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 Louis Benton Steakhouse

October 12, 2005 - Fall Values - France vs. Portugal

The best attended tasting of the year so far, this night proved that great wine doesn't need to be expensive. Every wine over-achieved and all were enjoyed by the attendees. Most of the varietals were new to many and that was exciting as well. We did three flights of two wines, one white flight and two red, and the first wine was Portuguese and the second French.

Dorado 2003 "Auratus" $14.75
From just outside Rias Biaxas, this blend of Albarino and Treixadura was delightful and refreshing. With notes of green apple, fresh flowers and honey, it's crisp and clean on the palate with a definite streak of mineral and almond. An excellent seafood wine, this would also pair wonderfully with most appetizers.

Pauvert 2003 Muscadet $15.50
From the venerable Loire Valley, this is one of my favorite inexpensive wines. It has a distinct briny nuance which once acquired, is always fun to revisit. It's super crisp and bone dry, with notes of unripe pear and unripe kiwi along with a whiff of the ocean. I love this wine with oysters!

JP 2002 Tinto de Anfora $15.50
This nifty little red is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon along with the indigenous Portuguese grape Periquita. It sports aromas of red plum, raspberry and toasty spice. On the palate there's oodles of red berry action with medium tannins and a super-duper finish. This was a real surprise to this taster and was the most preferred wine of the evening.

Terres du Solence 2001 "Cippus" $22.00
From the Cotes du Ventoux, this blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan boasts bright aromas of plum, red raspberry, bacon and spice. It was very soft and lush, with super-fine tannins and flavors of red berries and roasted Provencal herbs. An outstanding wine that's drinking great now, this will pair well with roast leg of lamb wrapped in prosciutto and rosemary. Way yummy!

Evel 2002 Tinto $12.00
From the famous Duoro Valley where Port is produced, this is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Barroca. Super-drinkable, this proved to be one of the loveliest wines of the night. It has big aromas of red cherries, raspberries and spice. On the palate it's lush and ripe, with silky tannins and notes of red cherry and red currant. An incredible value that will pair well with
fall vegetable stew.

Gerard Bertrand 2001 "Hospitalet" $25.75
My personal favorite of the night, this Languedoc producer blends Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache to create this big, full-bodied red. On the nose you notice blackberry, black cherry, tar and leather, with classic notes of barnyardy funk. It has a huge mouthfeel, with medium tannins and round, earthy flavors of black fruit and roast herbs. This will pair well with a big cut of grilled buffalo.


Tonight's tasting was eye-opening for the incredible quality of wines for a relative song. All of them were unique to their regions and as such created a nice distinction of place for the wines. I always find these types of wine the most special.

*All of the wines we taste, no matter what night we tried them…even if it was over a year ago…are available either on our shelf or to special order. We are always very happy to special order a bottle of anything you’re looking for. If you are interested in trying some of these, please email or call us anytime and we will include it on our next order – almost always delivered within two to three days!
 
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