Thursday, June 28, 2007

2005 Delas Freres Cotes du Ventoux

Travelling with three kids generally means an early return to the hotel, which provided my wife and I with an opportunity to read and sip on some wine while the kids slept. For such an occasion I trekked to the local shops in search of something passable - while I can assure you there is no shortage of wine in Paris, the average corner store is rather dominated by 'vin de table'. Not wishing to entrust myself to the proprietor of the Paris equivalent of Quick-E-Mart, I decided to go with a trusted name.

This evening I discoverd a very convenient half bottle of the 2005 Delas Freres Cotes du Ventoux, a Rhone Valley red. Delas is a famous Rhone house and maker of stunning high end wines, so I felt fairly safe going with this more modestly priced Delas wine. It was dark cherry red with a simple, but pleasing, nose of musk and crushed berries. On the palate it was medium-bodied, with strawberry fruit, good balance, light tannins, and nice acidity. Rather more modern-styled, but with a nice acidic bite that would pair well with a meal (I have no idea why, but Cassoulet came to mind). Another fine example of Delas' focus on quality. Drink now.
13% alcohol
Score: 15/20
Price: €3.80

PS - links, formatting and photos will show up when I return to Montreal

2 comments:

Marcus said...

Nice updates from the Old World (coincidentally, a Côtes du Ventoux is what John at Quaffability just posted after returning from his European vacation). My turn is early next year when I hope to hit Germany and with any luck Paris. Perraudin noted!

Back here in SAQ-land, I have notes on the final midi conseil of the season (I'm not rushing to post them) and there's news of the lauded Ch. Hanteillan 03's finally arriving to outlets.

Have a great time in Paris and enjoy the rest of your vacation!

Joe said...

Thanks for that - Perraudin is a must see, great location just outside the Luxembourg gardens, Latin quarter and Notre Dame. I will have to look for that Hanteillan when I get back - have you tried itÉ