Wine Blogging Wednesday #9
Albeit WBW #1 for me and in a day late but oh well, here goes:
A little background.
Earlier I put the word winery in quotations. I did so because Oriel is not actually a winery, at least in the conventional sense of the term. They are more akin to a négociant than anything else. But unlike the typical French model where a Château or Maison has relationships and contracts with various growers/vineyards (generally in single region a la Burgundy of the Languedoc), Oriel has contracts with growers/winemakers all over the world. For example, Phillipe Melka is contracted to make a Napa Valley Cabernet. Dan Goldfield (of Dutton-Goldfield fame) is making a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. They have producers all over the world making what they consider to be the best examples of each region, respective of local conditions and grapes. On to the rosé.
This wine is made by Esme Johnstone who is the proprietor of Château de Sours, located in the Entre-deux-Mers region of Bordeaux. Initially, I was surprised to learn of its origin as the vast majority of rosés that I have come across are made in the Rhône valley, Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon, and occasionally the Loire valley. After talking to some folks that are more travelled than myself, the consensus is that rosé is made just about everywhere red grapes are grown, many of them simply aren't exported to the U.S. for whatever reason.
The Femme Fatale (I never got the lowdown on the purpose of the name) is made from 100% Merlot, vines aging from 50-70 years. This, in and of itself, is somewhat curious. The other striking thing about this wine is the color. At the aforementioned luncheon, this was the reception wine. From across the room, I mistook it for a red wine. Up close, you might to. The wine is nearly red. Surely this has to be a desired result on the part of the winemakre and partially because of the 2003 vintage. The aromatics are quite intense with fresh strawberries and a very slight hint of rose (the flower). The palate mirrored this with the addition of darker fruits and a very slight sweetness towards the end. To be clear, this wine was not sugary sweet. No proper rosé should be, in my opinion. Rather, the sweetness came in the form of ripe fruit. After the slight sweetness, the wine finished dry, not necessarily bone dry, like may that I prefer, but definitely not cloying.
All in all, a pretty nice bottle of wine. Definitley not what I envision straight-away when thinking of rosé, but most certainly an interesting alternative to the Provençal standard that I love and sell.
Oriel 'Femme Fatale' Bordeaux Rosé 2003This is a very new 'winery' and the first full bottle of theirs that I have been able to sit down with. I attended a luncheon on Tuesday featuring a number of their wines and while they all weren't gems, this one did stand out.
A little background.
Earlier I put the word winery in quotations. I did so because Oriel is not actually a winery, at least in the conventional sense of the term. They are more akin to a négociant than anything else. But unlike the typical French model where a Château or Maison has relationships and contracts with various growers/vineyards (generally in single region a la Burgundy of the Languedoc), Oriel has contracts with growers/winemakers all over the world. For example, Phillipe Melka is contracted to make a Napa Valley Cabernet. Dan Goldfield (of Dutton-Goldfield fame) is making a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. They have producers all over the world making what they consider to be the best examples of each region, respective of local conditions and grapes. On to the rosé.
This wine is made by Esme Johnstone who is the proprietor of Château de Sours, located in the Entre-deux-Mers region of Bordeaux. Initially, I was surprised to learn of its origin as the vast majority of rosés that I have come across are made in the Rhône valley, Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon, and occasionally the Loire valley. After talking to some folks that are more travelled than myself, the consensus is that rosé is made just about everywhere red grapes are grown, many of them simply aren't exported to the U.S. for whatever reason.
The Femme Fatale (I never got the lowdown on the purpose of the name) is made from 100% Merlot, vines aging from 50-70 years. This, in and of itself, is somewhat curious. The other striking thing about this wine is the color. At the aforementioned luncheon, this was the reception wine. From across the room, I mistook it for a red wine. Up close, you might to. The wine is nearly red. Surely this has to be a desired result on the part of the winemakre and partially because of the 2003 vintage. The aromatics are quite intense with fresh strawberries and a very slight hint of rose (the flower). The palate mirrored this with the addition of darker fruits and a very slight sweetness towards the end. To be clear, this wine was not sugary sweet. No proper rosé should be, in my opinion. Rather, the sweetness came in the form of ripe fruit. After the slight sweetness, the wine finished dry, not necessarily bone dry, like may that I prefer, but definitely not cloying.
All in all, a pretty nice bottle of wine. Definitley not what I envision straight-away when thinking of rosé, but most certainly an interesting alternative to the Provençal standard that I love and sell.
***For the record, I believe the Oriel version of this wine is only available in the United States and on a limited basis at that. Retail: Expect to pay $16-$18. I'm fairly certain the estate version of this wine 'Château de Sours' is available in Europe and the U.K.***
4 Comments:
thanks for taking part, Christian, the results will be posted up soon on my site. (Soon means later today, promise)
sam
Thank you!
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