Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Romane Machotte

Name: Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Romane Machotte
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache, Syrah)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: France
Region: Gigondas
Price: $22
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


We took this wine with us last night to dinner at Cello's CharHouse in downtown Safety Harbor...The dinner and the wine were both terrific. The wine was very smooth and we quickly finished the bottle...It was highlighted by blackberries, plums, and vanilla, with a nice black pepper spice. I highly recommend both the wine and the restaurant.

(We've also enjoyed the red blend from the Vacqueyras region by this same producer, and would like to taste them both together to compare and contrast...either way, both wines were excellent!)

Pierre Amadieu "La Grangeliere" Vacqueyras

Name: Pierre Amadieu "La Grangeliere"
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache/Syrah)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: France
Region: Southern Rhone (Vacqueyras)
Price: $19
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


I chose this wine from Vacqueyras to drink with our Christmas Eve festivities...Krista made bacon-wrapped filets cooked in a red wine mushroom sauce with mashed potatoes and a nice fresh salad. The wine and the dinner were great. We had the 2005 vintage of this same wine about a year and a half ago and really enjoyed it, too. Much like that one, this 2007 was a little hot right out of the gate. Luckily I planned ahead and poured it in the decanter at around 3:30 and left it there while we went to church. By the time we got home and had a first glass at 6:00, it had mellowed out nicely and was really open and delicious.

The aromas and taste were primarily red fruits - strawberries and raspberries, with a bit of peppery spice. It was smooth and well-balanced, with a long finish...I have the Gigondas from Pierre Amadieu, as well, and can't wait to try it soon to see how it compares to the Vacqueyras.

Merry Christmas!!

La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Luberon

Name: La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Luberon
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Grenache Blanc/Bourboulenc/Ugni Blanc/Roussanne)
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: France
Region: Rhone Valley
Price: $7
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)



We had the white version of La Vieille Ferme tonight with pasta. We've had it before and always enjoy it. It's nothing fancy; just a good, solid, reliable, and affordable white blend from the Rhone Valley. It's a tremendous value, goes well with any number of dishes, and also drinks well on its own. The flavor is mostly apples, pears, and pineapples. It has a medium body and a decent finish.

Pierre Amadieu "La Grangeliere" Vacqueyras

Name: Pierre Amadieu "La Grangeliere"
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache/Syrah)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: France
Region: Southern Rhone (Vacqueyras)
Price: $16
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


We loved this wine! We drank it last night with steaks that we grilled on our new grill. We finally had to part ways with our last grill that we had for about 12 years. It got to the point that it became more of a fire hazard than an outdoor kitchen appliance. We broke in the new one last night and it was great - I forgot how nice it is to have an automatic ignitor switch and to have both burners working evenly...

Krista and the boys bought this bottle of wine for me last Christmas, and I've been anxious to try it ever since. Finally, we got around to opening it last night and it was definitely worth the wait. Right out of the bottle, it was little hot, so I poured into the decanter and let it sit for about an hour. It definitely mellowed as it sat and got better and smoother throughout the night. The color was a deep, dark red. The nose was big dark fruits, dark cherries and plums, with some pepper and spice. The taste was similar to the aroma, and it paired really well with the peppery steaks. The finish was nice and long. Overall, it was a pretty full-bodied wine and was the type of red blend that we really like.

La Vieille Ferme Rose

Name: La Vieille Ferme
Color: Rose
Varietal: Blend (Cinsault/Grenache/Syrah)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: France
Region: Rhone
Price: $7.50
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

I don't know what it is about Rose wines, but they just don't seem to do it for me. They aren't quite as crisp and refreshing as a white, and they aren't as bold and mouth filling as a red. We've enjoyed the white (Cotes du Luberon) and the red (Cotes du Ventoux) by La Vieille Ferme, so I was excited to try their Rose...It was quite tasty, mostly strawberry and raspberry, but it just felt like something was missing. I've a read a lot of articles recently proclaiming Rose as the wine for the summer. This one is very drinkable, but I prefer a Sauvignon Blanc or white blend as a cool, summertime wine. Krista was even more direct, refusing to even drink a glass after trying a couple of sips of mine. "What's the point?" was how she described it.

I guess we'll pull the plug on Rose wines for awhile. At some point, I want to try one from the Tavel region of France, a region that really specializes in Rose. But for now, we'll stick with the whites and the reds.

La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux (night 2)

Name: La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Carignane/Cinsault)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: France
Region: Southern Rhone
Price: $7

Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

Tonight we polished off this wine with some steaks (bacon-wrapped filets) that I threw on the grill. The wine held up pretty well on the second night. The nose and taste were a little softer than the night before, but again, for the money, I have no complaints.

La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux

Name: La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Carignane/Cinsault)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: France
Region: Southern Rhone
Price: $7

Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)



I had a couple of glasses by myself as Krista was passed out with a bad cold. We've both had this wine before (the 2006 vintage) and found it to be a really good value for the money. Nothing fancy, pretty straight forward. It has a nice, medium body, with a grapey, purple fruit, and blackberry nose and taste. I found it to be juicy, with some pepper and spice from the syrah. The finish is not very long but still nice overall. There are several red blends that I like better, but for less than $10, it's hard to beat. I bought this wine at Total Wines. If I were to compare this wine to a Kentucky basketball player, the first person that comes to mind is Mark Pope - a solid contributor, doesn't try to do anything flashy, knows who he is, and plays an important role on the team.