Last week's wine came from a groundbreaking California winemaker, Robert Mondavi. This review is devoted to a wine made by a famous French winemaker, Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Prior to their death, these two giants collaborated; their most famous joint effort is the very pricey and probably overpriced Opus One, a Cabernet Sauvignon. Today's wine is a Pinot Noir from the up and coming Languedoc region of southwestern France. While Pinot Noir is a common and often prized red grape variety grown in many parts of France it is somewhat of a newcomer to this major, but not prestigious wine growing region. So let's see what happens when we combine a great grape, an up-and-coming wine region, and a famous wine house in a low-priced bottle.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
WEEKLY
Wine Reviewed
Philippe de Rothschild Pinot Noir 2008 12.5% alcohol about
Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Medium red violet; aromas and flavours of dried red berries, sour cherry, cranberry and spice, with a hint of vanilla; dry, medium bodied, soft yet balanced palate; good length. Serving Suggestion: Vegetarian lasagna, roast pork and grilled salmon or burgers. And now for my review.
At the first sips the wine was earthy with nice, round tannins. Its first pairing was with a commercial honey and garlic chicken breast accompanied by rice and a Moroccan-style tomato and garlic salsa. The wine showed soft acidity and tobacco. With the salsa the wine's earthiness intensified but it became harsher.
The next meal consisted of a slow-cooked beef stew. The Pinot Noir was nicely acidic but the earth taste was almost completely gone and there wasn't much fruit. I added some powerful green jalapeno pepper sauce the wine grew marginally stronger.
My final meal involved a boxed eggplant parmagiana slathered with parmesan cheese. While the nice acidity of the wine met the acidity of the tomato sauce, there was not a lot of fruit.
I ended the bottle with two local cheeses. With a yellow cheddar the Pinot Noir was fairly muted. It was a bit sweet with a taste of cherries. With a stronger tasting asiago cheese the wine picked up a bit of intensity but not really enough.
Final verdict. I don't plan to buy this wine again. Even at this price it wasn't really up to snuff.
A Wine Lover's Weekly Guide to Wines - A French Pinot Noir by Rothschild WEEKLY
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