Easing back into Wine Club, FEWC met last night and sampled a couple of excellent French wines!
The first one we tried was a 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape from Chateau Husson.
Everyone agreed that this wine was lovely. A wonderful nose and subtle fruit on the palate is the first thing that you notice when taking a sip. With very smooth tannins this wine has a pleasant mouth feel with a medium finish. This was Janet’s favorite of the night. I am pretty certain that this wine will put a smile on the face of even the snobbiest oenophile… even Lenny!
Next was a 2015 Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux from Chateau Cote de Baleau in St Emilion.
What a delightful bottle of wine. I felt that this wine was a bit more complex than the first with a bit more acidity and a slightly longer finish. Right away, Scott noticed a hint of oak (he is our oak expert) that was nice… not overpowering. Amy liked both bottles a lot and felt it was a toss up between which was better.
The third and last bottle was an old favorite of FEWC from Napa California, a 2018 Merlot from Rutherford Hill.
While all of the FEWC members are fans of this wine, it was not quite equal to the stars from France that we opened before this. We have a couple of favorite Merlots and this is one of them. A pleasing nose (stone fruit?) and just the right amount of fruit on the palate make this a crowd pleaser. A nice luscious mouth feel and long finish make this wine a delight to drink.
As usual, Janet made sure we didn’t go hungry with a nice assortment of heart healthy charcuterie choices, as well as some stuffed mushrooms. Even the Hummus, which she punched up with some hot Paprika from Hungary, was delicious.
Until we meet again, drink some wine!