Last Week's Tasting Notes (3.2.18)

​Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parallele 45 Côtes du Rhône Blanc ($12.99)
Southern Rhone Valley, France
From the producer:
"History:
This Côtes du Rhône takes its name from the 45th North parallel which runs two kilometres from our cellars. In the village of Pont de l’Isère, a monument symbolises this line with an inscription: 'The South begins here.' Our wine has had this name since the beginning of the 1950s.

Grape Variety:
50% Grenache blanc ; 20% Marsanne ; 20% Viognier ; 10% Bourboulenc.

Age of the vines: 
25 years.

Vinification: 
In stainless steel tanks.

Ageing: 
2 to 3 months, 50% in oak casks.

Tasting:
Colour:
Pale yellow colour with greenish hues.
Bouquet: 
Aromatic and fresh with white flowers and citrus fruit.
Palate:
Ample and warm, with an attractive fresh final note.

Matching Food and Wine: 
Fricassé of curried mussels
Tressé of brill and salmon with sorrel
Feuilleté de Haddock aux herbettes

From me:
The appellation Côtes du Rhône is usually associated with red wine, so this is a great way to introduce yourself to the area's white blend. It has fresh white fruit flavors with a hint of floral notes and a satisfying underlying minerality. Partial oak aging smooths out the mouthfeel without making the wine too heavy on the palate. This is the entry-level wine from a well-known and highly regarded vintner, but it's no slouch!

​Argillae Orvieto ($15.99)
Umbria, Italy
From the producer:
​"Orvieto is Umbria’s and one of Italy’s most famous white wines and Argillae wishes to pay homage to its regional tradition creating a fresh dry wine, with intense aromas of flowers, citrus and tropical fruits. Broad to the nose and persistent on the palate, this wine surprises with its elegance, its perfect balance between flower and fruit scents and its extraordinary freshness. 

Grechetto, Procanico, Malvasia, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Argillae Orvieto pairs beautifully with a delicate and refined cuisine. Try with grilled and baked fish, cous cous salads and pasta dishes."

From me:
This Orvieto is, for lack of a better way of saying it, a savory wine. The fruit is very subtle, and is balanced out by a mild salinity. The mouthfeel is smooth with a little weight, though the minerality keeps it from being too heavy. This is an excellent pairing wine for seafood. I find this much more appealing for its complexity.

Tormentoso Mourvèdre ($12.99)
South Africa
From the producer:
​"Mourvèdre is fairly rare in South Africa, only a handful are bottled as single varietals. This temperamental grape thrives on the Koopmanskraal farm in Agter-Paarl. The un-irrigated, ten-year-old block produces intensely concentrated, very small bunches with pea-sized berries. The soils impart soft spice and minerality that makes this wine so exciting and unique. A complex, layered wine; the nose of berry fruit is complemented by fynbos and soft spice aromas, while the palate layers flavours of cloves, leathery spice and red fruit. The elegant finish is dry and savoury. Ideal with hearty country food, beef loin and roast red meat dishes."

From me:
Mourvèdre (also called Monastrell) is commonly used as a blending grape in French Rosés, Côtes du Rhônes, and new world "GSMs" (Grenach/Syrah/Mourvèdre), but I love it as a varietal wine. Tormentoso Mourvèdre shows a pleasant spiciness propped up by a medium tannin. The wine is dry and on the lighter side of medium-bodied, but its solid structure can still hold up to red meat. The wine's earthiness would certainly complement hard cheeses, rabbit, or a hunter's stew.