13% abv. No oak that I can see. Simple, but enjoyable aromas of red berries and earth. Juicy and fairly light, but with proper structure. Nothing special, but nothing annoying about it either. An honest, simple, very cheap wine.
M. Chapoutier St. Péray les Tanneurs 2008
17,89€; 12,5% abv; 95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne. This wine has divided tasters' opinions here. Some found it dull, flat and unaromatic, others have found it incredibly complex. I thought it was a pretty decent white Rhone, but not one that makes me hugely excited. There was a bit of oak on opening though only a fourth of the wine sees any oak at all and of that fourth only a fifth is new oak. But gladly those oak aromas faded quickly. It smells strongly of herbal tea (I always thought that was more an aroma associated with Roussanne than Marsanne) and plums. Rich but gladly relatively low in alcohol. It has some acidity and an overall sense of grip so the richness doesn't become too much. Enjoyable but not profound.
Bodega Catena Zapata Syrah D.V. Catena 2007
19,65€; 13,5%; from the La Pirámide vineyard in Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina. 12 months in oak of which 70% French (of which 20% is new) and 30% American (of which 50% is new). Purple. Not as strongly oaky on the scent as I feared though the oak influence certainly isn't shy in expressing itself. There is a nice peppery character to it that does remind me of Syrah, but it is also inky and very ripe. Stylistically it has elements of both cool Syrah and warm climate Shiraz. Decent structure, with both medium-high acidity and tannins, yet strangely it still seems a bit flat. It is as if the acidity and the fruit weren't married but inhabited separate rooms, and this always makes me suspicious of it being added. A bit disjointed to me and therefore not very enjoyable to me either.
Marcel Lapierre Raisins Gaulois 2009
14,90€; 12,5% abv. Not a VdP de Gaules anymore this year, but simply Vin de France. But otherwise this is a repeat of all the wonderfulness of the '07 VdPdeGaules: lovely, natural Gamay fruit, refreshing and lively. The fruit is a darker than in the '07 and it doesn't seem quite as ethereal, but this is still an awesomely joyous wine. I love it.
(d.) de blanes Muscat Sec 2008 - Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes; label
13,83€; 12,5% abv. It smells of sea-breeze and floral fireworks. Nicely mineral and refreshing despite being such an aromatic, "sweet" grape even when dry. I like it.