Wine School-The Rhone Valley-January 20, 2015

Theme

We all enjoy Syrah and Shiraz, but we hadn't experienced these wines from the birthplace of Syrah so we traveled to the Rhône Valley (if only in our glass) to learn about these wonderful wines from France!

The Wines

Faury Saint Joseph 2012 Red Wine

• Color:  Clear, medium ruby red
• Nose:  Moderate intensity with cracked peppered that pops from the glass
• Mouth:  A bone dry, medium body wine with crisp acidity, medium tannins. Tart fruit with blackberry coming out as it opens up.
• Price:  $29.99
• Rating:  3 out of 5 (Mary Jo 3 1/5 out of 5)

J.L. Chave Mon Coeur Côtes Du Rhône 2012

• Color:  Clear, deep ruby red
• Nose:  An aromatic, youthful wine with dark fruit, and forest floor - the fruitiest of the three wines.
• Mouth:  A dry, medium body wine with fresh acidity, round medium-low tannins. This flavorful wine has good balance with jammy red berry fruit and a nice finish.
• Price:  $19.99
• Rating:  4 out of 5

Usseglio & Fils Girard Châteauneuf Du Pape 2012

• Color:  Clear, medium ruby red
• Nose:  A youthful nose with moderate intensity with aromas of red fruit and dust.
• Mouth:  Medium body dry wine with moderate tannins and fresh acidity. This wine has a powerful finish with tart, berry flavors and wonderful spice on the long finish. 
• Price:  $39.99
• Rating:  4 out of 5

The Pairings

Bucheron Goat's Milk Cheese - We really enjoyed this cheese with the Côtes Du Rhône. It brought out fruit and spice of the wine. It also brought out the fruit in the Châteauneuf Du Pape and rounded out the Saint Joseph.

Drunken Goat Cheese - Wonderful pairing with the Châteauneuf Du Pape - very smooth!

Clisson Tomme d'Auqitaine - This cheese is delicious - layers of flavor! It elevated the Saint Joseph and was enjoyable with the other wines as well.

Goat Cheese Flatbread - Wonderful with all three!

Beef Braised with Red Wine and Mushrooms - Very nice pairing with all of the wines. It very much elevated the Saint Joseph bringing out more fruit in the wine and rounding out some of the tartness. Really brought the spice out in the Côtes Du Rhône, an elegant pairing. Was also a hit with the Châteauneuf Du Pape. Not only was the wine better with the beef, but the beef had more flavor with the wine as well.

Lindt 70% Chocolate - Was best with the Châteauneuf Du Pape, but no wow factor.

French Madagascar 72% Dark Chocolate - Not a match for us.

Lindt Chili Infused Dark Chocolate - Wonderful pairing with these wines! Vanilla bomb and spicy finish with the Saint Joseph and the Châteauneuf Du Pape.

Conclusion

Beth:  It was wonderful to start the new year with wine school! I enjoyed all three wines. They really were a good example of how terroir has an impact on wine. It is difficult for me to pick my favorite, but the finish on the Châteauneuf Du Pape was so amazing I think that would have to be my favorite, with the Côtes Du Rhône a close second. The Côtes Du Rhône was definitely the best value of the evening at just $19.99 a bottle at The Wine Merchant in Clayton, MO. As for pairings, I very much enjoyed the wines with the Bucheron Goat's Milk Cheese,the braised beef, and the chili infused chocolate. Surprisingly, the inexpensive goat cheese flatbread that I threw in the oven at the last minute was a great pairing. Always a fun evening to get together with the Winos!

Lisa: Well the holidays are over and it's back to "work".  Wine tasting- it's a hard job but somebody's gotta do it!  And with my wino buddies it's always fun :).  Thanks, Beth for letting us try something new, at least for us.  All three wines were very good and very different!  I couldn't get over how the Saint Joseph had so much cracked pepper on the nose!  But the mouth was crisp with tart fruit and food opened it up.  As for the Cotes Du Rhone, I think this one was the most versatile, alone and with food, possibly making it my favorite of the evening.  However, the Chateauneuf Du Pape which was quite flavorful with some spice on the long finish made it a VERY close second. It was interesting how the cheeses worked so differently with each of the wines. And of course the Goat Cheese Flatbread was a winner with all!  Who could go wrong with the braised beef-delicious!!  Finishing off with the chocolate - all I can say is that the chili infused dark chocolate was a yes, yes, yes for me!!  Great class, Beth :) 
Mary Jo:  It was absolutely wonderful to get back to wine school after the holidays!  I had missed learning about new wines and, mostly had missed my Winos!  All three wines were amazing, let me just say that!  Each, as usual, had its own assets.  My favorite, I would have to say though, was the Chave Mon Coeur Cotes Du Rhone 2012.  It was deliciously earthy, with hints of jammy red berry fruit, spice and a wonderful medium finish.  It was my favorite with the Clisson cheese, Bucheron Goat Cheese, goat cheese flatbread and the dark chocolate. Ultimately, it tasted like it was meant to be paired with the braised beef.  I wasn't wowed by any of the wines with the French Madagascar dark chocolate.  While the Chave Mon Coeur was my favorite, I did truly enjoy both other wines.  Interestingly, the Faury Saint Joseph had an incredible amount of cracked pepper on the nose!  We kept going back after pouring all three wines and the cracked pepper aromas kept increasing!  It was wonderful!  The Girard Chateauneuf Du Pape was earthy on the nose, with a dusty, tart berry mouth and a spicy, powerful finish.  Overall, a completely enjoyable class and it was great to spend the evening with my Co-Winos!  Thanks, Beth!