Welcome

Welcome

This is a resource for people who want to buy an interesting bottle of wine on a budget of about $20. If you get lost between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and have access to a Dan Murphy's or Vintage Cellars (or Aldi, as of 2015!), you've come to the right place. Where possible, wines are listed with their single-bottle price from DM/VC/A and the winery's home page.

A good place to start is the 'Index', or if you know what type of wine you want, head straight to the 'Recommended Reds', 'Worthy Whites' or 'Stunning Sparklers' that only show 4 & 5 wines.

Your experience will be different to everyone else's, which makes wine such a pleasure. The same vintage wine at different ages will be distinct, as will the same aged wines from different vintages. What the glass holds is a unique parcel of time that should be enjoyed as such.

Sunday 30 June 2013

(R) E.Guigal: Côtes Du Rhône Rouge 2009, from Ampuis, Northern Rhone, France

Smell
Early: Sweet dark plums and a spicy earthiness
Later: Sweeter plums and cherries with traces of spice

Taste
A soft and spicy mouthfeel with subtle lingering tannins. The spices are mixed with sour cherries, bramble fruit and a touch of undergrowth. This is a great long-finishing wine that's powerful without being overpowering & would go equally well with food (think cheese or lamb), or by itself.

Tale
Etienne Guigal founded his estate in 1946, which has been growing and began absorbing other estates and wineries in the 1980s. One of the earlier and more prestigious acquisitions was Château d'Ampuis in 1995, which was built on the banks of the Rhône river in the 12th century and redeveloped as a "Renaissance Château" in the 16th century. The Guigal estate is now in the hands of their 3rd generation winemaker Philippe Guigal and both the operations and cellaring are based at Château d'Ampuis in the historic town of Ampuis, just south of Vienne. It's worth noting this is Guigal's budget offering ($22 @VC), compared to some of their Syrah-dominated single vineyard wines that are sold for $800/bottle at DM!

Composition
52% Grenache
45% Syrah (Shiraz)
3% Mourvèdre

Price: $20
Quality: ☆☆☆☆☆
Value:   ☆☆☆☆

http://www.guigal.com/en/vins.php?id_millesime=10&id_produit=23
http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_143868

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