Wines tasted in Paris

Hey Everyone,

Today I am putting out the tasting notes for a few rather nice wines I have had the chance to try during my travels in Paris.  These are not particularly available in the UK, but hopefully when a better representation of their styles becomes available, you will think back and recall that you heard good things about these appellations.

First off, I spent my first night searching the streets for a good wine bar, and after realising that such a thing in Paris is tremendously expensive, I looked instead for a good wine shop, which I was fortunate enough to find.  The first wine I tried was a 2009 Rigal Cahors.  Made up of 70% Malbec and 30% Merlot, this wine was big and dark, earning it's historic title of 'Black Wine' which dates to the middle ages.  It had aromas of black berries, and smoke, currants and flint as well as the classic Malbec aromas of clove, coffee and cocoa after a few hours left to breathe.  It was deep, bold and satisfying and representative of a style of wine which I hope makes it more regularly to the rest of the world.

Next I was able to get a hold of the second tasty Bergerac of my trip, being a 2009 Roc de Miremont.  I was interested in this one in particular as it was not Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot based, but rather it focused on Cabernet Franc as the lead varietal.  It was softer than the standard Bergerac wines with which I am familiar, but it was definitely complex and pleasing on par with the rest of the Bordeaux I experienced on this trip.

The last wine I will write about here is the most recent of my trip, being that I am drinking it now..  It is a 2011 Château Auney L'Hermitage Graves Blanc.  It was about 10 euros and for the price I found the most satisfying white of the trip.  It was oaky with hints of peach, lychee and a bit of that rocky gravel character that does such a service to Graves wine.  It was refreshing and possessed a zesty acidic edge allowing balance for it's big, opulent flavours.  Over all a pleasing wine.  I wish with all my heart that oaky Bordeaux blanc under £10 were a reality in Britain. If I could make a wine in a particular style, it would be along the lines of Bordeaux Blanc.  Great stuff.

Anyways, there were plenty more wines tasted in restaurants and from bottles during my trip to Paris but I only wanted to highlight these three for their general interest.  They are styles of wines which should be available to the punter in Britain because they fill a gap in the market.  I hope you get to try some interesting French wines in the future and if you find something of interest, please send your discoveries to me at grapepresswines@gmail.com.

Much Love,
G