[TN] 2006 Cotes de Gascogne rouge

Apr 28, 2008 4 Replies
M

With dinner of lamb tonight, we opened a recent purchase from Sam's:


2006 "Les Palombières" Vin de Pays Côtes de Gascogne rouge nose: tart cherries, slight sappiness, later funkiness palate: smooth entry, medium body, soft but not flabby, decent acidity

This is a blend of 60% Tannat/40% Merlot from SW France, but bears no resemblance to a Madiran or Iroulegay. I had received an email from Sam's flogging this wine, and got some encouragement from Ian Hoare who knew of the producers (F. and J. Rigal), so I decided to risk my hard-earned $7 on this. Very forward and easy drinking, it made for an excellent $7 lamb wine. We also picked up the blanc, a blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard, and will report on that in due course.



Mark Lipton


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I

Back from my trip to Cahors, I can expand on this slightly. The negociants "Rigal" have been sold, and now have no connection with F&J Rigal - so I was told, rather frostily, by the young sales lady who was the only person available. The company who bought the distributors is called SCV Béraud.

This is the only sensible reference I could find.

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We had a very "professional" tasting. The wines were very polished on the whole and their two top wines, "L'apogée" and "La Vierge" impressed me. But when compared with the welcome we received at most of the others where the owner was waiting for us faced wreathed in smiles, I wondered why I'd bothered to make the effort to fix an appointment. At least at Chateau Chambert (recently sold to a M LeJeune who's a wealthy Parisian in IT), the person who showed us round WAS expecting us and had come specially to the estate to show us round. She didn't actually know too much about the details of wine making but was very pleasant.

-- All the best Fatty from Forges

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M

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Thanks for that information, Ian. It makes a lot of sense. I don't know why the sales lady should have been at all put out by your inquiry. How else is one to know that a particular name has been sold?

Mark Lipton

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I

I agree. But who knows what led up to and followed the purchase Rigal J&F Freres still sell these wines, but she really was at pains to explain that there was no longer a connection. The expression that comes to mind is french "uin vrai frisson". A sort of stiffening of the back, followed by "Oh no, this isn't the same organisation at all." Most odd really. I suspect there's "une histoire".

-- All the best Fatty from Forges

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S

Actually, Rigal is now owned by Gassier. Gassier has some really great wines in their portfolio...what I have really enjoyed is their 2006 Cotes-du-Provence Roses...Sables D'Azur and St.Victoire. I picked up the Sables D'Azur at Sam's recently and loved it....fresh strawberries and a nice dry, clean finish. I would recommend this along with the Rigal Les Palombieres Blanc for perfect Summer sippers!

GC

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