Today, the tasting at Hope Valley Bottle Shop focused on some juicy French wines (two whites, one sparkling rosé, and two reds). As I am moving away from the Triangle this Friday (31 August 2012), this was my last tasting at HV Bottle Shop. That is sad, as the owner of the shop–Drew–was always incredibly helpful and offered fantastic insight about the wines that he sold.
The first pour of the day was a 2010 Blanc blend from Chateau Lamothe de Haux. It had a vibrant medium yellow colour at the edge, a thin ring, and no legs. I found it to be highly floral, and have a light lemon scent with a hint of honey. It had a nice mid-palate with a very smooth finish. It was a little light for my taste, but I can imagine that it would be quite pleasant when paired with the correct dish.
The second glass was a 2009 Pinot Gris from producer Philippe Zinck. It had a lovely golden colour at the edge, with a medium ring, and very few medium/thick legs. I picked up a combination of lime and green apple, although apparently the 2008 vintage had more of an emphasis on yellow fruit. It had a brighter acidity, and more crisp finish than the previous blanc.
The middle offering was a sparkling rosé, also from Philippe Zinck. It had a beautiful light peach / salmon colour, with many thick, medium-paced legs. With scents of apricot and red currants, it was very pleasant on the nose. However, to me, the carbonation interrupted the mid-palate and finish. Further, I found it to be almost metallic, which was unappealing.
The fourth wine was the 2009 Rouge blend from Chateau Lamothe de Haux. As a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, it had a deep garnet colour with medium contrast between the edge and centre. It also had very few, but slow-moving legs. I picked up notes of licorice and chocolate from it. It was medium bodied, but had a soft mid-palate and even softer finish. Primarily, I found the flavours to focus on ripe red berries.
The last pour of the day was a 2010 Grenache from Le Paradou. It had a gorgeous deep purple colour, with very low contrast between the edge and centre, as well as low visibility when peering through it. There were medium legs, but they were very slow to start. It gave off a very nice aroma of black cherries, but the flavours were of spice and a subtle blueberry. Though it had a nice weight to it, I found the finish to be somewhat disappointing.
Cheers,
Zach
