WTN: 2 from Navarra; 2 from Languedoc

• 2008 Azul y Garanza Navarra Rosa - Spain, Navarra (1/15/2009)
  
  
  
  13,5% abv. Quite a deep pink. With a steak of tuna in white wine, capers, cherry tomatoes and herbs (good match for a weighty rosé that still is light on its feet). Strong scents of strawberry and minerals. Full bodied, sweet fruit, but with bright acidity and a strongly mineral finish. Very substantial and weighty for a rosé but also moreish and refreshing.
• 2008 Azul y Garanza Navarra Viura - Spain, Navarra (1/15/2009)
  
  
  
  Light gold. Mineral and grassy scent. Quite full bodied, good acidity and minerality, nutty though unoaked. A pleasant wine. This was perhaps a bit weighty for my chunk of salmon with lemon pasta (or then the food was just too acidic to handle anything else).
• 2005 Dignité Vin de Pays d'Oc Syrah - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc (1/20/2009)
  
  
  
  14,04€; 14,5%abv; 50yo vines; Eric Monnin - winemaker. Purple. Very sweet, almost jammy scent of strawberry upon opening. It becomes darker toned with time open and scents of tar, butterscotch oak and even some mint come to the fore. Full body, sweet and very ripe fruit, the tannins seem more like an afterthought than something integral to the wine, but it does have adequate (though not high) acidity to provide some balance to the enormous presence of fruit; strongly alcoholic. It is a decent example of Barossa Shiraz.
• 2007 Domaine Depeyre Côtes du Roussillon Villages - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (1/14/2009)
  12,91€; 14,5% abv; 50% Syrah & 25% each of Grenache and Carignan. Purple. This started out jammy, but became more savoury and focused with time. The attractive dark fruit and pepper scents show a very strong Syrah character, but the sweetness and red fruit of the Grenache comes through as well. Full bodied, moderately strong tannins, lowish but sufficient acidity to support all the fruit. In all other ways it seems a very nice Southern wine except for the alcohol which is much too obvious even when at cellar temperature.

Posted from CellarTracker

I greatly enjoyed my last year's purchase of 3 each of the white and red from Depeyre, particularly the white. All the bottles are gone!!

[list][*]2005 Dignité Vin de Pays d'Oc Syrah - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc (1/20/2009)



14,04€; 14,5%abv; 50yo vines; Eric Monnin - winemaker. Purple. Very sweet, almost jammy scent of strawberry upon opening. It becomes darker toned with time open and scents of tar, butterscotch oak and even some mint come to the fore. Full body, sweet and very ripe fruit, the tannins seem more like an afterthought than something integral to the wine, but it does have adequate (though not high) acidity to provide some balance to the enormous presence of fruit; strongly alcoholic. It is a decent example of Barossa Shiraz.

LOL! I think the fact that the label bears the title of "winemaker" says it all about this wine.

Mark Lipton

Tim, did you not find the alcohol too strong? It is a shame that it detracted so much from my enjoyment as the rest of the wine was very nice.

Mark, LOL indeed. First time I have seen the wine maker so prominently displayed on a European wine.

Tim, did you not find the alcohol too strong? It is a shame that it detracted so much from my enjoyment as the rest of the wine was very nice.

I had the 2006 but it was also 14.5% alcohol. It didn't bother me as I found it well covered by the fruit and structure. Maybe I'm more alcohol tolerant than you.

I'll try the 07 when I see it.