Wine Review - 2010 Gerard Bertrand Art De Vivre Minervois Reserve: Nice Easy Drinking French Wine
This wine was a purchase from this year's Port of Wines Festival here in Nova Scotia. It was a bit of a stand out at the French table where we were tasting wines that ranged from $15 to $150. This one mainly stood out because it was $16 and good. For those who are not familiar with what Minervois actually means (and we really aren't either - oh those wacky French and their 'rules') it is a blend wine made of Carignan (which can account for no more than 40% of the wine), Grenache, Lledoner Pelut, Mourvedre, and Syrah grapes. How much of each are in this one....who knows.
In the glass the wine is a medium colour, not too light, not too dark if that makes sense. It is more red than purple in a lot of ways so we will call it a crimson colour. It is a nice colour for a glass of red wine. It is dark enough to block a lot of the light coming through the glass but not completely.
The nose is somewhat unique in the sense that it has a lot of fruit in there but there is an woody/leathery undertone that is really nice. Not necessarily an aged in oak smell but a wood smell. Fruit-wise we would say we get dominant blueberries and maybe an apple peel note in there that makes it a little tannic on the nose (not hot but a soft burn). Interesting stuff.
The flavours are very soft overall which makes this an easy enjoy as a red wine. It is not too much of anything. Not too tannic, not too dry, not too fruity. We will call it middle of the road. Basically, a very approachable wine that doesn't surprise at any point, good or bad. We don't love it, but then again we don't hate it. If they were aiming for the middle, then mission accomplished. Tasty but not overly memorable. The fruit we get is again blueberry with maybe a little espresso thrown it there. If there is one thing this wine might have that is memorable is the tartness on the finish. It does finish with a bit of a tangy note which is not offensive by any means but it lingers.
In the glass the wine is a medium colour, not too light, not too dark if that makes sense. It is more red than purple in a lot of ways so we will call it a crimson colour. It is a nice colour for a glass of red wine. It is dark enough to block a lot of the light coming through the glass but not completely.
The nose is somewhat unique in the sense that it has a lot of fruit in there but there is an woody/leathery undertone that is really nice. Not necessarily an aged in oak smell but a wood smell. Fruit-wise we would say we get dominant blueberries and maybe an apple peel note in there that makes it a little tannic on the nose (not hot but a soft burn). Interesting stuff.
The flavours are very soft overall which makes this an easy enjoy as a red wine. It is not too much of anything. Not too tannic, not too dry, not too fruity. We will call it middle of the road. Basically, a very approachable wine that doesn't surprise at any point, good or bad. We don't love it, but then again we don't hate it. If they were aiming for the middle, then mission accomplished. Tasty but not overly memorable. The fruit we get is again blueberry with maybe a little espresso thrown it there. If there is one thing this wine might have that is memorable is the tartness on the finish. It does finish with a bit of a tangy note which is not offensive by any means but it lingers.
| Tasting Notes: | Score: | |
| Sight (0-5) | Crimson coloured wine with a nice depth of colour and just a touch of transparency. | 4.0 |
| Smell (0-5) | Blueberries and wood with a touch of leather and apple peel are the main attributes on the nose. | 4.0 |
| Taste (0-10) | Blueberries continue on the palate with a little bit of espresso. Very middle of the road with a fairly good balance of acid and fruit that is soft but sticks around. | 7.75 |
| Total: | 15.5 / 20 (78.75%) |
This wine is perfectly priced and we would probably buy it again though we wouldn't go out of our way to hunt it down. The price makes it an easy decision for drinking by itself or with food and it goes well both ways. This started out as a pair for Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding but finished on its own and it works for each.
Keep on tasting!
Chris & Shannon
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