2006 Domaine Chante Cigale Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

Country: France
Region: Rhone
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: €20,00
Closure: Cork

Domaine Chante Cigale is located in the famous Chateauneuf du Pape sub-region of the Rhone Valley. The soils of this area are a mixture of sandy clay (40%) and limestone (60%) covered with what are known in France as "galets"; round, smooth stones (almost river stones). The stones are typically quartzite and remnants of Alpine glaciers that have been smoothed over millennia by the Rhône River.

A typifying characteristic of the terroir in the Chateauneuf du Pape sub-region, "galets" fulfill a two-fold purpose in this regions. Firstly, the stones absorb heat during the day and at night slowly release this warmth which aids the ripening of the grapes. Secondly, the stones can also serve as a protective layer to help retain moisture in the soil during the dry summer months.

The domaine encompasses a total of 40 hectares of which 5 hectares are white varieties with an average age of 30 years. These 5 hectares equate to around 20,000 bottles of white wine per year. Fermentation takes place in two separate batches using the natural, or wild, yeasts. The majority (95%) was fermented at 16°C in stainless steel tanks for a period of 3-4 weeks. The remaining 5% was fermented in new barrels at 20°C for a period of 8-10 weeks. No malolactic fermentation took place in order to keep the wine fresh.

Cepage of this wine is Bourboulenc (25%), Grenache Blanc (25%), Roussanne (25%) with the remaining 25% made up of varieties native to the region such as Picpoul and Clairette. This is what I thought of it:

Straw yellow in colour with tinges of green coming through. Very fragrant and fresh on the nose with hints of apple and pear. On the palate its quite rich with plenty ripe, almost juicy fruit - pear, apple along with hints of citrus. A soft roundness probably stemming from the partial oak treatment complements the high acidity beautifully. Finishes strongly with a burst of citrus long with some mineral qualities. Really classy, well balanced wine that I really enjoyed. For me this is something that I will definitely drink again in the future.

WBW#49 A toast to the end of the Bush Era

I got married last month which is the reason that this blog has been neglected over that same period. This will then be my first post for quite some time; hopefully of many more to come.

The current Wine Blogging Wednesday topic, a toast to the end of the Bush Era, is hosted by Dhonig of 2 Days Per Bottle. This is an interesting topic, and one that I could not let slip by. My bottle of wine for this theme is one from France seeing they were one of the few countries stand up the US when it counted (despite much criticism). I have great respect for that, thus a French wine.

Well, like the citizens of most countries world-wide I've never been a Bush fan, and over the term of his office he has proven himself to be worse than I imagined when he was elected the first time around. The fact that he got a second term boggles my mind and probably says volumes about the majority living in the United States. Needless to say I won't sad when he leaves the Whitehouse for the last time.

Domaine du Jas Le Chevre d'Or

Country: France

Region: Cote du Rhone

Alcohol: 13%

Price: €14.95

Closure: Cork

Anyway, onto the wine. The wine I have chosen is the 2004 Domaine du Jas La Chevre d'Or produced in the Rhone Valley. This wine is 100% Syrah and produced by organic and byo-dynamic methods.

Here's what I thought of the wine:

Dark, purple-red in colour. Nose is not all that powerful, but is distinctive with red and dark fruit, hints of wood and dusty, earthy aromas. Again plenty of concentrated red and black fruit on the palate. Oak is hidden away nicely behind the fruit. There is also some earthiness there too along with nicely integrated tannins. A lengthy, dark fruit finish to a very good wine. I really like this wine; very concentrated but not over the top in power.

WBW#46 Rhone Whites

This month the theme is Rhone whites and is presented by dr debbs of goodwineunder20. I chose two wines one Australian and the other a Rhone. The wines ended up being totally different in style which made for interesting comparisons; one was quite fresh with good acidity as opposed to the other which was fatter and rounder with clearly less acidity.

2005 Yering Station M.V.R

Region: Australia
Country: Yarra Valley
Alcohol: 14%
Price: €16,00
Closure: Screwtop

Yering Station has some of the oldest vines in Victoria and was one of the first wineries in Victoria having been established in 1838 by the Scottish-born Ryrie brothers. While certainly better known for it Pinot Noir, Yering Station have a reputation for quality across the entire range. This wine has been matured for 3 months in oak of which 22% was fermented in oak
and the remaining 78% in tank. The cepage of this wine are the classic northern Rhone varieties of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne.

Pale, straw-like in colour. Really fresh on the nose with plenty of peach and pear fruit. The same pear and peach fruits show up on the palate along with some citrus and mineral characters. The wine is lean and very fresh with good acidity. A lovely wine for a warm summers day.

2003 Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes Hermitage Mule Blanche

Region: Rhone
Country: France
Alcohol: 14%
Price: €19,00
Closure: Cork

This estate also have a long history with evidence suggesting that winery was found in the early 19th century. Until 2005 the estate was in the hands of the Jaboulet family when it was sold to the Frey family, who also own Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux.

Of interest is that the comes from the days when mules where used as pack horses in the vineyard. The wine is a blend of Marsanne 50% and Roussanne 50% sourced from a 7 hectare vineyard where vine age is between 40 and 60 years. It spends nine months in oak.

Bright intense yellow-golden in colour. Butter and honied melon on the nose backed up with some hints of oak. The palate is quite thick and oily with the same buttery creaminess and plenty of honey-like fruit. Acidity is quite low but the wine is not flabby. Oak gives the wine structure. Interesting, attractive wine that I would be more than happy to drink again in the future. Good stuff.

2006 Domaine de la Pigeade Muscat de Beaumes de Venise

Country: France
Region: Southern Rhone Valley
Alcohol: 15%
Price: €1.99 (severely discounted)
Closure: Cork

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is a sweet muscat-based Vins Doux Naturel produced in the Cötes de Rhöne. Vins Doux Naturel is basically a fortified wine produced in a similar fashion to port where the fermentation is stopped by the addition of neutral grape spirit which kills the yeast. Whereas ports reach alcohol levels around the 19-20% mark a typical Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is normally fortified to just over 15%.

There are currently 489 hectares under vine in this AOC producing Muscat blanc à petits grains (small berried Muscat), also known as ‘Muscat de Frontignan’. The grapes must have a sugar content of at least 252 g/l and the mutage (or stopping of 95 proof. The wines must contain 110g/l of sugar and have a minimum alcohol percentage of 15%.

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise has a long history with sources mentioning a muscat-based being produced here in the 1st century A.D. (Pliny the Elder descried the Muscat of this region as this lively and fruity wine, long cultivated at Balme in his natural history). Later, in the fourteenth century, Pope Clement V, had a 70 hectare muscat vineyard planted on the slopes of the Beaumes-de-Venise. In 1945 the decree dedicating the title of A.O.C., backdated to 1943, was awarded to Beaumes-de-Venise Vin Doux Naturel Muscat.

Thierry Vaute is the name behind Domaine de la Pigeade, a family domaine located at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain ridge in Southern Rhone. Thierry's family vineyard was formerly part of the local village co-operative until he took over the domaine in 1996. He decided to go it alone and has spent the past seven years improving the vineyards, renovating the winery buildings, reducing the yields and increasing the quality of his wines. It certainly appears to be paying dividends as my tasting note will attest:

The colour is a very pale gold in colour; almost straw-like. On the nose it is powerful with absolutely gorgeous honey and apricot tones. Very smooth, sweet honey and apricot fruit on a palate that is more about finesse and elegance than power. Acid balances the sweetness beautifully. Reasonable length completes an elegant wine that was an absolute steal.