In the past 30 years, French wines have taken a big hit.
There are many reasons, but the most prominent is price. The better French wines became grossly overpriced while their quality was being surpassed by similar varieties coming out of California at much more affordable prices. Another reason is the more reasonably priced French wines were, to say the least, terrible and not up to the quality of the domestic wines.
With all that money rolling in during the 1960s and '70s, French vintners upgraded their winemaking equipment by replacing their old wooden fermenters with gleaming stainless steel. In the process, they discarded their old, well-seasoned aging barrels in favor of newer ones with younger wood, a scenario for disaster.
There were still vintners in France who continued to produce good wines and maintained reasonable prices, but their wines were overshadowed by a glut of junk.
Jaboulet is one of the producers that never deviated from the initial goal: good wines at reasonable prices.
Jaboulet draws grapes from the Cotes du Rhone region of France, an area famous since Roman times as a producer of quality wines. These wines appealed to the Romans because they were much lighter than the heavier wines of Bordeaux or Burgundy and were better suited to the climate and foods enjoyed by the Romans.
Today, the grape varieties of the Cotes du Rhone are being rediscovered by many California winemakers and are making a big splash among wine lovers, especially those who are looking past commonplace selections.
The Cotes du Rhone red and rose wines are made from blends of grenache, syrah, cinsault, carignan and mourvedre grapes. The white wines are mostly blends of clairette, marsanne, roussanne, and viognier, all of which are currently gaining popularity in the U.S.
Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45 2011 Rouge ($19)This wine has been produced from grenache and syrah, the most popular grapes of the Cotes du Rhone region.
The wine displays a bright and inviting garnet color and an aroma that is big and openly presents raspberries and dark raisins right up front. There also are the under-flavors of licorice and violets dancing in the background. The flavor, too, reflects these aromas, and the finish is moderately long and clean.
This well-made wine is easy to drink and even easier to afford.
Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45 2011 Blanc ($19)Unless your high school French is a bit rusty or nonexistent because you took a different language, blanc means white. In this case, it's a white wine made by blending several white grape varieties, including grenache blanc, viognier, marsanne and a variety that we have never before encountered, bourboulenc.
The wine presents a big and expansive aroma of peach, apricot and pear, with a noticeable background of citrus, pineapple and vanilla. The same fruits present in the aroma also show up in the flavor, where they are accented by a crisp acidity and the Rhone signature mineral background flavor.
This wine can easily accompany any foods that call for a white wine or can serve as an excellent aperitif.
Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45 2012 Rose ($19)Rhone rose wines have been prize winners for centuries. While the blend varies from vintner to vintner, the Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45 2012 Rose seems to be the style they are all copying.
The wine is composed of grenache, cinsault and just a bit of syrah, which, when combined, produces a crisp wine with an appealing cherry/berry aroma. The flavor is big, open and obvious. Cherry, strawberry, watermelon, apple and tea can easily be discerned.
This is a wine that can accompany almost anything, from mild salads to sharp oriental foods and also can be considered the king of barbecues.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
