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2019 Chateau de Roquefort Corail Rose

Tim Johnston, proprietor of Juveniles, and one of the Parisian WineScene’s most colorful personalities has long been a fan of Chateau de Roquefort and their exceptionally well made wines. While the whites and reds are less seen in the USA market, the Corail Rose is one of the top pink wines to hit these shores every year.

A blend that varies in percentages every year, but not the seven different grapes that goes into it, the 2019 has a really soft and fruit balance from the Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Clairette and Vermentino. It has that wonderful aromatic nose that is Provence, while the body is crisp and rich in fresh strawberries, red raspberries, and blueberry flavors. The color is deeper than most Cotes de Provence Roses and as a result the flavor profiles shifts from fun wine from Provence to a serious wine for wine lovers the world over.

That’s why the 2019 Chateau de Roquefort Corail Rose is today’s Winesiders Wine of the Day.

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2019 Chateau Vannieres Bandol Rose

2020 has to be the oddest year for wine availability in many years across the USA. Between tariffs, Covid-19, and restaurants being forced to be delivery only for a long time have all made getting access to wines we love more interesting. But one constant has been the access to stunning 2019 rose wines. Without question, 2019 is going down as perhaps the best Rose year of the decade.

Take the 2019 Chateau Vannieres Bandol Rose that has once again proven to be an out performer, and is perhaps the best dry, light pink rose to come out of Bandol this year. 

Made from Mourvedre and Grenache, there’s a certain red fruit quality to the pink wine that makes it so seductive. It exudes blackberry and raspberry fruit, while dancing across your tongue. So just when I thought another 2019 Rose wine was my favorite, once again the Vannieres comes through like a champ.

That’s why the 2019 Chateau Vannieres Bandol Rose is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.


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2017 Ochota Barrels Fugazy Vineyard McLaren Vale Grenache

When one thinks of Grenache one’s mind usually wanders to the Rhone Valley, Santa Barbara or even Spain. But one of the finest regions for Greanche is in Australia’s McLaren Vale. And, today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day is the delightful red from Ochota Barrels, the Fugazy Vineyard Grenache.

Here’s a light bodied red that’s power-packed with flavor and spice. Hints of Languedoc garrigue flavors dot the wine, but it’s the layer upon layer of fruit-strawberry, black cherry and black raspberry that come to mind, with hints of white pepper. Fans of Chateauneuf du Papes that move in the direction of Burgundian flavors will find the Ochota Barrels Grenache to their liking. And that’s why it’s today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day.

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2018 Chateau Maravenne Cotes de Provence Rose

Since about 2013 the Rose wines from all over France have just been sensational year after year. While lots of attention goes to the big name or “popular” brands  of wines found on shelves of retailers the world over, it’s the smaller, boutique producers, who have turned out incredible pink wines year after year.

One great example is the 2018 Chateau Maravenne Cotes de Provence Rose, which is all strawberry, rose petal, minerals and wet stones. It’s a lively, refreshing wine and one that has the stuffing to stand up to spicy salami or pungent cheese. 

That’s why the 2018 Chateau Maravenne Cotes du Provence is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day!!! 

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2017 Esporao Branca Reserva

The wines of Esporao have intrigued me from first sip back in the 00’s after my first trip to Lisbon back in 2006. Since then I’ve never passed up the opportunity to enjoy their wines. 

The 2017 Esporao Branca Reserva is blend of 5 native grapes found in the Alentejo region of Portugal. It is a full bodied white, with many more flavors than Chardonnay, offering much more complexity in a rich, fruit driven style.

That’s why the 2017 Esporao Branca Reserva is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Dayi

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2014 Sparkman Wonderland Grenache

Grenache is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, and while most think of Grenache in the USA coming from California’s Santa Barbara County, Paso Robles or the Sonoma Coast, it also grows very well in Washington State.

One of the best producers in Washington is Sparkman Cellars from Woodinville. Their stunning Wonderland Grenache year after year has turned out nothing buy sheer in the glass enjoyment. 

The Sparkman Wonderland Grenache is loaded with berry fruit, with the red raspberry and wild strawberry flavors being most alluring. With the wine now at age 5 it’s a perfect wine for burgers, pizza or BBQ. More importantly it’s ready to drink now, while the current release of 2017 needs a few years of rest to really come together.

