I’d like to start by saying I really wish I knew French. Not really so that I could speak it… but so that I could read and attempt to remember what the heck French wine labels say. I get really frustrated by the abundant amount of words they place on the front labels! I know part of it is the brand, part is the region, and the rest is who knows what. I know the Germans and Austrians are far worse in the overabundance of info, but it still drives me crazy. Also the fact that most French wines don’t say “what” they are in terms of the grapes and blends. You’re just supposed to know that whatever region is known for whatever grapes. How egotistical!

While I’m ranting, I also dislike the term “cuvee.” I always just assumed it meant a certain type of wine – whatever was in the particular bottle you happened to have. Checking out Wikipedia, it has several meanings that make the term a bit more vague and mostly just not very helpful if you’re trying to pick out wine. It can indeed be a certain batch of wine, or it can also be a blend of different varietals, or a higher quality batch than the manufacturer’s regular batch of wine. Ignoring “cuvee” from now on – check!

Despite all my rants about French labeling and whatnot, I was disappointed that I didn’t love this wine. I’ve had other ones from the Cotes-du-Rhone that I’ve enjoyed. However, this one seemed to be lacking a friendliness to it. It was a cozy wine you could just kick back with. It seemed a bit serious, too many tannins, and just overall a flavor that seemed a bit standoffish.

On the plus side, I did like the pretty horse on the front label :)

Origin: Cote-du-Rhone, France

Where: Highland Wine & Crystal

Price: No idea – part of my first monthly membership, and I don’t have the tasting notes for those.

Next time: I’ll pass.