My first entry to the global wine tasting event Wine Blogging Wedensday, hostet this time by Jathan from winexpression.
The wine:
2004
Cuvée Prestige
Rasteau
Côtes du Rhône Villages
Appelation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée
Alcohol: 14 %Vol
Cuvée of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre

Producer:
Cave de Rasteau
Vaucluse – France

I bought this wine for 6,90 Euro at „Jaques Weindepot“ in Heidelberg. I’ve been curios about this wine, of course the winemaker has been working 3 years in Australia, so I have been told. So this wine could be different from the other Rhônewines. There has been several other offers at „Jaques Weindepot“, but I really did not know how to categorize the offers, the „consultant“ in the shop wasn’t really helpful.
The bottle:
The labeling is well done, its exact in shape and is in position were it should be. Twin-top cork, burgundy-style bottle.

The wineseller told me to open the bottle a few hours before drinking, but I gave it a first try just after opening. I’ve been drinking alone this time, so I would get a chance to drink this wine even the next day.
The first impression I got: what a beautiful brilliant coloure! At this time I could not know this would be the last positive thing I will find about this wine! Unfortunately!

First impression of the aroma has been a slightly smell of some type of autochthonal vines. What a surprise, I’ve been expecting something like earthy and smoky tastes, but it was more something like leather or dried fruits. Maybe I have been so curios, of course I’m just not „used“ to this grapevarietys.

The wine is clearly dominated by the Alcohol which might even higher than 14%vol. Far in the back, for a short moment you got a taste of smoothness, a mouthfeeling of a highly concentrated wine. The tannins are sharp and green, which means this are tannins which will not ripen, so I would say, this is a wine without potential for the next years. But I couldn’t expect to get a wine with potential for 7 Euro. But for 7 Euro I expected an easy drinking wine, without hard tannins and alcohol which let me start headbanging after drinking a glas of it.
Still I know especially the Germans love wines like this, do they often equate high alcohol with quality. In this case I’m not a typical german.
Tasting this wine one day later, didn’t change a lot, only the flavors has gone and the alcohol is even more dominating than it was after opening the bottle.

What did I learn?
Having again this wine, I suggest the wine has to go with food, like heavy roastet meat and very very spicy dips.

What else did I learn?
This time the wine and myself did not come together. For the next Wine Blogging Wednesday I will have to choose my wine more carefuly, of course I would like to write about things which makes pleasure, means wines what match my taste.