is light-bodied with no perception of tannins although there is mouth-watering acidity.  The flavor on the palate is a light to medium intensity of very ripe black-cherry or black-cherry candy.  The finish is clean with a medium length of lingering ripe black-cherry fruit.  Serving suggestions see Wine & Food.

Wine & Food:  This is a simple "quaffing" wine to be served chilled (45F to 50F).  It is a perfect wine to make fruit Sangria.  You might even pour this wine over ice with a fruit garnish. You might even add a little club soda or seltzer for a "spritzer".  Think casual, think fruity.

Approximate Retail Price:  US$8.00

--Review by Kenn Pogash ("the guy wearing the bow tie")