Trinchero Family Estates 2012 Shatter Grenache - 91pts

Trinchero Family Estates 2012 Shatter Grenache (Vin De Pays Des Cotes Catalanes) Languedoc-Roussillon - France

Availability: Available at private wine shops
Cost: $17-25 usd
Alcohol: 15.6%
Date Tasted: March 15th, 2017

Tasting Notes: A powerhouse Grenache; full-bodied and concentrated with intense, smoky, black and red fruit and layers of savoury goodness: cocoa nibs, kirsch liqueur, garrique, toasted vanilla and charred oak. At 5 years of age, this beauty is ready to go now. Drink 2017-2019.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2017 IconWines.ca

M. Chapoutier 2010 Les Vignes de Bila-Haut - 87pts

M. Chapoutier 2010 Les Vignes de Bila-Haut (Côtes-du-Roussillon Villages) Languedoc-Roussillon - France

Availability: BCLDB stores
Cost: $14.99
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: June 23rd, 2012

Tasting Notes: Not the effortlessly balanced wine of its 2009 predecessor due to a higher level of rustic twang that, when left to its own devices, is more challenging to drink than charming to experience. Yet, the wine remains ever an easy-drinking, feminine, fruit-forward, soft-tannin blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan that boasts of the hot, Mediterranean coastal region terroir from where it originated. Enjoy this wine in its youth on its own or with a beef stew brimming with fresh sage. Drink 2012-2014.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca