Zeppoli's Wine Dinner 4/29

The Zeppoli's Wine dinner tonight focused on all French wines.  There was a mix of wines from all across the country, representing the varying styles that are common to a particular region.

Chateau Gaillard Touraine Sauvignon Blanc ($11.99) Year not provided-
Zeppoli's Descritpion: Pale yellow with green hints.  Very characteristic of its variety, flowery, delicate.  Fruity, dry, supple and silky.  White from pure Sauvignon grape, this fresh wine exhales perfume of the grape.  This wine's crisp acidity with notes of grapefruit would be delicious with bouillabaissee or cheese, canapes, olives cake or asparagus.
My notes: This wine smelled very much like citrus.  That was the overwhelming smell that hit my nose.  This wine was very light and crisp.  The citrus elements in the nose of the wine was very noticeable in the taste of the wine.  The hints of citrus was the identifying element of the wine.

Chateau Suau 2010 Bordeaux Blanc Sec ($10.99)-
Zeppoli's description:  Fermented in stainless steel tanks, aged on fine lees for three months.  This expressive, refreshing and aromatic wine reveals honeysuckle and white peach aromas.  It has an excellent depth of fruit as well as a long finish with a nice acidity.  delicious as an aperitif or when served with shellfish, seafood and grilled fish.
My notes:  This wine smelled like it was burnt.  There was a harsh alcoholic smell that overpowered the nose.  The taste of this wine could not have been different from the smell.  This was a light floral tasting wine.  It was a quite pleasant wine.

Prochaine 2009 Chardonnay Vin de Pays d'Oc France ($10.99)-
Zeppoli's description: An unusual and delectable lightly oaked Chardonnay from the Languedoc region of France.  This wine is aged on the lees from a Viognier fermentation with constant stirring (battonages).  These Viognier lees gives the wine distinct, easy to enjoy, flavors of pineapple, mango, and passion fruit.
My notes:  This wine had a very floral smell.  However, it tasted very buttery with hints of vanilla.  There was a slight floral taste that came through, recalling the wine of the wine.  This was the most surprising wine white, because it was not a normal French chardonnay.  It tasted very much like a California chardonnay.

All of the food and wine that we were able to sample

Manoir Du Carra 2010 Beaujolais noveau ($10.99)-
Zeppoli's description: Just barely three weeks old, this fresh fruity red from the granite hills of Beaujolais comes entirely from Gamay grapes.  Beaujolais Nouveau day is November 19th this year and is a celebration of harvest and a festive event.  This bistro style wine should be consumed in copious quantities in the first full year of its life.
My notes:  This wine smelled like something was slightly off.  It smelled almost as if it had rotted.  The wine tasted fruity and tangy.  This was my least favorite wine of the tasting.  It just was not a wine that I could ever picture myself drinking.

Jean-marc burgaud 2010 Beaujolais Villages ($14.99)-
Zeppoli's description:  The Burgaud 2010 Beaujolais-Villages les Vignes de Thulon offers a sappy, exuberant, and ultimately gripping profusion of ripe but tart-edged and prominently seedy blackberry.  A mouthwatering salinity helps to render this simple but pure and intensely-fruited recent bottling irresistible.  Plan to enjoy it over the next could of years.
My notes:  This wine smelled like grilled meat.  The image that came to mind when tasting this wine was a juicy steak.  The wine tasted slightly spicy with a nice balance of fruit.  There were hints of meat in the taste of the wine as well.  Also, the after taste of the wine was tangy.  It was a very confusing taste to this wine.

Georges DuBoeuf 2010 Morgon Descombes Burgundy ($15.99)-
Zeppoli's description:  Shows perfect balance and a sumptuous bouquet of black currant, plum, violets and old-fashioned roses.  Elegantly smooth on the palate, revealing several layers of fresh red berries, especially cherries.  The silky, prolonged finish signals completely ripened fruit.  "Impressively powerful, structured wine that has spice, richness, plenty of firm tannins as well as a punch of sweet lum and red cherry flavors.  There is an edge of acidity that suggest aging potential"
My notes:  This wine smelled like dark fruit.  It was slightly sweet with a hint of nail polish remover.  The taste of this wine was kind of burnt, bringing out the nail polish remover to the taste of the wine.  It was also peppery.

Charles Thomas 2009 Cotes de Rhone Rouge ($11.99)-
Zeppoli's description: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre.  Clear ruby wine with overtones of red berry fruits.  Round and supple with a smooth aftertaste.  A god all round red wine for meat courses, poultry and light cheeses.  Best drunk now while fresh with a good keeping up to 4 years.
My notes-  This wine smelled like spices.  The spiciness was reflected in the taste of the wine.  There were also some earthy, vegetable quality in the taste of the wine.  

Clos de sixte 2004: Lirac ($11.99)-
Zeppoli's description:  88-90 Robert Parker: "The 2004 Lirac Clos de Sixte has a dense ruby/purple color and exhibits a Syrah-like character in its blacker fruit-dominated aromatics and flavors.  With medium to full body, ripe tannin, and good freshness as well as definitive, it should drink well for 6-8 years."  50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre
My notes-  This wine smelled very fruity.  The nose was dominated by scents of dark fruits.  The dark fruit elements were also very dominant in the taste of the wine.  There was a slight spicy bit at the finish of the wine.  The tannic structure of this wine was very nice.

Chateau Suau 2009 "Cadillac" Merlot/Cab ($15.99)-
Zeppoli's description:  The wine is made from 45% Merlot, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Grapes are weighted, destemmed then sorted on a table in the cellar.  Fermentation in thermo regulated stainless steel tanks.  Aging from beginning of November, after malolactic fermentation, in 100% French oak barrels (30% new oak) during 12 months.  Fleshy, fruity and ample in mouth, this wine is attractive both with its ripe fruits aromas melted with roasted hints as well as its nice.  Structure and elegant, pleasant finish.
My notes:  This wine smelled like fruit.  It was a pleasant smell, that was inviting me to drink it.  The wine tasted kind of like blackberries and other dark berry fruits.  The blend of the fruity flavors along with the noticeable alcohol burn at the end of taste, created a nice medium-bodied wine.

Chateau Grimard 2010 Bordeaux ($11.99)-
Zeppoli's description:  This right bank Bordeaux estate is located in Lugon, just outside France.  The vineyards are well situated on a south-east slope and the clay/limestone/sandsoils provide an ideal growing environment in which Merlot thrives... (80% merlot/20% Cabernet Franc).  Sourced from vines that are at least 25 years old, the fruit was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.  Displaying round and ripe Merlot aromas and flavors, the bouquet of red fruit and well-balanced tannins combine on a fresh and supple finish.  A classic Bordeaux, offering a deep red-purple color, a lush bouquet, and ripe plummy-cassis fruit with good structure, showing the promise of the 2000 vintage.
My notes: This wine smelled very spicy.  There were also hints of pepper on the nose of the wine.  It tasted like heavy, dark fruits.  This wine was the most tannic of the tasting and the structure of the wine was very aggressive on the palate.

I could not wait to start eating so I missed the opportunity to photograph my food.