I import Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape, so I have a reasonable tolerance for brettanomyces, but when it is the first impression on pulling the cork (before pouring), it means there will be limits to the fandom.
Healthy deep ruby color. Horse manure, red raspberry and horse manure on the nose, with some nice herbal hints under. Ripe, balanced palate with plenty of horse manure, black as much as red fruit, medium bodied, firm lively acidity, more a Spanish style of Grenache than a Cotes du Rhone style. The fruit, balance, texture and finish are fine. Rated 87.5 if you can live with elevated levels of brett, about 55 if you can’t. Of course brett levels can vary bottle to bottle.
Funny…I’ve definitely experienced brett with prior vintages of this wine. So far my 2010s have been relatively brett-free. I am fairly brett-tolerant. All that said, I consistently find this wine to be one of the greatest value wines on the market. For $12-$14 you get: loads of character, a food friendly wine style, aged characteristics (the wine isn’t aged of course but the winemaking style seems to create a relatively advanced characteristic), and an elegant, medium to light bodied, red fruited wine. Not at all something typically avaable at this price point. Calabretta Etna Rosso would be a good comparison point at $35…I love that one too by the way…
I’m sorry to hear that. I’m very sensitive to brett so I’ll be sure to try a bottle of the 2010 before loading up. Interesting though that we drank 8 bottles of the 2009 without any hint of brett. The 2009 was a great value wine. As John says under $15 it was a real winner.
Every bottle I’ve had of this from past vintages has had botable Brett. I’m down with Brett so it works for me. Nice wine but some vintages have had that boozy Grenache note stand out at times. A light chill might mitigate that. I agree that it comes across as mature and ready to drink. Readily available here in the people’s republic of soviet Ontario for $17.