That’s why the 2014 Sparkman Wonderland Grenache is today’s WineSiders’s Wine of The Day.

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2016 Artadi Tempranillo

I have long been a fan of the wines from the Spanish producer, Artadi. Their reds across their entire range have never been a disappointment, and have always been the kind of wine you can buy today, drink today or cellar for tomorrow.

The 2016 Tempranillo by Artardi is one of those wines.

Made from an all organic vineyard, the 100 percent Tempranillo red is just about as easy drinking as any serious wine could be. Rich and chewy, but nothing but soft, gentle tannins, the wine gives off a beautiful cherry, black plum, and red berry flavors.

It’s elegant, and fruit forward, and has a soft undercoating of tar and terroir. Drink it now, or drink it in five years, the 2016 Tempranillo by Artadi, also known as the Vinas de Gain red, is one wine that will always deliver.

That’s why the 2016 Tempranillo by Artardi is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2016 Chionetti San Luigi Dogliani

When it comes to early drinking Italian reds my the choice is usually a wine made from the silky Dolcetto grape. The Dolcettos from Chionetti fit that bill to a T, and the 2016 Chionetti San Luigi Dogliani is a stunning example of why Dolcetto is such a fun grape to enjoy.

Loads of violet notes on the nose followed by ripe red cherries, red raspberries and a touch of red plums makes this wine so enjoyable. With cheese, like the soft-ripened La Tur, or with a basic pasta dish, the Chionetti shines.

That’s why the 2016 Chionetti San Luigi Dogliani is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day.

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2016 Albert Boxler Pinot Noir Alsace

On my first visit to France in the early 80’s one of my first stops was the storybook area of Alsace. The region, that has been both French and German, was the home to the most Michelin starred restaurants in the world. The melding of Haute Cuisine with Teutonic precision was ethereal. Cooking ranged from the basic sausages and kraut known as choucroute to rich meat, game, and fowl, with lake and river fish, oysters, Breton lobster and more. And the wines from there defied my first trip knowledge level.

Long thought to be sweet wines, Rieslings from the region blew my mind as they were bone dry, crisp, and fruity. But what left me just wanting more was their Pinot Noirs. Sure Burgundy is only to the south, but Alsace was known for white wine. What were these local red versions of Pinot Noir?

Here were red wines in white wine land. They had all the fruit you expect in Burgundy, but the way they were made was so different. Yes, they can age, but do you want to wait? Here are wines with all the Pinot Noir characteristics. Aromatic nose. Fleshy palate fruit. Gobs of it. Light and tickling, but firm to stand up to everything from trout to salmon to even tasty pork, duck and lamb dishes.

That’s the 2016 Albert Boxler Pinot Noir to a T.  It’s one of the hidden gems in the Kermit Lynch portfolio where the attention often goes to the more expensive Boxler  Pinot Noir “S.”  At more than half the price, this lush, berry busting, cherry and red cassis flavored wine is joyous and enjoyable.

That’s why the 2016 Albert Boxler Pinot Noir is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!

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2015 Gonzalez Bastias Pais Matorral

I have always been a fan of wines that are rare and obscure. Back in the 80s, it was Santa Barbara, the Rhone Valley, and Bandol. In the 90s, I found my way to the Languedoc and Roussillon and even some British Columbia wines. In the 00’s it was Austria and New Zealand.

Along the way, I dabbled a bit with Argentina and Chile, but never found more than a handful of wines I liked such as the Catena family of Luca and Tikal labeled blends, a stnning Cabernet and Malbec from pal Patrick Campbell of Laurel Glen fame and also some from Paul Hobbs, that also come to mind from Argentina’s Mendoza Valley.

That’s why when I tasted a delightfully refreshing, summer weight red from Chile, I just smiled.

The 2015 Gonzalez Bastias Pais Matorral is made from 200-year-old Pais vines and is light, juicy and fruity all at the same time.

It’s got a sexy, light black raspberry nose and first taste give way to a mouth-filling black cherry wishniak, red licorice, and menthol and herb flavors. 

While some may dismiss this bio-dynamic wine as not quite a serious wine, I disagree. It’s as much of a fine wine as the hipster loved reds like Chinon and grand cru Beaujolais are. So to me, the 2015 Gonzalez Bastias Pais Matorral is a wine to be taken seriously. You should think that too.

That’s why the 2015 Gonzalez Bastias Pais Matorral is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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