French Wine Gift - Unique Wines from Independent French Growers

Wines of the Month: June 2005

Warning: Please make sure first that the address where you would like your order delivered is in a State where such deliveries are legal. For the time being, we can only deliver in Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. See our delivery map.

The descriptions found below are the ones our members will find with their monthly shipment of two bottles of fine wine from the French Wine Club.

Red: Domaine de Coussergues, Mourvedre 2003

Label Wine of the Month June 2005 Red The Barony of Coussergues was initially a Roman Villa along the Domitian way (one of the main arteries of the Roman Empire). It has been in the Sarret family for 16 generations now (since 1495). The Domaine de Coussergues is located about six miles East of Beziers (Languedoc). It is quite a big estate, with 520 acres. The 2003 vintage is a 100% Mourvedre, from the 65 year-old vines covering the hills.

The wine was aged in a combination of French and American oak; it has a classic Mourvedre character. It is full-bodied and dark, with a touch of herbal flavor.

It will be a good companion for barbecue and roasted meats. Aging potential: four to five years.

To order, click here: Bottle ($14.75), Case ($141.60 - 20% off!).

White: Domaine La Bastide, Viognier 2004

Label Wine of the Month June 2005 White Domaine la Bastide is located on the north end of the “Corbières” area. It is part of the Languedoc region, close to the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Narbonne. Nestled in a green setting, surrounded by maritime essences, the impressive Chateau was built in 1770, and it offers a unique character. The owners, Anne-Marie and Guilhem Durand, bought the property in 1989.

They have since put a lot of emphasis on the development of quality wines, and they improved their vineyards by uprooting ordinary ones and replacing them with prestigious varieties.

Domaine La Bastide is 100% Viognier. The grapes are picked at full maturity when the balance between sugar and acid is optimum. They are de-stemmed, crushed and chilled at low temperature. The juice is vinified in stainless steel vats and stirred in their fine lees during four months.

This Viognier has a pale yellow color with green reflections. It is an impressively expressive wine, loaded with ripe and spicy fruit aromas of peaches and apricots, with a dry, rich and round taste with enough freshness to balance power with aromas. It is a wine to drink now, although it will keep until 2007.

To order, click here: Bottle ($14.75), Case ($141.60 - 20% off!).

Previous 12 Wine-of-the-Month Selections

(Important note: in general, only cases of past Wine-of-the-Month selections are available, and even so, we cannot guarantee that they will be accessible after a certain amount of time. Please call or e-mail us to check on availability before ordering.)

May 2005:
Red: Domaine La Millière 2003
White: Chardonnay du Bugey, Domaine Plantaz 2001

April 2005:
Red: Clos Bagatelle St Chinian 2002
White: Apremont 2003

March 2005:
Red: Domaine de Costebonne 2001, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
White: Vin de Pays des Côtes de Thau, Sauvignon Blanc “Hugues de Beauvignac”

February 2005:
Red: Château Rauzan Despagne 2003
White: Colombelle 2003

January 2005:
Red: Arrogant Frog 2003
White: Domaine de Valensac 2001

December 2004:
Red: Cossart de Margaux 1999
White: Clos des Verdots Bergerac 2003

November 2004:
Red: Pelican 2003
White: Ballade en Straminer 2002

October 2004:
Red: Réserve Grand Veneur, Côtes du Rhône 2003
White: Domaine Trois Frères, Chardonnay 2002

September 2004:
Red: Merlot d’Hauterive 2002
White: Domaine des Cassagnoles, Cuvée Gros Manseng 2003

August 2004:
Red: Domaine du Sacré-Coeur, St-Chinian 2000
White: Domaine de la Bachellery, Vin de Pays d'Oc 2003

July 2004:
Red: Shiraz 2002 Laurent Miquel Nord-Sud
White: Viognier 2003 Laurent Miquel Nord-Sud

June 2004:
Red: Clos de L'Escandil 1999, Minervois La Livinière
White: Domaine Lalanne 2002, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne

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