4/2008 VOUVRAY DOMAINE DU CLOS DE L'EPINAY (BRUT)
A friend gave this to us some months back. Wow, what a great gift. This is a really tasty sparkling wine-- very bubbly, with a biscuit note and a gentle close. A sticker on the back of the bottle says that DIONYSOS IMPORTS INC of Lorton, Virginia is its U.S. importer, but our check of DIONYSOS's website found no mention of it. Bummer, seeing as we'd like to score some more of this bubbly. (Rating ****1/2)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, contact the makers of this lovely wine at http://www.vinvouvray.com/winevouvray/anglais/frameaccueilGB.htm.

Labels: Domaine du Clos, France, Sparkling Wine, Vouvray

 

12/2007 MANGUIN N1 LIQUEUR AUX PLANTES D'ABSINTHE
We sipped this liqueur straight and found it extremely smooth. Our eyes popped when we saw it was 55% alcohol --110 proof-- and designed to be consumed the same way as absinthe, cut with 5 to 6 parts of water. Wow, if you like black licorice, you'll likely love this. Nicely done. (Rating ****1/2)

To see if our retailer carries MANGUIN, click SHOP and type "MANGUIN" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Alternatively, you may surf to http://www.Manguin.com/absinthe.php.

Labels: France, Liqueur, Manguin

 

11/2007 HINE VSOP COGNAC
One word- incandescent. This cognac was hot; it just burned going down. It tasted like 100 proof, not 80 proof. We were shocked that such a well-known name, HINE, was found on a bottle containing liquor that was so unpleasant. (Rating **)

Labels: Cognac, France, Hine

 

5/2007 LAURENT-PERRIER CHAMPAGNE ULTRA BRUT
This bubbly is a blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir. As soon as it hits your tongue you catch a citrus note. And holey cow is it dry- goodness! The makers note that "no sugar whatsoever is added to Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut at any time," which makes it unusual among Champagnes. It also might explain why we could quaff the whole bottle and not get a headache, ho, ho! (Rating ****1/4)

To see if our retailer can get you a bottle by clicking SHOP, typing "LAURENT-PERRIER" in the search engine, and clicking the magnifying glass. Otherwise, for more information, surf to http://www.LaurentPerrierUs.com.

Labels: Champagne, France, Laurent-Perrier

 

12/2006 POMMERY GRAND CRU 1995 CHAMPAGNE
Fifty-some bucks a bottle for this bubbly and OH HOW IT WAS WORTH IT! Nearly all the bubbly one tastes has a rough edge- a slight boozyness, a note that is a bit overwhelming... Not this bottle. This was sublime. So delicate, so balanced. Just delicious. (Rating *****)

To see if our retailer carries POMMERY, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "POMMERY" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise, contact POMMERY at http://www.Pommery.com/.

Labels: Champagne, France, Pommery

 

12/2006 POMMERY BRUT ROYAL CHAMPAGNE
One can always count on POMMERY to provide a delicious glass of bubbles. POMMERY BRUT ROYAL retails for $39 a bottle or so and offers many tiny bubbles, a slightly fruity flavor, and a soft, dry close. Terrific. (Rating ****1/2)

To see if our retailer carries POMMERY, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "POMMERY" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise, contact POMMERY at http://www.Pommery.com/.

Labels: Champagne, France, Pommery

 

12/2006 GEORGES DUBOEUF BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU
Guess what we had with our Thanksgiving turkey? Mmmm- light, fruity, with a hint baking spices. A good batch of Beaujolais, for sure. (Rating ****)

To see if our retailer carries GEORGES DUBOEUF, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "DUBOEUF" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise, contact DUBOEUF at http://www.WineWithoutRules.com/.

Labels: Beaujolais Nouveau, France, Georges Duboeuf

 

10/2006 LA VIGNE D'ARGENT DE TERRA BURDIGALA BORDEAUX SAUVIGNON BLANC-SEMILLON 2003
This white wine comes to the United States via Monsieur Touton Selection Ltd of New York, New York. It has a nice nose- floral with an apricot note. In the mouth, though, it's a bit of a bore. One of the three persons who tasted this for AlcoholReviews.com said, "Where's the flavor?" It also is a bit of gassy. It's only $9 a bottle, but, for our money, not worth it. (Rating**3/4)

Labels: Bordeaux, France, La Vigne D'Argent, White Wine

 

8/2006 LUCIEN ALBRECHT ALSACE TOKAY PINOT GRIS 2002
Wow- what a funky white wine! We've always loved pinot gris because it, like pinot noir, tends to produce a really wide range of results, some of which border on the bizarre.

This white, which cost $10 retail, is HUGE, so huge that 3 of the 5 people who tasted it were overwhelmed after just a half glass. (The other two, it must be noted, loved it, and gleefully slurped it up.) How to describe it? Well, it floods the palate and is sorta....smokey...a bit sweet...with vegetable notes....and a dab of honey. Confused? So were we, so much so that we won't bother to rate this wine because it is just uncategorizable.

To see if our retailer carries ALBRECHT wines, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "ALBRECHT" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise, surf to http://www.lucien-albrecht.fr/ or contact the U.S. importer ROBERT KACHER SELECTIONS of Washington, DC at http://www.robertkacherselections.com/.

Labels: Alsace, France, Lucien Albrecht, Pinot Gris

 

8/2006 DOMAINES SCHLUMBERGER PINOT BLANC LES PRINCES ABBES 2004
The family we were visiting was casting about for a good house white wine. This one made the cut. It's from Alsace and quite pleasant; it's a little dry and a touch fruity. We bought it for $10 a bottle retail in a pricey part of town; elsewhere, no doubt, it goes for less. (Rating****)

To see if our retailer carries SCHLUMBERGER wines, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "SCHLUMBERGER" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise, surf to http://www.domaines-schlumberger.com/.

Labels: Alsace, Domaines Schlumberger, France, Pinot Blanc