The Wine Club - Essential Red Case

Essential Red Case - July 2009

2 bottles of each of the following wines:

2005 Ch. Campillot, Médoc, Bordeaux, France (Red)
Cab.Sauvignon Blend, 12.5% alc.
Clear and bright with an intense ruby to purple core and noticeable legs. The nose is clean, intense and developing with brambly black hedgerow fruits and some cedar spice. This wine has a combination of depth of flavour and fragrant, fruity characters that make it very attractive on the nose. Dry on the palate, with medium acidity and slightly grippy tannins. The medium body belies the serious fruit here. Blackcurrant and mocha notes come to the fore with black cherry too. Complex, developing and well balanced this is drinking well now but equally could be cellared for another 3 years.
(Katie Cooper, Wine Club Manager)

2006 Chono Syrah, Viña Geo Wines Elqui Valley, Chile (Red)
Syrah/Shiraz, 13.5% alc.
You read it here first; the Elqui Valley is the place in Chile to grow Syrah. With its semi-arid terrrain, tempered by the cooling Pacific, and wonderfully clear atmosphere (several observatories are located here), this has proved an ideal spot for Alvaro Espinoza to demonstrate his skills with this famously temperamental variety. Very low yields generate highly concentrated fruit, while maceration is gentle to avoid over-extraction. A deep Syrah colour, then a friendly nose of spice, black fruit and hints of macerated prune; the palate is beautifully soft with red and black fruit flavours and finely wrought tannins.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

2005 Dom. de Familongue, La Bastide aux Oliviers, Vin de Pays D'Oc, France (Red)
Syrah, Cinsault, Merlot, Carignan, Cab. Sauvignon, 13% alc.
Familongue are in the habit of winning prizes, and they certainly impressed me earlier this year when tasted blind at a Sopexa Tasting (Vin de Pays Top 100) organised by Tim Atkin MW, where, once again they picked up a Trophy. A lovely, beautifully balanced wine; made up of Syrah 4%, Cinsault 12%, Merlot 23%, Carignan 36%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%, a slightly unsual blend, but one that seems to work well. A deep purple robe then a nose of wild raspberry, licorice and tapenade; the palate is profound, with an attractive sweetness, fine tannins and plenty of Mediterranean warmth.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

2005 Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Beaucastel, Paso Robles, California (Red)
Mourvedre 44% Grenache 26% Shiraz 25% Counoise, 14.5% alc.
Limestone soils, warm dry days, a notable diurnal shift, & naturally high contoured slopes make Paso Robles, just south of Monterey, a fine viticultural zone. The 2005 blend of Mourvedre 44% Grenache 26% Shiraz 25% Counoise 5% was aged in 300 litre oak barrels for 12 months. The result: the nose swells with warm, briary, cured meats and cinnamon aromatics, while the full, restrained palate speaks more of scented, garden leaf litter and sweet spicy fruit. Drinking now till 2014, especially with winter stew.
(David Berry Green, BBR Buyer)

2006 Côtes du Rhône, Les Cranilles, Domaine Vins De Vienne (Red)
Grenache, Syrah, 14.5% alc.
Grenache-based, this distinctly up-market Côtes Du Rhône has plenty of raspberry fruit with a delicious lick of spicy pepper on the finish.
(Simon Field MW, Rhône Buyer)

2003 Laurona, Montsant , Spain (Red)
Grenache/Garnacha, 14.5% alc.
A superb discovery from the skillful hands of Rene Barbier. Monsant surrounds Priorat and shares its soil base of schist and clay. This is a blend of Cabernet, Garnacha and Merlot and has been aged for 16 months in French oak. It has the elegance of a top claret and the warmth of a great Rioja; Laurona shows a fresh and expressive nose bursting with berry fruit, licorice and dried mediterranean herbs. It will accompany classic meat or game dishes.