2005 Walden Cotes du Roussillon Rouge
No this wine isn't from Concord, but from a winemaker in France who gets his inspiration from Thoreau. A pamphlet about the wine includes lengthy quotes from Thoreau as well as atmospheric black and white photos of woodlands. Being from Concord, we just couldn't resist giving this wine a try.
From the Roussillon, Walden is very different from your typical California wine. Very earthy, this organically produced blend of 40% Syrah and 30% each of Grenache and Carignan (50 to 90 year old vines) has a nose mostly of animal fur, with notions of violets and stone. A pleasant plumminess on the palate, with lots of dark fruit flavors that lead to a stony, mineral finish. The wine doesn't see any oak aging at all, so you are left with the just fruit as nature intended. Sound familar?
Regular price: $15.99
Special Concord price: $9.99
A professional review from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 88 out of 100 points.
"The Walden Herve Bizeul 2005 Cotes du Roussillon displays aromas of kirsch, tart black raspberry, and a pungent smoked meat, roasted nut and saline side typical for these varieties in these terroirs. Bright and saline on the palate, it leads to a faintly warm and astringent but satisfyingly long finish with herbal and crushed stone notes adding interest."
