Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Wine/Wine Improvement Drive

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[edit] March 4th Languedoc wine

We're going to put the newest WID at the top for ease of finding. Some good notes about Carmenère below. It will be interesting to see what we get from the Languedoc. Agne^Cheese/^Wine 08:55, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Some thoughts on a few sparkling Languedoc's.

• Blanquette de Limoux from Saint-Hilaire which labels itself as one of France's oldest sparkling wine. It is composed primarily of the Mauzac (grape) and is normally found between $8-12 a bottle US. As a Champagne fan, I was expecting something like a Cava or Crémant d’Alsace-easy drinking and enjoyable. Nothing too sophisticated. Well the short answer is that I hated this wine. The first taste on the tongue is quite nondescript and the aroma was flat. But it was the aftertaste that was biggest turn off. It was a bit soapy and with an odd toffee lingering taste. I asked my partner, who is much more apt at tasting, and she noted it as a bacteria fault. Unfortunately, I don't know if this was just this bottle or the nature of the Mauzac variety. Admittedly, I'm not keen on trying another bottle any time soon when I can get a nice enjoyable Cava for $7. Or I could get the much more enjoyable...
• Crémant de Limoux from Domaine J. Laurens Brut at $9-$11 a bottle US. Now THIS was what I was expecting for an inexpensive sparkling. Composed primarily of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay and aged on the lees longer, this wine is leaps and bound ahead of the Blanquette de Limoux. It has a very nice balance and while the finish or aroma are not spectacular, they aren't off putting either. For the price, it's a great value. Agne^Cheese/^Wine 05:42, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Tried any good Carmenere lately?

Feel free to post any reviews and recommendations here.

Admittedly, I'm not a big red wine drinker but it is my business to know good wines and what to recommend to customers. With Carmenere, I think its biggest potential is as a blending grape. I think Vina Carmen in Maipo Valley of Chile are one of the best in business when it comes to blending Cab & Carmenere. Their wines tend to be very fruit forward with the tannics tempered a bit by the Carmenere. But I personally ADORE the color-a gorgeous crimson red. Any wineshop with a half way decent selection of South American wines will carry them for anywhere from $13-20 a bottle. When it comes to single varietal Carmenere, one of the most reputable names on the market is Concha Y Toro but their really good wines tend to get a bit pricy. One producer that I, personally, think is way overpriced and overrated is J&F Lurton. I know they have their fans (like Wine Spectator) but I'm not one of them. Agne^Cheese/^Wine 04:35, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

I tried a very reasonably-priced Carmenère/Cab from the Porta winery (also Maipo Valley, 2005 reserva) which was a whole new take on the usual, rather tired and over-used Sauvignon blends, in which I think you tend to get much more Cabernet than anything else. Here the Carmenère really shines through and stamps its personality on the wine; I'd love to try a Vina Carmen blend and will certainly keep my eyes open for one but I would recommend the Porta without reservation. Tasting the full-blooded Casillero del Diablo (2005 reserve) Carmenère it's immediately clear why the grape holds its own against the Cabbie; it has a really distinctive and powerful peppery flavour, quite savoury, which balances the fruit beautifully. Love at first slurp... would like to see what the Italians have done with it but so far, no sign of any.--mikaul 13:33, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

• Well, what can I say?, I love Carmeneres. My wine guy did not have a single carmenere so I made him order a Casillero del Diablo (I prefer 2004 though, he could only get 2005) and now it's a big hit in the wine store. This week I ordered every Carmenere in his wine book ;-). That's over 15 different types. I think it is going to be a great week. Also Mick, Italians don't make Carmeneres. It is a French grape, now extinct in France. Although there have been attempts to bring it back, they have not had much success. Most Carmeneres, if not all, come from Chile. I honestly don't know of any other places where they make them for sure, although I have the feeling I may have heard that California may. Charleenmerced ^Talk 20:49, 3 March 2007 (UTC)Charleenmerced

I've seen reference to Californian Carmeneres (check the Block link at the foot of the Carmenere article) and there definitely are Italian growers: this link [1] will take you to a very nice-looking one, although it's the only one I've ever seen and theres a fat chance of ever finding it here :( --mikaul 13:41, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

I've added the Italian winery to the page - not sure we need an external link [2] to it, but it might be an idea to have a wiki entry for it --mikaul 14:02, 4 March 2007 (UTC)