But just because the word France is on the label does not guarantee goodness, and definitely not value. So I was happy to try the latest bottlings from famed French winemaker Michel Chapoutier as they have both.
These wines come from vines that are on the border with Spain, grown on harsh terrain with hot summers and cool winters. The stress on the vines produces some great flavors.
Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Rose' d'Oc is a beautiful salmon color and it smells both floral and mineral. After my mother's first sip she said, "Wow, peppery." (She wanted to be quoted in my blog.) I too got some spice and lots of minerals with a bit of citrus on the finish. A lovely, affordable rose'.
I tried the Blanc Cotes du Roussillon with an Italian bean soup, some grilled vegetables and some citrus shrimp; it worked well with all. The interesting blend of grenache blanc, grenache gris, vermentino and macabeo produces a wine that has a bit of grapefruit and melon; a crisp wine perfect for Florida.
The Rouge Cotes du Roussillion Villages is a tasty red blend of syrah, grenache and carignan. A good food wine, this is bold; full of menthol and blueberry, blackberry and juicy plums.
All three of these French wines come in around $13 a bottle. Now that's a bargain. Thank you Michel Chapoutier.
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