Mortet Bourgogne Rouge Charmes de Daix 2017

Begude Cadet de la Begude Rouge  is made from 35% Mourvedre, 35% Grenache and 30% Cinsault.

A selection of young vines, with no oak aging. Full fruit with a fresh and provencal character.

The noble terroir of Provence and the signature of the Tari Family raised at Chateau Giscours in Margaux and at the Domaine de la Begude in Bandol - the 7th generation of vignerons - gave birth to this valiant Cadet.
A selection with a fragrance of freedom, respectful of the environment, carried by the Mistral wind and the light of the Mediterranean Sea.

Average age of the vines: 10 years
Planted on clay and limestone soils. 
Double sorting, total destemming, grapes pressuring and maceration in vats.
Aged 2 months on the lees. 
Gentle filtration before bottling.

Grilled lamb, meat cooked with sauce, southern French cuisine and tasty dishes (tajines, couscous, paellas).

Review:

"This young, deep-purple-colored wine is almost the equivalent of a Bordeaux second wine. A blend across the two appellations of Côtes de Provence and Bandol, it has a rich potential, spicy, herbal while also packed with generous black fruits. The tannins will allow it to age, so save for 2019. -R.V."

- Wine Enthusiast (July 1st 2018), 90 PTS

"Roughly one-third each Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault, the 2017 Cadet de la Begude is a new IGP wine meant to introduce the domaine to new audiences. It's an unoaked, medium to full-bodied wine, bold and berry-scented, loaded with plum and raspberry flavors, soft tannins and a lingering finish. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Interim end of September, September 2018), 90 pts

As to the reds, the 2017 Cadet de la Begude is close to an even split of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Cinsault that’s a selection of younger vines aged in tank. It’s a charming, textured, nicely layered Bandol that has good complexity in its spicy dark fruits and peppery aromatics. It’s already drinking nicely yet will keep for 7-8 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 90 pts

Jean-Claude et Nicolas Fayolle Hermitage Rouge Donnieres is made from  100% Syrah.

Made from 40-year-old vines planted on granitic and rocky soils in the Lieu dit "Les Donnieres" at the bottom of the Hermitage's hill.

Intense inky ruby red color. 
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality. 
The finish is very long, clean and juicy and offers a great spicy mouthfeel.

Soil is clay, silica and round pebbles.
Hand harvested in small crates. The grapes are then pumped into tanks (full cluster, not destemmed). 
It will stay in this tank for 15 days for the skin contact maceration and the Alcoholic fermentation.
Tey will also use the "rack and return" technique (delestage).
Then the wine is transfered into neutral French Oak barrels where the wine will complete the Malo-Lactic fermentation.

Delicious with grilled red meat such as venison or lamb and most cheeses.

Review:

"If the prebottling sample of the Fayolles' 2017 Hermitage Les Dionnieres is truly representative, purchasers will be in for a treat. It's inky dark in color, with a cassis-laden nose that's marked by hints of crushed stone. It's full-bodied and concentrated, tannic without being hard or overdone, and despite ample ripeness, there's structure and freshness. It looks to be the complete package and potentially in the same ballpark (quality-wise) as the impressive 2015. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue #239, October 31th 2018), 94-96 pts

Alain Jaume Cotes Du Rhone Rouge Haut de Brun is made from 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault

The colour is purple-tinged garnet.The aromatic range of the nose goes from fresh berries (wild raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry) to spices.The palate is big and full-flavoured, with silky-smooth tannins and aromas of the fruit already mentioned. The finish introduces touches of liquorice and pepper. A Côtes du Rhône with great complexity for an every day drinking.

A classic Rhône to drink between 1 and 4 years. Best poured at 17°C.

Traditional wine making and ageing is performed in vats only. Bottling after 10-12 months.

Ideal throughout the meal, but particularly with poultry and other white meats, as well as mild cheeses.

Review:

"The 2017 Côtes du Rhône Haut de Brun is in the same ballpark as the 2016, with a similar level of concentration, yet it has more dark fruits as well as good minerality. This medium-bodied, concentrated, fresh 2017 will keep for 7-8 years.

There are few better run estates in the world than that of the Jaume Family’s Domaine Grand Veneur. Located in the northern part of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and run today by brothers Christophe and Sebastien Jaume, the estate produces a quasi-modern style of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (their Les Origins and Vieilles Vignes) as well as a growing number of negociant based wines from throughout the Southern Rhône. The 2017s whites are terrific across the board, and this vintage has produced charming, pure wines that are already drinking beautifully. The 2016 reds are some of the finest I’ve tasted from this estate."

- Jeb Dunnuck (August 2018, LE MILLÉSIME… The 2016s from the Southern Rhône - Part 1), 88-90 pts

Ecard Maurice Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir is 100 percent Pinot Noir.

Supple, fresh red wine with distinct fruitiness and showing a lot of the characteristics of the terroir from where the vines are situated with cherry, blackcurrant and raspberry aromas. Discreet tannins in the flavors give a more feminine image.

Growing in light and stony soil made up mainly of clay. The alcoholic vinification takes place in stainless steel vats followed by malolactic fermentation and aging for 6 months in 2 – 4 year old oak barrels.

A good all round red wine for meat courses, grills, barbecues and light cheeses.

Philippe Milan Bourgogne Rouge Cote Chalonnaise is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.

Light color - translucent - but loads of flavors. Long finish, quite exceptionnal for a Bourgogne Rouge. Very aromatic, with perfume aromas and cherry flavors.

Bernardins Beaumes de Venise Rouge Cru Cotes du Rhone is made from 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache Blanc.

Bright ruby color with cherry tinges. Complex black fruit aromas on the nose enhanced by spicy notes. Rounded palate with good length.

The wine is drinking well right now and can be kept for another 10 years.

Situation
Spreads out over the south-east side of the Dentelles de Montmirail hills, in Beaumes de Venise in the southern part of the Rhone valley.

Terroir
 On a poor sandy, hungry and arid soil consisting of tender limestone and gritty zones of sandy mollasse.

In the vineyard
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

Winemaking
We make two red wines at the estate. Terroir wines shaped by the two classic Côtes du Rhône varieties: Grenache and Syrah. We don’t follow any winemaking recipe but are constantly searching for the perfect expression of terroir and each vintage’s particular characteristics. We don’t go for overripe grapes and over-extraction, as we think the wine has to stay refreshing and balanced.

Leaving the wine for 15 days in concrete vats, we try to gently extract the tannins and anthocyanins essential for the wine’s structure and colour. The wine doesn’t come into any contact with wood during ageing. This way the characteristics of our terroir can fully express

Serve with a meal especially red meat, game and cheese.

Review:

"Aged for 10-12 months in stainless steel, this has intense juniper and rosemary notes on the very rounded and savoury palate. The tannins are robust but ripe and will need time to settle, and the acidity is fierce. It's very powerful but balanced overall, retaining freshness. An impressive wine with tremendous focus and seething energy. Another excellent vintage for one of the best value wines in the southern Rhône. Drinking Window 2022 - 2028"
- Decanter (November 2018), 94 pts