Three non-supermarket reds

There are alternatives to buying wine at supermarkets. Here, I have looking at one bought from a local market, and two from John. John is listed in the ‘Where to buy’ section as an independent seller.
He can come to Rue de la Providence (if you have booked that accommodation) and let you try some of his wines. Note that there will be a corkage fee for wine that he opens for you to try, but this is then deducted from wines that you purchase. (Boxes of 6).

A local market in Verteillac

Occasionally, when visiting small markets, a local winemaker may be there, selling their wine. This happened when going into the village of Verteillac. Note that Verteillac is nowhere near Boulogne. It is a small village in the Dordogne, near where my mother and friend Mary lives. (Verteillac is a lovely village, well worth a visit if you are in that area.)

The wine that I bought here was Chateau Dupuy La Gamaye Bordeaux 2015. That could even be the winemaker selling his own wine in the picture. (Monsieur Dupuy or monsieur Gamaye perhaps?)

I did get a few people to try this wine down in the Dordogne. I made some notes on their comments, but unfortunately I seem to have lost them. (Note to self, I must be better organised). But it was generally liked.

The two that I tried from John were a Mas Ameil, Pur Schiste, Cote du Roussillon 2015 and a Cabardes, Chateau de Pennautier 2013.

Some of the tastings were done in Boulogne, with John and my cousin Fred, who I took over for a short holiday. Fred was in the UK visiting my other cousin (Fred’s sister) Sharon. I did then did more tastings after I took Fred back to Sharon’s, with Sharon, her husband Andrew, and their daughter Natasha.

Now, as I mentioned in my post about hosting a wine tasting evening, https://boulognewineblog.com/hosting-a-wine-tasting-evening/
One does need to be a bit organised when asking people to comment on wines. In particular, use one of the recommended sheets to get peoples’ comments. When I was at Sharon’s, I just made some ‘very messy notes’. But when you are a guest at someone’s house, you cannot stress people out to make too much to make notes for one’s blog.

So making the best of these notes as I can. I will definitely start printing out some of the recommended wine sheets for future tastings.

Chateau Dupuy La Gamaye

• Bordeaux 2015
• €3.00 a bottle when buying 6
• Bought in Verteillac market

Aroma: A bit too strong and acidic

Taste: A lighter taste, quite pleasant but not much fruitiness

Paul (me)

Too sharp a taste. One glass enouth

Fred

A fruity aroma, but taste a bit too sharp.

Sharon

A woody aroma, but not a nice after taste.

Andrew

A rich aroma. Taste is a little bit bitter.

Natasha

Mas Ameil, Pur Schiste

• Cote du Roussillon 2015
• €12.50 per bottle when buying box of 6 from John

• 

• 

Aroma: Quite strong, but maybe a bit overpowering.

Taste: A little bit too rough/sharp for my taste.

Paul

Aroma: Quite a subtle aroma.

Tastes: Pleasant at first, a bit bitter at the end, but still a full flavour.

Fred

A bit sharp.

Sharon

A bit rough, and a little bit unpleasant at the end.

Andrew

A stronger aroma, but mouth went a bit dry

Natasha

Chateau de Pennautier

• Terroirs d’Altitude, 2013
• Comte Nicolas de Lorgeril
• €9.95 per bottle when buying box of 6 from John

• 

• 

Aroma: A nice floral aroma.

Taste: A good strong flavour. Slightly spicy and peppery. Good smooth wine with a nice aftertaste.

Paul

Nice aroma, pleasant aftertaste. Very good.

Fred

Nice aroma and taste, but a bit dry.

Sharon

Good aroma and taste, but a bit dry.

Andrew

Nice aroma, but not too keen on the taste.

Natasha

Comments

When I first tasted the Chateau Dupuy La Gamaye whilst in the Dordogne, I really liked it. But when tasting it in alongside the more expensive wines, it really did not compare. This view was shared with most of my relatives who also tasted the wines. However at €3 a bottle it is still a very good deal. And when I tasted another bottle on my own when back home, quite liked it again. Definitely best for value. Also there is something nice buying wine from the winemaker in a small village market stall. (I am trying to find out how much it normally costs in shops or online).

As for the Cote du Roussillon, I have had some wines from this region before, and remembered that I did not like them. But could this just be because they were ‘cheap’ Cote du Roussillon’s’? The only way to find out was to taste a more expensive one. But even after tasting this one, which was OK, I think I will stick to a ‘non’ to Cote du Roussillon wines. I just did not like it that much. Of course, it could just be me. But most of my relatives (except Natasha) also preferred the Chateau de Pennautier, which was €2.55 cheaper per bottle.

Virtually everyone’s favourite was the Chateau de Pennautier, even though Sharon and Andrew thought it a bit dry. But I liked it and I did buy a box of 6 from John to bring back to the UK.